Mesopotamia Vocabulary

1. an early city that was like a small, independent country with its own laws and government
2. the way a civilization is organized
4. a means of supplying land with water
6. writing that uses wedge-shaped characters
8. a collection of written laws and rules
11. a large territory in which several groups of people are ruled by a single leader or government
13. a craftsperson
15. wealth sent from one country or ruler to another as a sign that the other is superior
16. fine particles of rock
17. a military blockade and attack on a city to force it to surrender
18. the use of tools and other inventions for practical purposes
20. an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower with outside staircases and a shrine at the top
21. a city that is the center of government
22. a society marked by developed arts, sciences, government, and social structure
23. a person who makes money by selling goods
24. an area in southern Mesopotamia, where cities first appeared

1. a characteristic of civilization that includes the beliefs and behaviors of a society or group of people
3. the way a region or country uses resources to produce and sell or trade goods and services to meet people’s needs and wants
5. someone who forces entry into a place where they are unwanted
7. a person who writes
9. a planned approach
10. the geographic area located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
12. an arc-shaped region in Southwest Asia, with rich soil
14. a symbol that stands for an object
19. a wall of earth built to prevent a river from flooding its banks