HISTORY &
GEOGRAPHY
STUDENT BOOK
6th Grade | Unit 2
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY 602
The Cradle of Civilization
INTRODUCTION |3
1. MESOPOTAMIA
5
THE FERTILE CRESCENTE |6
SUMER |8
BABYLONIA |9
ASSYRIA |12
CHALDEA |14
PERSIA |15
SELF TEST 1 |18
2. ISRAEL
21
THE LAND |22
HISTORY |22
THE SPLIT KINGDOM |23
THE WANDERING |24
MODERN LIFE |25
CONTRIBUTIONS |25
SELF TEST 2 |27
3. EGYPT 29
GEOGRAPHY |30
THE OLD KINGDOM (2700-2100 B.C.) |30
THE MIDDLE KINGDOM (2100-1580 B.C.) |32
THE NEW KINGDOM (1580-1100 B.C.) |33
THE CIVILIZATION |35
RELIGION, CULTURE, AND CONTRIBUTIONS |36
SELF TEST 3 |39
LIFEPAC Test is located in the
center of the booklet. Please
remove before starting the unit.
Section 1 |1
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
Author: Ethel Hofflund, M.A..
Editor:
Richard W. Wheeler, M.A.Ed.
Consulting Editor:
Rudolph Moore, Ph.D.
Revision Editor:
Alan Christopherson, M.S.
MEDIA CREDITS:
Page 10: © Soft_Light, iStock, Thinkstock; 12: © valeri_shanin, iStock, Thinkstock; 14: © Maj. Mike Feeney US
Army; © NagyDodo, iStock, Thinkstock; 24: © Ingram Publishing, Thinkstock; 25: © sedmak, iStock, Thinkstock;
30: © pius99, iStock, Thinkstock; 33: © Igor Zakowski, iStock, Thinkstock; 35: © Elenarts, iStock, Thinkstock.
804 N. 2nd Ave. E.
Rock Rapids, IA 51246-1759
© MCMXCVI by Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. All
rights reserved. LIFEPAC is a registered trademark of
Alpha Omega Publications, Inc.
All trademarks and/or service marks referenced in this material are the property of their respective
owners. Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. makes no claim of ownership to any trademarks and/
or service marks other than their own and their affiliates, and makes no claim of affiliation to any
companies whose trademarks may be listed in this material, other than their own.
2| Section 1
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
The Cradle of Civilization
Introduction
The Old Stone Age, in which man hunted and gathered food, fascinates us. The New Stone Age, in which
man learned to farm and raise animals, is exciting. In this LIFEPAC®, however, we are concerned primarily
with the time when man began to dwell in cities and to communicate in writing. We shall study Mesopotamia, Israel, and Egypt from about 3500 B.C.
Objectives
Read the following objectives. The objectives tell you what you will be able to do when you have
successfully completed this LIFEPAC. When you have finished this LIFEPAC, you should be able to:
1.
Name some features of the geography of Mesopotamia.
2.
List some reasons for constant warfare among early civilizations.
3.
Describe the cultures and religions of the Mesopotamian civilizations.
4.
Name contributions made by each of the civilizations of Mesopotamia.
5.
Describe the geography, religion, and history of Israel.
6.
Name some contributions made by Israel.
7.
Describe the geography, religion, and history of Egypt.
8.
Name some contributions made by Egypt.
Section 1 |3
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
Survey the LIFEPAC. Ask yourself some questions about this study and write your questions here.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4| Section 1
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
1. MESOPOTAMIA
In your study of world geography you learned that geographical factors affect the way of life in a
given area. In this LIFEPAC you will see how civilization itself depended on the discovery of the rich
soil in the Fertile Crescent.
Section Objectives
Review these objectives. When you have completed this section, you should be able to:
1. Name some features of the geography of Mesopotamia.
2. List some reasons for constant warfare among early civilizations.
3. Describe the cultures and religions of the Mesopotamian civilizations.
4. Name contributions made by each of the civilizations of Mesopotamia.
Vocabulary
Study these words to enhance your learning success in this section.
astrology (u strol u jē). Study of the influence of the stars and planets on a person’s future.
burial (ber’ ē ul). Putting a dead body in a grave; burying.
cremate (krē māt). To burn a dead body to ashes instead of burying the body.
cuneiform (kyu nē u fôrm). Wedge-shaped characters used in the writing of ancient civilizations.
dowry (dou rē ). Money or property that a woman brings to her husband when she marries him.
Mesopotamia (mes u pu tā mē u). The land along and in between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
shaduf (shä düf). A long rod with a bucket on one end and a weight on the other end used for
raising water.
ziggurat (zig' ә rat). An ancient temple in the shape of a pyramid with an outside staircase.
Note: All vocabulary words in this LIFEPAC appear in boldface print the first time they are used. If you are not sure of the
meaning when you are reading, study the definitions given.
Pronunciation Key: hat, āge, cãre, fär; let, ēqual, tėrm; it, īce; hot, ōpen, ôrder; oil; out; cup, pu·t, rüle; child; long; thin;
/ŦH/ for then; /zh/ for measure; /u/ represents /a/ in about, /e/ in taken, /i/ in pencil, /o/ in lemon, and /u/ in circus.
Section 1 |5
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
THE FERTILE CRESCENT
Along and between the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers in southwestern Asia was a fertile land
called Paddan-Aram (pae dun ae rum) in Biblical times. We call this area Mesopotamia,
which is its Greek name. The rich soil began
north of the Persian Gulf and extended to
Turkey in the north. It followed the eastern
coast of the Mediterranean and the Nile River
in Africa. Its shape was that of a half-moon or
crescent.
In 3100 B.C. the southern part of Mesopotamia
was called Sumer (soo mur) and the north was
called Akkad. Sumer was divided into city-states
ruled by priests and kings. The names of the
city-states were Ur, Erech (er ek), Lagash (la
gash), Larsa (lar sah), and Nippur (nih poor).
Sargon I of Akkad captured and united these
city-states.
Ur was the city in which Abraham lived. The
ruins of this city are seen today in southern
Iraq. At one time Ur was the capital of Mesopotamia. It was rebuilt in 650 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar II. We see the effects of geography
again: When the course of the Euphrates River
was changed, the city became part of the
desert.
Thousands of years before Christ was born,
farmers discovered this rich soil and moved
into the valleys. With the warm climate, rich
soil, and sufficient water, the lives of farmers
became less difficult. With more settled lives,
these early men had time to learn how to write,
to trade, to use metal, and to live in villages.
Sargon I of Akkad captured the city-states, one
by one, and built a great empire, which he ruled
from 2334-2279 B.C. He established trade with
other lands and started the military tradition of
Mesopotamia.
Because of the rich, open, flat land, many other
tribes continued to invade the Fertile CresBlack
cent. There were numerous wars and constant
Sea
changes in the boundaries of countries.
Caspian
Sea
ASSYRIA
(Akkad)
FERTILE CRESCENT
MEDES
Nineveh
Acre
Mediterranean
Sea
GALILEE
SAMARIA
Jerusalem
Beersheba
Capernaum
Euphrates
River
Tigris
River
BABYLONIA
Babylon
Jericho
SUMER
Sodom
Ur
EGYPT
Eridu
Syrian Desert
Memphis
Nile
River
Thebes
|The Fertile Crescent
6| Section 1
ELAM
Red
Sea
ARABIAN
PENINSULA
Persian
Gulf
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1.1_ Where is the Fertile Crescent? _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.2_ What is the Biblical title for Mesopotamia? _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.3_ Why were there constant wars in Mesopotamia? ______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.4_ What country was in southern Mesopotamia? _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.5_ What country was in northern Mesopotamia? _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.6_ Who conquered all the states? _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.7_ What Biblical character lived in Ur? ____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.8_ What happened to Ur in later years? ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.9_ Why was the Fertile Crescent easy land to invade? _____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.10_ The men of Mesopotamia learned how to _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 1 |7
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
SUMER
Sumer, under Sargon the Great, was a great
civilization which influenced all the later conquerors of Mesopotamia. Characteristics of
this civilization became part of modern man’s
knowledge because of the type of houses that
were built.
The first houses of the Sumerians (soo mir e
unz) were built of bundles of reeds which were
plentiful. Later the houses were built of mud
bricks because clay was abundant. When the
floods came the houses collapsed. Then the
Sumerians rebuilt on the ruins. Centuries later,
when the archaeologists dug beneath them,
these mounds yielded treasures to scholars.
Food consisted of vegetables, fruits, meat,
and fish, all of which were eaten with fingers
instead of forks. Carrots, peas, onions, and walnuts were well-liked as were melons, figs, and
grapes. The most common fruit was the date.
The Sumerians made bread of dates and honey
for the rulers; the poor ate bread made of barley. Both wild and domestic animals, including
pigs, cattle, goats, and buffaloes, were eaten.
The Sumerians believed in many gods. Anu,
their favorite, represented authority. Inanna
was the goddess of love and war. In the temples gods were given drink and shelter and
were worshiped by the people. Music was provided by singing accompanied by a flute. The
Sumerians believed in sin, magic, and eternal
life.
In the arts, the Sumerians used many designs.
The arch, dome, vault, and ziggurat step-ups
8| Section 1
were used in construction. Wall paintings, pottery, and beautiful seals on cylinders for stamping items were found in Sumer.
In science, salt was used for healing purposes
because, oddly enough, the Sumerians did not
rely on the gods for medicine! In mathematics
both multiplication and division were used, and
geometry was applied in computing angles.
Twelve two-hour periods were in the Sumerian’s day. The Sumerians had the wheel, metals,
and a system of weights and measures. However, they had no system of coins.
Sumerian writing, which reads from right to
left, is the oldest example of writing on earth.
Although pictures were first used, symbols
were later made to represent syllables. Triangular or wedge-shaped reeds were used to
write on moist clay. This kind of writing is called
cuneiform. The Sumerians wrote down their
laws, wills, stories, and daily records, and even
had libraries of clay tablets!
The Sumerians also established the first
schools. Because a fee was paid, only the wellto-do could attend. Under the guidance of a
strict male teacher the children learned to write
many lists of words and memorized many facts.
The advanced Sumerian civilization continued
to influence the world because of the excellent
education of the young who maintained the
skills. Finally, however, about 1900 B.C., the
Sumerians were overthrown by the Amorites
(am uh rites) and the Elamites (ee lum ites).
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
Write the scrambled words correctly.
1.11_ City-states were ruled by spirets and sgkin.___________________________________________________
1.12_ The Sumerians had arithmetic and yremgeot. _________________________________________________
1.13_ They marked goods with beautiful stamps on rcyndesli._______________________________________
1.14_ The goddess of love was nnaani. ______________________________________________________________
1.15_ The most popular fruit was the teda. __________________________________________________________
1.16_ The Sumerians had blaririse. __________________________________________________________________
1.17_ They did not have a system of nscio. __________________________________________________________
1.18_ They believed in life that was tnalere. _________________________________________________________
Answer the following question.
1.19_ Why is education important in any civilization?_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
BABYLONIA
From about 1900 to 730 B.C., all Mesopotamia
was conquered and ruled by the Amorites and
Elamites, who were Semites (sem ites) from
Arabia. They formed a new union called Babylonia (bab uh loa nee uh).
The Babylonians were the first people to write
from left to right. They made many written documents. In 1800 B.C., under their great leader,
Hammurabi (ham uh rah bee), a famous code
of laws was written on an eight-foot piece of
stone which can be seen today in the Louvre (lu
vrŭ) (a museum) in Paris, France. Hammurabi’s
Code contains 280 judgments and is the mostquoted document written in cuneiform.
Business and marriage laws were part of
this code. Some of the subjects treated were
contracts, theft, slaves, stolen goods, and insurance. The family was protected by laws concerning marriage, divorce, and inheritance. The
bridegroom had to pay a price to his fatherin-law for the bride. The bride had to bring a
dowry, which went to the children when she
died or to her father if she were childless. Only
written contracts made a marriage legal. Since
adopting children was common, the rights and
duties of the adopted were documented.
Justice was defined in Hammurabi’s Code.
Whereas the Sumerian punishments had not
been harsh, the Babylonian law was severe.
If witnesses to a crime did not agree, trial by
water was often used to decide guilt. The death
penalty was given for theft, murder, and other
crimes.
Section 1 |9
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
Complete the following activities.
1.20_ The new country was called ___________________________ .
1.21_ The first, most complete set of written laws was the __________________________________________ .
1.22_ Where is the stone that the laws were written on today? ______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.23_ How were marriages made legal? ______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.24_ What kind of writing was used by the Babylonians? ____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
| A Ziggurat
10| Section 1
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
The capital of this new country was Babylon
(bab uh lahn) which meant the Gate of the Gods.
From there Nebuchadnezzar I ruled for twenty-one years (1124 to 1103 B.C.).
The houses in Babylon were split-level structures. The roofs were open and, on hot nights,
the family slept there. The living rooms, the dining rooms, and the kitchens were located downstairs. Water was drawn from a well. Lamps in
the courtyard burned olive oil. Every house had
a chapel for burial services and worship ceremonies. Because Mesopotamia had only clay for
use in building, the strong wooden supports for
the houses were imported from Lebanon (leb ŭ
nun). Eventually, the wealthy baked their bricks
and improved the strength of the structures.
Like the Sumerians, the Babylonians ate vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish. They also ground
grain and made bread. They enjoyed toasting and eating the locusts which destroyed many
crops.
The religion of the Babylonians was much like
that of the Sumerians. The god Inaana became
Ishtar. Marduk was the most powerful god. The
sun god was Shamark. The dead were buried
in cemeteries with supplies for the afterlife,
although some of the dead were cremated.
Temples were built for their gods. There the
children went to school and the people worshiped. The temples were ziggurats or terraced
pyramids. The base was the largest platform.
The next layer was smaller; and the third, still
smaller. One ziggurat in Ur was seventy feet
high (twenty-one meters). In these temples,
throbbed the hearts of the cities. There were
butchers, bakers, entertainers, and scribes who
wrote (in cuneiform style) for those who could
not. Sometimes the temples were protected by
walls.
Art flourished in Babylon. Beautiful vessels ornamented with gold were buried with the kings.
Literature of the time dealt with floods which
were thought to be caused by sin. Other stories
were written about the journey of Abraham.
Science continued to improve. Both astronomy
and astrology developed, and a calendar was
made.
Life in Babylon was rich and full. Peace prevailed. Little thought was given to wartime
needs or to the best way to protect the city. As
a result, Babylon was overthrown in 730 B.C. by
the Assyrians (uh sir ee unz) and Kassites (kas
ites). This great civilization was then brought to
an end.
Select the correct answer. Underline the answer you choose.
1.25_ Houses on hillsides today are often built like the Babylonian houses which were
one-story.
split-level.
two or three stories.
1.26_ The temples in which the Babylonians worshiped were
flat structures.
round churches.
ziggurats.
1.27_ A science that developed during this time was
mathematics.
astronomy.
medicine.
1.28_ Babylonians obtained wood for building from
their forests. Lebanon. Israel.
many gods.
our God.
1.29_ The Babylonians believed in
one god.
Section 1 |11
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
| An Assyrian War Chariot
ASSYRIA
Assyria, as the conquered land was called, rose
to its height from 669 to 624 B.C. The greatest
leader was Ashurbanipal (ah shur bah ni pahl),
who formed a library at Nineveh, supported the
arts, and put down an Egyptian uprising.
Nineveh, the capital, became a splendid city
built with stones and brick. The palace was decorated with glazed tiles of gorgeous colors. The
world’s first aqueduct was built there. Many tall
temples dotted the landscape. All the riches of
Babylonia were placed in Nineveh.
Unlike the Babylonians, the Assyrians were
a war-loving people. They used war chariots
and iron weapons. When they attacked a city,
they first dug under the walls, and then used
a battering ram to knock down the weakened
remains. These warriors treated their captives cruelly. The Assyrians often removed the
12| Section 1
conquered people from their homelands to
other areas. With fewer people remaining, a
country could not easily rebel.
Nevertheless, great art flourished. Their sculpture and pottery were beautiful and temples
were decorated with great stone carvings. Animals were drawn in great detail.
Trade, too, went on during this period. The
Assyrians bred and sold horses, which they
traded in Asia Minor for raw materials. They
obtained tin from Iran and wood from Lebanon. New trade routes were needed from time
to time, and this fact caused war.
Agriculture played a big role in Assyria. Corn,
vegetables, meat, leather, horns, fish, dates,
and reeds were among the products exported.
The Assyrians, who believed in many gods, also
thought the dead should be given food and
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
other necessary things for the afterlife. The
dead were often buried under floors in stone
coffins with lamps to offset the gloom of death.
Laws did not protect the helpless, the weak,
or the women. Punishments were based on
the rule of “an eye for an eye.” Women, who
had been treated with respect under the laws
of Babylonia, were now harshly treated. Men
could leave their wives without any settlement,
and still worse they could cripple or kill their
wives if they wished.
The last good ruler, Kar-Tukulti Ninurta (kar
too cul tih ni nur tuh), was killed by his own
son. After that, Assyria declined. Although for
a long time no one could defeat the Assyrians,
the Chaldeans (kal dee unz) finally did conquer
them. Nineveh was captured and destroyed
in 612 B.C. by a combined force of Chaldeans,
Medes, and Scythians. In 605 B.C. this ancient
land came to be ruled by the Chaldeans.
Answer each question.
1.30_ Why do you think the Assyrians defeated the Babylonians? ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.31_ Why would most women choose to live in Sumer rather than Assyria?_________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.32_ What animal was important in wartime? _______________________________________________________
1.33_ Why were the conquered taken for their homeland? ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.34_ If no iron was in Mesopotamia, how do you think the Assyrians obtained this metal? __________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 1 |13
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
CHALDEA
This new empire included Persia (per zhuh),
Anatolia (an uh toal ee uh), Babylon, Syria,
Palestine, and Egypt. The entire Fertile Crescent
was ruled by the Chaldeans from 605 to 538
B.C.
Nebuchadnezzar II was a great ruler. When
he captured Babylonia he retained many of
its ideas. His wife longed for her mountainous
homeland. Because ziggurats represented
mountains that were believed to bring good to
people, Nebuchadnezzar decided to please his
homesick wife. He built a ziggurat for her equal
to twenty-two stories in height. On the terraces
he had vines and trees planted. The structure
was called the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The large building was known as one of the
Seven Wonders of the World. An amazing fact
about the skill of those long-ago engineers was
that they found a way to carry water to the top
of this great tower! Perhaps a band of workers
using shadufs lifted the water.
| The City of Babylon the present day.
14| Section 1
| A shaduf
The Chaldeans believed in power. They
strengthened the military services and built
three walls around Babylon. Because some
of the Assyrian ideas were absorbed into the
laws, much cruelty existed. Even children could
be mistreated. Might seemed to be the chief
authority. However, one improvement of great
value did occur. A plow with a metal tip was put
into use. When this plow was pulled by oxen,
the farm land could be cultivated better and
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
faster. Agricultural products flourished. Grains,
beans, fruits, dates, onions, and radishes were
more easily planted and grown.
Another advancement was weaving cloth. Wool
was sheared from sheep. Then it was spun and
woven into beautiful fabrics. Metal was mined
in Arabia, Persia, Syria, and Anatolia. When
artists built statues, the insides were filled with
clay, not metal, which was too costly.
The Chaldeans believed in many gods and had
religious festivals to honor the gods. One great
ceremony centered around the gods of earth
and water. For this event, an outstanding young
man and woman were chosen to lead the procession. They went to the top of the ziggurat
and there were married by the priest—then
killed. All the beautiful attendants had to die
with them.
In school, a child learned to write with a reed
instrument. He sat on a brick bench and copied
lists all day long, until he did well. He also memorized many facts.
Answer each question true or false.
1.35 _______________ The Chaldeans made a plow with a metal point to make the cultivation of
crops easier.
1.36 _______________ The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
1.37 _______________ If the Chaldeans had not had many sheep they probably would not have
woven fabrics.
1.38 _______________ When the Chaldeans conquered the Assyrians they abolished all the cruel
laws.
1.39 _______________ Turning the other cheek is the same type of punishment as an eye for an eye.
PERSIA
A spectacular maneuver which won the war for
the Persians was changing the course of the
Euphrates River. This feat was done overnight.
Then their army marched on the old riverbed,
and won!
When the Persians ruled the Fertile Crescent
under Cyrus the Great beginning about 550
B.C., the empire was divided into units. Each
unit had home rule. Laws were improved, more
tolerance was given to various religions, and
the Hebrews were permitted to return to the
Land of Israel.
Another great ruler was Darius I (duh rie us),
a genius who reigned from 552 to 486 B.C. He
believed in the divine right of kings, or that his
authority came from heaven. He insisted that
all visitors lie prone before him. This custom
became popular among other classes. Soon
everyone was bowing down prostrate before
someone else!
One great improvement made by the Persians
was the building of good roads,including one
1,500 miles long ( 2,415 km) from Susa (soo su)
to Sardis (sar dis) in Asia Minor.
The Persians continued to use many of the
Mesopotamian inventions such as weights
and measures. In addition, they made coins,
collected taxes, and employed messengers on
horseback to deliver mail. The Persians also
wove with great skill, and many of their fabrics
were unsurpassed in artistic design.
Section 1 |15
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
Answer each question.
1.40_ What did Cyrus the Great do for the Hebrews? ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.41_ Why do you think good roads were important in those days? __________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.42_ Why do you think the Persians had coins while the earlier civilizations did not? ________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.43_ What is the divine right of kings? _______________________________________________________________
1.44_ Are we a tolerant nation? ______________________________________________________________________
1.45_ In our study of Mesopotamia, we have seen how each civilization developed using the old
and the new, and finally was vanquished by newcomers. What must any country do to
remain a great nation? _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Study each prefix and suffix and its meaning.
Prefix
antipolymonoadrepreinun-
16| Section 1
Meaning
against
many
one
toward
again
before
not
not
Suffix
-al
-ern
-ism
-ous
-ist
-less
Meaning
pertaining to
in this direction or toward
system
having to do with
one who
without
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
1.46 Underline the prefixes and suffixes. Try to define each word, then check your answers with
the dictionary.
a.antislavery _________________________________________________________________________________
b.polytheism ________________________________________________________________________________
c.monorail ___________________________________________________________________________________
d.monotone _________________________________________________________________________________
e.unstable ___________________________________________________________________________________
f.independent _______________________________________________________________________________
g.renew _____________________________________________________________________________________
h.advance ___________________________________________________________________________________
i.rewrite _____________________________________________________________________________________
j.pretest _____________________________________________________________________________________
k.agricultural ________________________________________________________________________________
l.eastern ____________________________________________________________________________________
m.symbolism _________________________________________________________________________________
n.archaeologist ______________________________________________________________________________
o.joyless _____________________________________________________________________________________
p.disastrous _________________________________________________________________________________
q.godless ____________________________________________________________________________________
Review the material in this section in preparation for the Self Test. The Self Test will
check your mastery of this particular section. The items missed on this Self Test will indicate specific areas where restudy is needed for mastery.
Section 1 |17
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
SELF TEST 1
Put an X on the line in front of each statement that describes the geography of Mesopotamia (each correct answer, 4 points).
1.01
_________ fertile land
_________ open, flat land
_________ cold and barren
_________ rocky soil
_________ rich soil
_________ between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
_________mountainous
_________ sufficient water
Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank (each answer, 3 points).
1.02
1.03
1.04
1.05
1.06
1.07
1.08
18| Section 1
_________ Which early civilization used wall paints and pottery in its arts?
a. Persia
b. Sumer
_________ Which civilization believed in the divine right of kings?
a. Persia
b. Sumer
_________ Which early civilization was noted for its code of laws?
a. Babylonia
b. Assyria
_________ Which civilization, although warlike, was quite interested in such art works as
decorated temples and stone carvings?
a. Babylonia
b. Assyria
_________ Which civilization believed in power and built three walls around Babylon?
a. Persia
b. Chaldea
_________ Which title indicates any king of ancient Egypt?
a. Shaduf b. Pharaoh
_________ Which word means an ancient temple in the shape of a pyramid with an outside
staircase?
a. ziggurat b. obelisk
Unit 2 | The Cradle of Civilization
Match the civilization with its contribution. Write the name of the civilization on the blank.
Choose from the civilizations listed below (each answer, 3 points).
Sumer Babylonia Assyria ChaldeaPersia
1.09
unsurpassed fabrics
a. __________________________________________
world’s first aqueduct
b. __________________________________________
plow with a metal tip
c. __________________________________________
developed astronomy
d. __________________________________________
established the first schools
e. __________________________________________
Put an X on the line in front of the statement that best tells why civilizations fought for
control of Mesopotamia (this answer, 4 points).
1.010 _________ They did not like the people of other tribes.
_________ They wanted to improve the arts in other countries.
_________ They were interested in the rich farmland of the Fertile Crescent.
Complete these statements (each answer, 4 points).
1.011_ When man learned to write, to use metals, and to work with others, we say he became
_
______________________________________________________________________________________________ .
1.012_ Abraham, a patriarch of the Bible, lived in the city-state of __________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________ .
1.013_ Sumerian houses were built of _____________________________________________________________ .
1.014_ Cuneiform was the type of ________________________________________________ the ancients had.
1.015_ Hammurabi of Babylonia made the most complete__________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________ .
1.016_ Temples were built in the shape of _________________________________________________________ .
1.017_ Modern homes are often built in the style of the houses of Babylonia.
_
The style is called ___________________________________________________________________________ .
1.018_ Nebuchadnezzar II will probably be remembered by most people for the building of one of
the Seven Wonders of the Word, called ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________ .
Section 1 |19
The Cradle of Civilization | Unit 2
1.019_ All these countries worshiped ______________________________________________________________ .
1.020_ The course of the river Euphrates was changed by the ______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________ .
80
20| Section 1
100
SCORE
TEACHER
initials
date
HIS0602 – Apr ‘15 Printing
804 N. 2nd Ave. E.
Rock Rapids, IA 51246-1759
800-622-3070
www.aop.com
ISBN 978-0-86717-552-3
9 780867 175523