These are the vocabulary words for Ancient Mesopotamia:
Sumer:
- An area in the southern region of Babylonia in present-day Iraq; site of the Sumerian civilization of city-states that flowered during the third millennium BC.
Sumerians:
- A member of a people who inhabited ancient Sumer
- of or relating to ancient Sumer or its inhabitants
City of Nippur:
- City in Ancient Mesopotamia on the Euphrates.
Nissaba:
- A Sumerian first name
Journal:
- A daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations.
Nomads:
- A member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons
Farming:
- Working the land as an occupation or way of life
- The practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
Livestock:
- Animals kept or raised; especially : farm animals kept for use and profit
Tame:
- To bring under control
- To subject to cultivation. ex: “wilderness tamed by farmers”
Domestication:
- To adapt to living with human beings and to serving their purposes
Fertile:
- Producing vegetation or crops plentifully. ex: “fertile farmland” synonym: Rich
Banks:
- The rising ground at the edge of a lake, river, or sea. ex: “the river banks”
Flood:
- Great flow of water that rises and spreads over the land
Barley:
- A cereal grass with flowers in dense spikes.
Wheat:
- A cereal grain that can be made into a fine white flour used mostly in breads, baked goods (as cakes and crackers), and pasta as (as macaroni or spaghetti) and that is used in animal feeds.
Ancestor:
- One from whom an individual, group, or species is descended.
Unpredictable:
- Not occurring at expected times
- Unknown in advance. ex “an unpredictable future”
- Impossible to foretell
Levees:
- A bank built along a river to prevent flooding
- A landing place along a river
Ditch:
- A long narrow channel or trench dug in the earth. ex: “Gated ditches”
Plow:
- A farm machine used to cut, lift, and turn over soil. ex: “The cow pulls the plow”
Zodiac:
- An imaginary belt in the heavens that includes the apparent paths of most of the planets and is divided into 12 star groups or signs
- A figure showing the signs of the zodiac
Priest:
- A person who has the authority to lead or perform religious ceremonies
City-state:
- A self-governing state consisting of a city and surrounding territory
Village:
- A place somewhat smaller than a town
Ziggurat:
- Ancient Mesopotamian temple
Merchants:
- A buyer and seller of goods for profit; especially one who carries on trade on a large scale or with foreign countries.
Craftspeople:
- Workers who practice a trade or craft.
Household:
- Those who live as a family in one house; also : a social unit made up of those living together in the same house
Chores:
- The regular light work of a household or farm
- An ordinary task
- A dull, unpleasant, or difficult task
Weave:
- To form by lacing together strands of material; especially to make on a loom by lacing together threads going lengthwise with threads going crosswise. Ex: “weave cloth”
- To form into a fabric. Ex: “weave wool into tweeds”
Yarn:
- A natural or manufactured fiber (as cotton or wool) formed as a continuous strand for use in knitting or weaving.
Tablet:
- A flat slab suited for an inscription.
Scribe:
- A person who copies manuscripts.
Burden:
- Something carried. Synonym: Load
- Something taken as a duty or responsibility. Ex: “tax burdens”
Irrigation:
- Act or process of watering crops in the field
