#separator:tab #html:false #tags column:4 Mesopotamia Greek for 'between the rivers'; the land between the Tigris and Euphrates world-mesopotamia Tigris and Euphrates The two rivers that watered Mesopotamia world-mesopotamia Fertile Crescent Curved area of fertile land from the Nile through Mesopotamia world-mesopotamia Sumer Southern Mesopotamia, home of some of the first cities world-mesopotamia Sumerians People who built the first known cities and invented writing world-mesopotamia Uruk One of the world's first great cities world-mesopotamia Ur Sumerian city with a large ziggurat world-mesopotamia City-state A city and surrounding land with its own government world-mesopotamia Ziggurat Stepped temple tower of Mesopotamian cities world-mesopotamia Cuneiform Wedge-shaped writing pressed into clay world-mesopotamia Stylus Reed pen used to press marks into wet clay world-mesopotamia Clay tablet Slab of clay used for writing world-mesopotamia Scribe Person trained to write and keep records world-mesopotamia Epic of Gilgamesh One of the oldest known stories, about a king and his friend Enkidu world-mesopotamia Gilgamesh Legendary king of Uruk in the oldest epic world-mesopotamia Irrigation Canals carrying river water to fields world-mesopotamia Surplus Extra food beyond what people need world-mesopotamia Barley Main grain grown in Mesopotamia world-mesopotamia Wheel Invented in Mesopotamia about 3500 BCE world-mesopotamia Plow Farm tool used to turn the soil, early versions pulled by oxen world-mesopotamia Sailboat Used on the rivers for trade world-mesopotamia Sexagesimal system Base-60 counting that gave us 60 minutes and 360 degrees world-mesopotamia Lunar calendar Calendar based on the Moon's cycles world-mesopotamia Sargon of Akkad Built the first known empire about 2300 BCE world-mesopotamia Akkadian Empire Empire created by Sargon, joining many city-states world-mesopotamia Hammurabi Babylonian king famous for his written laws world-mesopotamia Code of Hammurabi One of the earliest written law codes, about 1754 BCE world-mesopotamia Babylon Major city on the Euphrates; capital of Hammurabi's kingdom world-mesopotamia Hanging Gardens of Babylon Famed gardens, thought to be one of the Seven Wonders world-mesopotamia Nebuchadnezzar II Babylonian king who rebuilt Babylon around 600 BCE world-mesopotamia Ishtar Gate Blue glazed brick gate of Babylon world-mesopotamia Assyrians Fierce warriors from northern Mesopotamia who built a large empire world-mesopotamia Nineveh Assyrian capital with a great library world-mesopotamia Ashurbanipal Assyrian king who collected thousands of tablets in a library world-mesopotamia Persians Conquered Babylon in 539 BCE under Cyrus the Great world-mesopotamia Cyrus the Great Persian king who took Babylon world-mesopotamia Epic A long story about heroes world-mesopotamia Polytheism Belief in many gods world-mesopotamia Temple Building for worship, also a center of business in Sumer world-mesopotamia Priest Religious leader who served the gods world-mesopotamia Patron god God believed to protect a particular city world-mesopotamia Enlil Sumerian god of air and storms world-mesopotamia Inanna Sumerian goddess of love and war, later Ishtar world-mesopotamia Marduk Chief god of Babylon world-mesopotamia Mud brick Common building material world-mesopotamia Dynasty Rulers from one family world-mesopotamia Empire Many lands ruled by one government world-mesopotamia Tribute Payment from conquered people to their rulers world-mesopotamia Trade Mesopotamians traded grain and cloth for metal and stone from far away world-mesopotamia Silver shekel Weight of silver used as money world-mesopotamia Contract Written agreement; many were recorded on tablets world-mesopotamia Law code A written set of laws world-mesopotamia Eye for an eye Hammurabi's principle of matching punishments to harm, with different rules by class world-mesopotamia Social classes Kings and priests, then wealthy people, then commoners, then slaves world-mesopotamia Enheduanna Priestess of Ur and the first author known by name world-mesopotamia Cylinder seal Carved stone roller that pressed a design in clay to mark ownership world-mesopotamia Royal Standard of Ur Decorated box found in a Sumerian royal tomb world-mesopotamia Lyre Stringed instrument found in Sumerian tombs world-mesopotamia Hittites People of Anatolia who fought Babylon and Egypt world-mesopotamia Chaldeans Also called Neo-Babylonians; rebuilt Babylon after Assyria fell world-mesopotamia Sumerian King List Ancient list of rulers, mixing history and legend world-mesopotamia Tell A mound formed by ruins of ancient settlements built on each other world-mesopotamia Modern Iraq Most of ancient Mesopotamia lies in present-day Iraq world-mesopotamia Medicine Babylonian doctors wrote lists of illnesses and cures on tablets world-mesopotamia Astronomy Babylonians kept careful records of stars and planets world-mesopotamia Plimpton 322 Clay tablet showing advanced Babylonian math world-mesopotamia Mathematics Babylonians solved problems with fractions, squares and early algebra world-mesopotamia Library Assyrian kings gathered tablets to preserve knowledge world-mesopotamia Victory stele Carved stone slab recording a ruler's win world-mesopotamia Standard of weights Merchants used set weights to trade fairly world-mesopotamia