Ziggurat A multistep pyramid shaped temple where ancient

Ziggurat A multi-step pyramid shaped temple where ancient Mesopotamians came to worship their gods

City-State An independent state made up of a city and the surrounding land villages

Fertile Crescent A geographic piece of land between the Tigris and Euphrates river where the first civilization formed

Rural An area outside of cities and towns

Urban An area with a large amount of people living in it; city

Irrigation/Agriculture The practice of growing crops and raising livestock

Silt A fertile layer of dirt brought to the river valley from floods

Cuneiform Ancient Mesopotamian written language consisting of wedge shaped characters

Scribe A person who keeps copies of writing; a record keeper

Polytheism Belief in many gods

Neolithic Term meaning “New Stone” age

Paleolithic Term meaning “Old Stone” age

Specialization The development of different kinds of jobs; a foundation of civilization

Agricultural Revolution The transformation of human societies from hunting and gathering to farming

Domestication The practice of taming wild animals and using them to perform manual labor

Culture The beliefs, customs and practices of a particular group

Artifact The material remains of human life and activities; ie: pot shards, tools

Fossil Preserved remains of plants and animals

Nomadic Tending to travel and change settlements frequently; hunter-gathers

Sedentary Staying in one location to live due to surplus of food from farming