| A | B |
|---|
| Mesopotamia | the region where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow |
| floodplain | the flat land bordering the banks of a river |
| silt | the fine soil deposited by rivers |
| semiarid | climate that is hot and fairly dry |
| drought | a period when not enough rain and snow fall |
| surplus | more than is needed |
| civilization | an advanced form of culture |
| Sumer | a region in southern Mesopotamia and the site of the first civilization |
| city-state | a community that included a city and its nearby farmlands |
| ziggurat | the largest and most important structure in the Sumerian city |
| polytheism | a belief in many gods and goddesses |
| king | the highest-ranked leader of a group of people |
| bronze | a mixture of copper and tin |
| pictograph | picture writing |
| stylus | a sharpened reed used to make markings in clay |
| cuneiform | wedge-shaped writing |
| scribe | a person who specialized in writing |
| reed | the hollow stem of a tall grass |
| swell | to increase in size or volume |
| mouth | the part of a river that empties into a larger body of water |
| label | to mark an object with a name or symbol that identifies it |
| daily | taking place every day |
| current | a flowing part of a river or stream |
| advanced | beyond others in development or progress |
