| A | B |
|---|
| Emporer | the ruler of an empire |
| empire | a group of territories and peoples brought together under one supreme ruler |
| Fertile Crescent | a area of rich soil in the Middle East, stretching from the Medierranean Sea to the Persian Gulf |
| justice | fair treatment of people, in keeping with the law |
| Hammurabi | the ruler of the Babylonian Empire from 1792-1750 B.C., who expanded the empire |
| code of law | a set of written rules for people to obey |
| irrigation | the watering of crops |
| cuneiform | an ancient writing system developed by the Sumerians, made up of wedge-shaped markings |
| Mesopotamia | the area of Southwest Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers - home to many early civilizations |
| flood plain | flat land bordering a river |
| silt | fine, fertile soil deposited by a river |
| drought | a period of little rainfall in which growing crops becomes difficult |
| surplus | an amount produced in excess of what is needed |
| city-state | a political unit that includes a city and its nearby farmlands |
| ziggurat | an ancient Sumerian or Babylonian temple |
| polytheism | a belief in many gods or goddesses |
| stylus | a sharpened reed used to press markings into clay tablets |
| scribe | a person who specializes in writing and serves as a record keeper |
| pictograph | a picture or drawing that represents a word or an idea |
| aritsan | a person trained in a particular skill or craft |
