Middle School

1. Which two rivers are included in the Mesopotamia river valley?

2. Why is the land so fertile? (two reasons)

3. Name three ancient cities that are located on these rivers and tributaries.

4. Switch the map to “Modern Political” (white drop-down menu is up top). Through which present-day countries do these two rivers now flow?

5. What natural substance/process used to dehydrate buried bodies in the past?

6. What process did the Egyptians later develop? Click on this word to see the definition and write it below. Explain what happens in this process.

7. What are these jars called?

8. What are these types of jars supposed to hold?

9. What building materials were used to make the cities of the Civilization?

10. In the Indus Valley, what technology was the most sophisticated in the ancient world?

11. Look under “Houses, Sewage, and Plumbing” (last paragraphs). How were the houses of Mohenjo-Daro built (hint: what features did they have?)

12. Scroll back up to “The Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro” and read the two paragraphs. Give two reasons why archeologists think the Indus People may have practiced bathing rituals (hint: one of them is religious and the other is related to artifacts!)

13. What were the most prized materials in Ancient China?

14. What did the ancient Chinese keep secret for hundreds of years (hint: it’s not an item, it’s a process we talked about in class)?

15. Why do you think this was advantageous (why did this give China an advantage? We also discussed this in class.)

16. Click on Explore in the bottom right corner. Find the Jade Workshop. How did Jade Workers make their products? (hint: click on the underlined word to find the definition to help with your description).

17. After reading about jade, why do you think it was so expensive?

18. The Chinese use logograms. How are these characters different from English letters?

Answer :

The two rivers included in the Mesopotamia river valley are the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.

The land in Mesopotamia is fertile due to two main reasons:

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flood annually, depositing nutrient-rich silt onto the surrounding land, creating fertile soil.

The region benefits from an extensive irrigation system that allowed water to be diverted from the rivers to the fields, ensuring consistent water supply for agriculture.

Three ancient cities located on these rivers and tributaries include:

Babylon (near the Euphrates River)

Ur (near the Euphrates River)

Nineveh (near the Tigris River)

The present-day countries through which these two rivers flow are:

Tigris River: Iraq and Turkey

Euphrates River: Iraq, Syria, and Turkey

The natural substance/process used to dehydrate buried bodies in the past is called mummification.

The process developed by the Egyptians is called embalming. In this process, the body is preserved by removing internal organs, treating the body with preservatives, and wrapping it in linen bandages. This process was believed to help the deceased in the afterlife.

The jars used to hold the organs of the deceased during the embalming process are called canopic jars.

Canopic jars are supposed to hold the preserved organs of the deceased, such as the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines.

The cities of the Mesopotamian civilization were primarily made using mud bricks, reeds, and stone.

In the ancient Indus Valley, one of the most sophisticated technologies was their advanced sewage and drainage systems.

The houses of Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley were built with brick walls, multiple rooms, and some had two or even three stories. They featured courtyards, wells, and a sophisticated sewage system with indoor plumbing and drainage.

Archaeologists believe the Indus People may have practiced bathing rituals because:

Some of the artifacts found at ancient Indus sites, such as soapstone figurines and terracotta seals depicting people in bathing postures, suggest a ritualistic bathing tradition.

The presence of public baths and the advanced sewage system in Mohenjo-Daro indicate a cultural significance attached to cleanliness and hygiene.

The most prized materials in ancient China were jade, silk, and bronze.

The ancient Chinese kept the process of silk production a secret for hundreds of years.

Keeping the process of silk production a secret gave China an advantage because it allowed them to maintain a monopoly on silk production, enabling them to control its trade and reap economic benefits. This secrecy gave them a competitive edge in the international market.

I apologize, but as I mentioned earlier, I don't have real-time access to specific websites or maps, so I'm unable to provide a description of how jade workers made their products. I suggest conducting an online search for more information on the jade workshop and the process.

Jade was considered expensive because of its scarcity, as it was a relatively rare and precious material. Additionally, the labor-intensive process required to mine, carve, and shape jade into intricate designs added to its value.

Logograms, used in Chinese writing, are characters that represent words or ideas rather than individual sounds like English letters. Each logogram carries meaning, allowing for more concise representation of words or concepts compared to phonetic writing systems like English.

Learn more about Mesopotamia from the given link

https://brainly.com/question/1110113

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