Question

Who, What, Where

Directions: Use the Word Bank to answer the questions and identify who helped find ancient Sumer, what artifacts they found, and where they found them. Some of the words in the Word Bank will not be used.

Word Bank
• Iran
• Pietro della Valle
• Tells
• Artifacts
• Darius
• Sir Leonard Woolley
• Persia
• Odysseus
• Iraq
• Hieroglyphics
• Herodotus
• cuneiform
Questions
1. I am the great Greek historian who recorded old stories about ancient people. Who am I?
2. I am the Italian scholar who went to southern Mesopotamia to look for proof that the old stories were true. Who am I?
3. I am the strange type of writing found on old bricks in southern Mesopotamia. What am I?
4. I am the mounds in Mesopotamia that rose up above the flatness of the land. What am I?
5. I am the place that held the key to unlocking cuneiform writing. Where am I?
6. I am the king who carved a message in three languages, which eventually helped scholars decipher ancient messages. Who am I?
7. I am the pieces of pottery, tablets, helmets and spears found at an ancient site. What am I?
8. I spent twelve years excavating the Sumerian city of Ur. Who am I?
9. I am the place that is home to ancient Sumer. Where am I?
Part 2
1. Imagine you were an archaeologist working with Sir Leonard Woolley in Iraq. Which of the discoveries do you think was the most exciting? Which discovery helped you most in determining what had happened to the people whose remains you found? Explain your answer.
2. Suppose you were a historian studying ancient Sumer. How would your work be different from Woolley’s work?
3. Sir Leonard Woolley worked on excavating Ur for twelve years. What years were they?
4. What kinds of changes do you think will occur in the work of archaeologists in the next hundred years?
5. Which work would you prefer, the work of the historian or the archaeologist? Why?

Answer 1

Herodotus was the Greek historian who recorded stories about ancient people. Pietro della Valle was the Italian scholar who searched for proof of these stories in southern Mesopotamia. The strange type of writing found on old bricks in Mesopotamia is cuneiform.

Step-by-step explanation:

1. Herodotus, the great Greek historian, recorded old stories about ancient people.
2. Pietro della Valle, the Italian scholar, went to southern Mesopotamia to look for proof that the old stories were true.
3. Cuneiform is the strange type of writing found on old bricks in southern Mesopotamia.
4. The mounds in Mesopotamia that rose up above the flatness of the land are called tells.
5. The place that held the key to unlocking cuneiform writing is Iraq.
6. Darius, the king, carved a message in three languages, which eventually helped scholars decipher ancient messages.
7. The pieces of pottery, tablets, helmets, and spears found at an ancient site are artifacts.
8. Sir Leonard Woolley spent twelve years excavating the Sumerian city of Ur.
9. Ancient Sumer is located in Iraq.

Furthermore, the exploration of ancient civilizations and deciphering historical enigmas extended beyond Herodotus and Pietro della Valle. Cuneiform, the distinctive script on Mesopotamian bricks, became a linguistic puzzle gradually unraveled by scholars. The tells, elevated mounds in Mesopotamia, concealed layers of history waiting to be unearthed. Darius's multilingual inscription, a key breakthrough, exemplified the interplay of rulers in preserving knowledge. Artifacts like pottery, tablets, and weapons at archaeological sites served as tangible links to bygone eras. Sir Leonard Woolley's extensive excavation at Ur not only unveiled Sumer's mysteries but also highlighted the pivotal role of Iraq in preserving and uncovering the narratives of ancient civilizations.