Akkadian Empire

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/akkadian-empire

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the imperial duration?Approximately 200 years (c. 2334 BCE - 2154 BCE)
2. What was the Akkadian Empire and when did it exist?The Akkadian Empire was the world’s first true empire, ruling Mesopotamia from about 2334 to 2154 BCE.
3. Who was Sargon of Akkad and what did he do?Sargon was a legendary king who conquered many city-states and created a single, centralized government with a capital city.

Imperialism: The policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by the political and economic control of other areas.
Cuneiform: An ancient Mesopotamian writing system characterized by wedge-shaped marks impressed on clay tablets, adapted by the Akkadians.
Lingua Franca: A common language used by speakers of different native languages, often for trade, diplomacy, or scholarship, as Akkadian was in the ancient Near East.
Centralized Administration: A system of government where power and decision-making authority are concentrated in a single, central authority or capital.