Assur

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

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/assur

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 period of occupation?Early Dynastic Period to mid-3rd century AD (approx. 3,000 years)
2. What is the UNESCO world heritage site status?Inscribed, listed as in danger since 2003
3. What was Assur and why was it so important?Assur was an ancient city on the Tigris River that served as the capital of the Assyrian Empire for thousands of years. It was a center of politics, culture, and religion.
4. Where was Assur located and why was its location special?Assur was on the western bank of the Tigris River in northern Mesopotamia, north of where the Little Zab joins the Tigris. Its position let it control trade routes and farmland.

Mesopotamia: Ancient region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known as the 'cradle of civilization'.
Polity: A politically organized community or state.
Archaeological Stratigraphy: The study of layers of soil and debris to understand the sequence of events at a site.