Mari, Syria

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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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/mari-syria

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 capital of Mari, Syria?Mari (modern Tell Hariri)
2. What language do people speak in Mari, Syria?Primarily Semitic dialects (related to Eblaite); Sumerian cultural influence evident
3. What is the primary period of occupation?Flourished as a major city-state between c. 2900 BC and 1759 BC
4. What is the key dynasties/rulers?East Semitic rulers, Akkadian appointed Shakkanakku governors, Amorite Lim dynasty
5. What was Mari and where was it located?Mari was an ancient city in Syria on the western bank of the Euphrates River. It sat on a key trade route between Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean world.
6. Why was Mari important for trade?Its position on the Euphrates let it control river trade, bringing wealth and ideas from far away. This made Mari a bustling marketplace for goods and cultures.

Hegemonic State: A state that exerts dominant influence and control over other political entities, often through a combination of power and diplomacy.
Cuneiform: One of the earliest systems of writing, characterized by wedge-shaped marks impressed on clay tablets, originating in ancient Mesopotamia.
Semitic Languages: A branch of the Afroasiatic language family, encompassing languages like Akkadian, Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic, historically spoken across the Middle East and North Africa.
Tell: An artificial mound or hill formed by the accumulation of debris from ancient settlements over centuries of occupation.