Kush: the kingdom south of Egypt that traded gold and worked iron
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
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Iron at Meroë, capital of Kush from about 590 BCE to the 300s CE
Factor What the sources say Iron ore the area was rich in iron ore Wood hardwood trees gave fuel for iron working Rain Meroë lay on the edge of the summer rain belt Trade Meroë had access to trade routes to the Red Sea; Kush traded iron goods and gold with the Romans What was left the Butana plain was stripped of its forests, leaving piles of slag, the waste from smelting How big was the industry? Meroë's wealth centered on iron, but the scale of its iron trade is debated What does the chart say about iron ore near Meroë, Noah asks?
- The area was rich in iron ore
- The forests were cut down
- Ore had to be shipped in from Rome
- Hardwood trees gave fuel
The cell marked ? is blank. Pia's chart has a blank: what does it say about trade?
- Routes to the Red Sea; iron and gold traded with Rome
- Rich iron ore was nearby
- Kush traded with no one
- The edge of the summer rain belt
Iron at Meroë, capital of Kush from about 590 BCE to the 300s CE
Factor What the sources say Iron ore the area was rich in iron ore Wood hardwood trees gave fuel for iron working Rain Meroë lay on the edge of the summer rain belt Trade Meroë had access to trade routes to the Red Sea; Kush traded iron goods and gold with the Romans What was left the Butana plain was stripped of its forests, leaving piles of slag, the waste from smelting How big was the industry? Meroë's wealth centered on iron, but the scale of its iron trade is debated Meroë was the capital from about 590 BCE to the 300s CE. About how long is that, Ren asks?
- About 290 years from start to end
- About 8,000 years
- About 300 years
- More than 800 years
Why was Meroë a good place for iron working, Tala asks?
- Just because it was the capital city of the kingdom
- Iron ore and hardwood were both nearby
- Because Rome sent the ore
- Just because it rained there
Why could Meroë's iron goods reach faraway buyers, Zee asks?
- It had routes to the Red Sea and trade with Rome
- Just because iron is heavy
- Because Rome had no iron of its own
- Because buyers came to dig the ore
The Butana plain was stripped of its forests. What was a cause, Bo asks?
- Wood was cut as fuel for iron working
- The forests caused the iron
- Floods washed the trees away from the plain
- Traders carried the trees to Rome
What are the slag piles near Meroë, Esme asks?
- Waste left over from smelting iron
- Iron ore, before it was smelted down
- Piles of gold for trade
- Hills made by floods
Scholars debate how big Meroë's iron trade was. Which claim is careful, Kira asks?
- Meroë made more iron than anywhere on Earth
- We know the exact amount of iron
- Iron mattered, but its scale is debated
- Meroë made no iron
Which claim does the chart support best, Luz asks?
- Iron was unknown in Kush
- Meroë's iron ruined Rome
- Iron was central to Meroë's wealth
- Iron was the one thing Meroë traded
Milo's friend says Meroë's iron industry was the biggest in the ancient world. What is the best reply?
- Agree: Rome said so
- We can't say: the scale is debated
- Disagree: Kush made no iron
- Agree: the big slag piles clearly show it
