Kush: the kingdom south of Egypt that traded gold and worked iron
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet
NameDate
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?
- Hardwood trees gave fuel
- Ore had to be shipped in from Rome
- The forests were cut down
- The area was rich in iron ore
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
- The edge of the summer rain belt
- Kush traded with no one
- Rich iron ore was nearby
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 Why was Meroë a good place for iron working, Tala asks?
- Just because it was the capital city of the kingdom
- Because Rome sent the ore
- Just because it rained there
- Iron ore and hardwood were both nearby
Why could Meroë's iron goods reach faraway buyers, Zee asks?
- Because Rome had no iron of its own
- Because buyers came to dig the ore
- Just because iron is heavy
- It had routes to the Red Sea and trade with Rome
Meroë lay on the edge of the summer rain belt. Why might that help a city, Ari asks?
- Rain made iron ore
- Rain filled the cataracts
- Summer rain helped crops and trees
- Rain kept traders away
The Butana plain was stripped of its forests. What was a cause, Bo asks?
- Wood was cut as fuel for iron working
- Floods washed the trees away from the plain
- Traders carried the trees to Rome
- The forests caused the iron
What are the slag piles near Meroë, Esme asks?
- Piles of gold for trade
- Waste left over from smelting iron
- Iron ore, before it was smelted down
- Hills made by floods
What was one effect of Meroë's iron working on its trade, Jun asks?
- Trade made the iron ore
- Kush traded iron goods with the Romans
- Rome gave Kush its iron
- Kush stopped trading
Which claim does the chart support best, Luz asks?
- Meroë's iron ruined Rome
- Iron was unknown in Kush
- Iron was the one thing Meroë traded
- Iron was central to Meroë's wealth
Milo's friend says Meroë's iron industry was the biggest in the ancient world. What is the best reply?
- Agree: the big slag piles clearly show it
- Disagree: Kush made no iron
- We can't say: the scale is debated
- Agree: Rome said so