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
- Ore had to be shipped in from Rome
- The forests were cut down
- Hardwood trees gave fuel
The cell marked ? is blank. Pia's chart has a blank: what does it say about trade?
- Rich iron ore was nearby
- Kush traded with no one
- Routes to the Red Sea; iron and gold traded with Rome
- 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?
- More than 800 years
- About 290 years from start to end
- About 8,000 years
- About 300 years
Why could Meroë's iron goods reach faraway buyers, Zee asks?
- Just because iron is heavy
- It had routes to the Red Sea and trade with Rome
- Because Rome had no iron of its own
- Because buyers came to dig the ore
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
- Rain kept traders away
- Summer rain helped crops and trees
The Butana plain was stripped of its forests. What was a cause, Bo asks?
- Traders carried the trees to Rome
- Wood was cut as fuel for iron working
- The forests caused the iron
- Floods washed the trees away from the plain
What are the slag piles near Meroë, Esme asks?
- Piles of gold for trade
- Iron ore, before it was smelted down
- Waste left over from smelting iron
- Hills made by floods
What was one effect of Meroë's iron working on its trade, Jun asks?
- Trade made the iron ore
- Rome gave Kush its iron
- Kush traded iron goods with the Romans
- Kush stopped trading
Which claim does the chart support best, Luz asks?
- Meroë's iron ruined Rome
- Iron was unknown in Kush
- 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: the big slag piles clearly show it
- We can't say: the scale is debated
- Disagree: Kush made no iron
- Agree: Rome said so