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 forests were cut down
- Ore had to be shipped in from Rome
- Hardwood trees gave fuel
- The area was rich in iron ore
The cell marked ? is blank. Pia's chart has a blank: what does it say about trade?
- The edge of the summer rain belt
- Routes to the Red Sea; iron and gold traded with Rome
- Rich iron ore was nearby
- Kush traded with no one
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 300 years
- About 290 years from start to end
- About 8,000 years
- More than 800 years
Why could Meroë's iron goods reach faraway buyers, Zee asks?
- Just because iron is heavy
- Because buyers came to dig the ore
- It had routes to the Red Sea and trade with Rome
- Because Rome had no iron of its own
Meroë lay on the edge of the summer rain belt. Why might that help a city, Ari asks?
- Rain kept traders away
- Rain filled the cataracts
- Rain made iron ore
- Summer rain helped crops and trees
The Butana plain was stripped of its forests. What was a cause, Bo asks?
- Floods washed the trees away from the plain
- Traders carried the trees to Rome
- Wood was cut as fuel for iron working
- The forests caused the iron
What are the slag piles near Meroë, Esme asks?
- Waste left over from smelting iron
- Iron ore, before it was smelted down
- Hills made by floods
- Piles of gold for trade
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
- Kush stopped trading
- Rome gave Kush its iron
Scholars debate how big Meroë's iron trade was. Which claim is careful, Kira asks?
- We know the exact amount of iron
- Meroë made more iron than anywhere on Earth
- Meroë made no iron
- Iron mattered, but its scale is debated
Milo's friend says Meroë's iron industry was the biggest in the ancient world. What is the best reply?
- We can't say: the scale is debated
- Agree: Rome said so
- Agree: the big slag piles clearly show it
- Disagree: Kush made no iron