Sumer and Babylon: city-states, irrigation, cuneiform and written law

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Five laws from the Code of Hammurabi (about 1750 BCE)

   Law	What it says	Topic
   Law 53	“If a man neglect to strengthen his dyke [earth bank] and do not strengthen it, and a break be made in his dyke and the water carry away the farm-land, the man in whose dyke the break has been made shall restore [pay back] the grain which he has damaged.”	dykes for irrigation
   Law 55	“If a man open his canal for irrigation and neglect it and the water carry away an adjacent [next-door] field, he shall measure out grain on the basis of the adjacent fields.”	canals for irrigation
   Law 100	“…he shall write down the interest on the money, as much as he has obtained, and he shall reckon [count] its days and he shall make returns to his merchant.”	a merchant's agent and his records
   Law 257	“If a man hire a field-laborer, he shall pay him 8 GUR [a large measure] of grain per year.”	wages for farm work
   Law 258	“If a man hire a herdsman, he shall pay him 6 GUR of grain per year.”	wages for herding

2. 1.

   Under law 53, who must restore the grain when a dyke breaks, Tala asks?

   • The merchant's agent
   • The farmer whose field was flooded
   • The herdsman
   • The man who did not strengthen his dyke
3. 2.

   Under law 100, what must the merchant's agent do, Ari asks?

   • Strengthen the dyke
   • Write down the interest and count the days
   • Pay 6 GUR of grain
   • Keep no written records
4. 3.

   Two of the five laws are about dykes and canals. What does that suggest about Babylon, Bo asks?

   • Irrigation mattered for farming
   • Babylon had no rivers
   • The code was about water and nothing else
   • Canals were built for fun
5. 4.

   Laws 257 and 258 set wages in grain. What does that show, Esme asks?

   • Grain was used to pay for work
   • Workers were not paid
   • Workers were paid in coins
   • Kings kept the grain for themselves
6. 5.

   Law 100 tells an agent to write down interest and count its days. What does that show about trade, Jun asks?

   • Trade used no money
   • Merchants kept records in their heads
   • Traders kept written records
   • Traders could not write
7. 6.

   How many more GUR of grain per year does a field-laborer get than a herdsman, Kira asks?

   • 2 GUR more
   • 6 GUR more
   • They get the same
   • 14 GUR more
8. 7.

   How much grain does a field-laborer get for 3 years of work, Luz asks?

   • 11 GUR
   • 18 GUR
   • 8 GUR
   • 24 GUR
9. 8.

   A farmer hires two field-laborers for one year. How much grain does the farmer pay in all, Milo asks?

   • 8 GUR
   • 12 GUR
   • 16 GUR
   • 10 GUR
10. 9.

    Noah's note says, "Law 53 makes the flooded neighbor restore the grain." Which fix is right?

    • Change it: the man whose dyke broke restores it
    • Change "grain" to "gold"
    • Change "53" to "257"
    • Leave it: the neighbor pays
11. 10.

    Ren's note says, "The laws show that workers were paid in silver coins." Which fix is right?

    • Change "workers" to "merchants"
    • Change "silver coins" to "grain"
    • Leave it: wages were in coins
    • Change "paid" to "not paid"