Chapter 3 Sumerians: The First Great Civilization World History Chapter 3 Sumerians: The First Great Civilization
The Land Between Two Rivers South of Mesopotamia-Sumer Hot weather, floods, swamp land – all make fertile soil
Sumerian Farmers Irrigation – bringing water to crops Dug canals, built dikes to hold back floods Oxen/plow
Trading Merchants Needed materials Traded with crops Used boats Brought treasures
Villages Grow Into City-States Houses made from reeds Began to make houses from mud bricks Built temple People offered goods to gods Priests became wealthy Each city state had own government City state UR built ziggurat to honor god
The Invention of Writing Sumerians invented writing Drawings on tablets Symbols = cuneiform Scribes - special people who were taught to write Sumerians wrote ideas and kept records
Other Gifts from the Sumerians Taxes Money Measured time irrigation Sailboats Wheel metalworkers
Life in Sumer Hard work on farms Wealthy children went to school King ruled When the dies they went to another world riches were brought with them
Attack on Ur 2000 bc Sumerians were attacked by Babylonians Many were killed Children become slaves Babylonians built new cities over olds ones
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