Sumer- - was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age

Origin of name The term "Sumerian" is the common name given to the ancient non-Semitic inhabitants of southern Mesopotamia, Sumer, by the Semitic Akkadians. The Sumerians referred to themselves "the black-headed people". The Akkadian word Shumer may represent the geographical name in dialect, but the phonological development leading to the Akkadian term šumerû is uncertain. 

History The Sumerian city states rose to power during the prehistorical Ubaid and Uruk periods. Sumerian written history reaches back to the 27th century BC and before, but the historical record remains obscure until the Early Dynastic III period, ca. the 23rd century BC, when a now deciphered syllabary writing system was developed, which has allowed archaeologists to read contemporary records and inscriptions.

Writing The most important archaeological discoveries in Sumer are a large number of tablets written in Cuneiform. Sumerian writing is the oldest example of writing on earth. Although pictures - that is, hieroglyphs were first used, symbols were later made to represent syllables.

Technology Examples of Sumerian technology include: the wheel, cuneiform, arithmetic and geometry, irrigation systems, Sumerian boats, calendar, bronze, saws, chisels, hammers, braces, bits, nails, pins, rings, hoes, axes, knives,  arrowheads, swords, glue, dagger, bags, harnesses, armor, quivers, war chariots, scabbards, boots, sandals, harpoons, and beer.

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