Life in Sumer: Sumerian Society Sumerian Science and Technology Page 99-101

Objectives I will understand the social classes of Sumerian society I will know the tools and inventions created by the Sumerians to make their lives easier

Sumerian Society: Social Classes page 99 Red= Upper Class Green= In-between class Blue= Lowest Class Kings and priests Landowners, government officials, rich merchants All free people: farmers and artisans Slaves

The Standard of Ur

Peace and War: The Standard shows many of the social classes

Lyre Player and Singer

Slaves (page 100) Source of cheap labor Most slaves were taken prisoner during war Children who’s parents died might become slaves To repay a debt, a free person could become slaves to pay back the money Slaves could buy their freedom

Role of Women Women had rights in Sumer than they did in later Mesopotamia Upper-class women became priestesses, a role of honor Free women could own land, work as merchants and artisans Main role for most women was raising children

Sumerian Science and Technology Sumerians were good at solving problems and inventing things to make their lives easier. We still use many things the Sumerians invented every day.

Early Inventions (page 100) Historians believe the Sumerians invented the plow around 6000 B.C. Wheel was invented around 3500 B.C. These inventions helped the daily lives of Sumerians

Plows First important tool to help farmers Simple digging sticks with handles Pulled or pushed by people or animals Broke up hard soil; making planting easier Plowed fields allowed water to sink more deeply into the soil

Wheel Used on wagons to transport goods Helped farmers take their crops to market But transporting goods on the river was more efficient

Potters wheel Helped make pottery much faster Pots were used as storage containers for surplus food

Bronze Sumerians were some of the first people to use bronze Bronze= copper + tin Stronger than copper Tools made of bronze lasted longer and stayed sharper Bronze tools were traded by the Sumerians

Mathematics (page 101) Developed arithmetic to keep records of crops and trade goods Number system based on the number 60 We have the 60 second minute, 60 minute hour and 360 degree circles because of the Sumerians

Mathematics (continued) Used a triangle and a measuring rope to set land boundaries Understood geometric shapes like rectangles, triangles, and squares to help make bricks, build ramps, and dig canals

Other Inventions of the Sumerians sailboat the first written language frying pans Razors cosmetic sets Harps kilns to cook bricks and pottery bronze hand tools like hammers and axes the plow the plow seeder the first superhero (Gilgamesh)