City-States of Ancient Sumer Chapter 2 Section 1 City-States of Ancient Sumer
Geography Fertile Crescent > Mesopotamia “between the rivers” World’s 1st civilization > Sumer Key > controlling two rivers Epic of Gilgamesh > tells of catastrophic floods
Sumerian Cities 1st great cities > Ur and Uruk Made of clay & water
Hierarchy > ranking Sumerian Society Hierarchy > ranking highest ruling family, leading officials, high priests lesser priests, scribes, merchants, artisans middle lowest peasant farmers
Sumerian Govt., Society, and Religion Ruler was the government Did everything Sumerians were polytheistic Gods behaved like ordinary people Built ziggurats > dedicated to chief god Invented earliest known writing > cuneiform Developed in stages Needed schooling
Lasting Legacy of Sumer Cuneiform passed on Astronomy and Mathematics Number system Calendar Oral narratives Influenced Greeks & Romans