1. The Sumerians

2. Ancient Mesopotamia Scribes: professional writers
New invention of writing: 4000 years ago
Mesopotamia: Greek word that means “between the rivers”
Fertile Crescent: a region in Southwest Asia that was the site of the world’s first civilization
Rivers would flood-fertile soil

3. That’s my City-State!
City-state: a city that is also a separate, independent state
Ur, Uruk, Umma, Kish, Lagash
Sumer was the size of Massachusetts

4. Five Things for a Civilization:
1) City states
2) specialized workers
3) Complex institutions (government, military, religious)
4) Record keeping: cuneiform
5) Advanced technologies

5. CunEIFORM Cuneiform: ancient writings of the Sumerians
Used a stylus (like a pencil)
Clay Tablet, would bake in the sun
We can do it, too!

6. Oh My GoODness: Trivia! Polytheism: belief in many gods
Sumerians had 3000!
Enlil: god of the air and clouds
Wicked udugs: the “bad” gods
Women could have property
(some/few were possibly taught writing at a young age)
Story of Gilgamesh
myth-story about gods that explain people’s beliefs