1. Civilization of Sumer Location: Fertile Crescent in the Middle East
Includes Mesopotamia
“land between rivers” in present-day Iraq
Rivers were the Tigris and Euphrates

2. Agriculture in Mesopotamia
Soil is rich and fertile
Farming, raising of sheep and cattle
Rivers carried fertile soil called silt down from mountains
Heavy spring floods, harsh summers
Sumerians irrigated the land (supplied water)
Built irrigation canals
Used technology to grow crops in a harsh environment

3. City-states of Sumer 3400 BC cities started to emerge
First city was Uruk.
Other Cities: Ur, Lagash, Nippur
City-states: independent state that includes a city and surrounding territory
Each city-state had its own government
City-states were center of trade
Barter: exchange of goods without use of money
Used rivers as transportation
Developed social classes

4. Sumerian Religion Practiced Polytheism
Belief in more than one god
Believed these gods controlled every aspect of life
Believed gods needed to be kept pleased
Gave offerings to the gods
Only priests could communicate with gods
This gave great power to priests
Ziggurats: temples that were pyramid-shaped brick towers
Priests kept grain and other farming products close to the temple

5. Sumerian Writing
At first, they used pictographs, simple pictures that represent objects
Cuneiform (3400 BCE): new system of writing that uses triangular shaped symbols to stand for ideas or things
Wedge –shaped marks in clay tablets
Originally used to record trade
Later used to record poems (ex. Epic of Gilgamesh) 2000 BC
Stories were myths but they might have been based on real people

6. Sumerian Government First leaders were priests
Conflicts between cities started over resources
Priests would choose best suited warriors to lead cities
Some military leaders kept control after wars were over
Kings and Priests needed each other to stay in power
Priests said that kings had been chosen by gods
Kings created code of laws for their cities
2100 BCE: Ur-Nammu – oldest developed laws
Rules on slavery, marriage, etc.
Produced great achievements: wheel, sail, irrigation
Started using bronze
Better for tools and weapons

7. Sumerian Civilization
Video - Sumerian Civilization