1. Early Civilizations of the Middle East Sumer

2. Geography Sumer is the first civilization
It was located in the fertile crescent, between the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf.

3. Geography Sumer was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
The land between the rivers was called Mesopotamia – today its Iraq.
Mesopotamia was easy to invade so many civilizations started here.

4. Geography
Floods were unpredictable so governments were started to control flood water
Irrigation: system to control flooding and provide water to crops.

5. Organization
Sumerians lived in city-states that fought each other over land and water.
Each city-state had its own ruler – the job was hereditary.
The ruler was also the religious leader and chief servant of the gods.
The government was a theocracy – a government ruled by religious law.

6. Religion Sumerians were polytheistic.
The gods were kept happy through prayer and sacrifices.
Ziggurats were pyramid-shaped temples built for the gods.

7. merchants and artisans
Social Classes
Kings
nobles
high priests
low priests
merchants and artisans
scribes
peasant farmers
slaves
Slaves were captured in warfare.

8. Economy Sumerians traded with other people in Southwest Asia.
They made the first wheeled vehicles.
People had many different occupations due to the specialization of labor.

9. Written Language
Cuneiform is the world’s first written language – 3200 B.C.
It was written on clay tablets using a stylus.
Scribes were those who could write.

10. Achievements Sumerians also developed math – algebra and geometry!
And science – astronomy (study of the stars) and a calendar
The Epic of Gilgamesh

11. So, where are they now? What happened to the Sumerians?
they were conquered by invaders
What happened to their ideas?
they were passed on to the Greeks and Romans

12. Write it next to each characteristic
FOCUS
On your list of the eight characteristics of civilization, give one example of each from what you learned about Sumer.
Write it next to each characteristic