1. SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION
Geography
Government
Society
Religion
Learning

2. SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION
Geography
Government
Society
Fertile Crescent – an arc of fertile land curving from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea; a crossroads where people met and ideas were exchanged.
Mesopotamia – the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; subject to terrifying floods, control of the flood waters was the key to success.
city-states; each city had it own ruler responsible for protecting the people.
Rulers were the chief servants of the gods
Hierarchy – 1) ruling family, leading officials, high priests; 2) lesser priests, scribes, merchants, artisans; 3) peasant farmers (majority)
Women were subject to male authorities, but did have legal rights; upper class women could engage in trade and own property.

3. SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION
Religion
Learning
Polytheistic; gods controlled forces of nature; must keep them happy
Each city built a ziggurat dedicated to their chief god
Belief in afterlife  a grim underworld; the result of the unpredictable devastating floods???
Cuneiform – earliest known form of writing
Literature – Epic of Gilgamesh gives us clues about Sumerian religion
Math – basic algebra and geometry
Astronomy  calendar