1. Ancient Sumer Artifacts Chapter 5

3. Was Sumer a Civilization?  Stable  Stable food supply  Social structure government  System of government  Religion music  Arts, architecture, music, literature technology  Advances in technology languag  Written language

10. 5.3 Stable Food Supply foodCivilizations need a stable food supply. A complex society can thrive only if its members have food they need to survive. Sumerians invented two things to help them create a stable food supply: Irrigation Plow

11. 5.4 Social Structure statusA social structure includes different jobs and social levels. People at higher levels have greater status than others. classesArcheologist found evidence that several classes of people lived in Sumer.

12. At the top… These people had the largest and most center luxurious homes, near the center of the city. Their houses were two stories high. Priests Land owners Government Officials

13. In the Middle Class… MerchantsCraftspeople metalworkersThe craftspeople include highly skilled metalworkers. goldThey worked with such metals as gold, silver, tin, lead, copper, and bronze. swordsThey made swords, and arrowheads for military. toolsThey made tools like plows and hoes for farmers.

14. The Common Class Included… Farmers Fisherman irrigationFarmers often worked to build or repair the irrigation systems. In times of warm they were forced to serve in the army.

15. Bottom of the Barrel… Slaves They lived in their owners’ homes and had no no property of their own.

17. 5.5 Government All civilizations have a system of government to direct people’s behavior and make life orderly. kingsSumerian city-states were ruled by kings. chosenThey believe their kings were chosen by the gods to rule in their place. powerfulThis belief made their kings very powerful socialIt also helped strengthen the social order.

18. 5.5 Sumerian Kings lawsEnforced laws and collected taxes BuiltBuilt temples and made sure irrigation systems were maintained led armyKings led his city-state’s army which was his most important job

19. 5.5 Sumerian Army and Official professionalIncluded both professional soldiers and temporary citizen-soldiers. footSome of them were foot soldiers droveOthers drove chariots, wheeled vehicles pulled by horses. Officials Under the king GovernorsGovernors ruled over outlying towns ScribesScribes helped record laws-Sumerians were the first people to develop a system of written laws.

21. 5.6 Religion set of beliefsA religious system includes a set of beliefs, usually in a god or gods, together with forms of worship. In Sumer, religious beliefs influenced every part of daily life. Sumerians tried to please the gods in all things, from growing crops to settling disputes.

22. 5.6 Religion Continued… zigguratsSumerians expressed their religious beliefs by building temples and religious towers called ziggurats.

23. 5.6 Religion Continued Again… zigguratsIt was the king’s duty to build and maintain the ziggurats. The towers were made of mud bricks and located near temples. 20They were so large that they could be seen from 20 miles away. 200Some were as high as eight stories and as wide as 200 feet.

24. 5.6 Religion Continued Again and Again… lived topSumerians believed that the gods lived in the ziggurats, and they built special temples at the top of them, staircaseOutside of the ziggurat, they attached a long staircase so the gods could climb down to Earth. PriestPriest and kings stood inside the towers to ask for the gods’ blessing.

26. 5.7 Arts There were many kinds of artists and craftspeople in Sumer. weapons cupsMetalworkers made practical objects, made practical objects like weapons and cups. They also made mirrors and jewelry. architectsSumerian architects designed temples and ziggurats.

27. 5.7 Arts Continued… Music was another important art in Sumer. joyThe Sumerians believed that music brought joy to the gods and people alike. Musicians played instruments and sang during temple ceremonies. Instruments such as drums and pipes lyre.The favorite was the lyre. strings.Lyres were wooden instruments made of a sound box and strings. stones.Lyres were often decorated with precious stones.

29. 5.8 Technology wheel3500 B.C.EThe Sumerian’s most important invention was the wheel. The earliest wheel dated back to 3500 B.C.E They used this discovery to create wheeled carts for farmers and chariots for the army. sledges stuckBefore the wheel, people had to drag their goods on flat-bottomed carts called sledges. Sledges often got stuck in mud, and could not support heavy loads. distancesWheels made it easier to go long distances

30. 5.8 Technology Continued… archAnother technological advance was the arch. U aboveSumerian arches were upside down in a U- or V- shaped structure build above doorways. templesArches add strength and beauty to Sumerian buildings. They were a common feature of temples entrances and upper-class homes. achievement.Some historians say the arch is the Sumerian’s greatest architectural achievement.

32. 5.9 Writing cuneiformSumerians created a written language called cuneiform. wedgeThis name comes from the Latin word for “wedge.” The Sumerians used a wedge-shaped stylus stylus, a sharp pointed tool, to etch their writing in clay tablets.

33. 5.9 Writing Continue goods exchangedThe earliest examples of cuneiform show that it was used to record information about the goods Sumerians exchanged with one another. 2,000At first, they may have used as many as 2,000 symbols to stand for ideas and sounds. 700.Over time, they were able to reduce this number to about 700.

34. 5. 9 Writing Continue Again… pictographCuneiform was based on an earlier, simpler form of writing that used pictograph. symbols realPictograph are symbols that stand for real objects, such as a snake or water. reedScribes drew the symbol with a sharpened reed on wet clay. When the clay dried, the marks became a permanent record.

35. Sites http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/First_ Cities/firstcities_splash.htmhttp://www.metmuseum.org/explore/First_ Cities/firstcities_splash.htm http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/geography/ challenge/cha_set.htmlhttp://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/geography/ challenge/cha_set.html http://www.richeast.org/htwm/cune/cune.ht mlhttp://www.richeast.org/htwm/cune/cune.ht ml