1. Ancient Sumer: The first Civilization
c – 2000 b.c.

2. The Cradle of Civilization
Sumerian civilization emerged c B.C. in the southern region of Mesopotamia (“the land between two rivers”)
The Sumerians are credited with developing the first civilization in world history

3. An Environment Shaped by Rivers
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers deposited thick silt each year, which allowed farmers to produce large crops of wheat and barley
The land was (and is) flat and swampy – today’s “Marsh Arabs” still live in this region of present-day Iraq
Unpredictable flooding and droughts made life chaotic –sometimes there was too much water and sometimes too little
The banks of the Tigris River (above)
Marsh Arab homes and boats

4. An Aerial View of Sumer Today
Iranian Plateau
Tigris River
MESOPOTAMIA
Zagros Mountains
Euphrates River
Sumer
Arabian Desert
Persian Gulf

5. Sumerian Technology
The Sumerians created irrigation systems to control flooding and maximize crop production
They built large structures from sun-dried bricks made of clay
They invented the wheel, the sail, and the plow, which improved trade and farming
They were the first people to forge bronze from copper and tin by around 3000 B.C.; this innovation allowed for stronger tools and weapons

6. Sumerian Writing & Mathematics
Sumerian cuneiform emerged as the first formal writing system; scribes used a stylus to make wedge-shaped marks in wet clay tablets
Record keeping was essential for documenting laws and keeping track of commerce
It also enabled the creation of the first lunar calendar and the development of a number system based on 60 – used for measuring time and circles today (applied to geography)
Sumerian cuneiform tablet
Early Sumerian calendar, c B.C.

7. Sumerian Society
Small statue of a scribe or palace official of Ur
Specialization of labor contributed to the rise of a complex social class system:
Priests and kings made up the highest class, served by scribes
Merchants traded for the goods that could not be obtained in Sumer, such as stone, wood, and metals
Artisans and farmers made up the vast majority of people
Slaves were at the lowest level of society but could work their way to freedom
Levels of Sumerian society represented on an inlaid wooden box, c B.C.

8. Sumer developed as independent city-states, including Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Umma, Nippur, and Kish
Each city-state controlled its city and the surrounding farmland
Complex governments emerged that could plan irrigation systems, resolve property disputes, and defend against rival city-states
Priests ruled from ziggurats, which served as both temples and government centers
Sumerian City-States

9. Sumerian Arts & Culture
Sumerian art works offered evidence of a wealthy society that valued religion, music, and natural beauty
Sumerian artisans produced many works of pottery, metal, and ornamentation

10. Sumerian Religion
Sumerians followed a polytheistic system of religious belief; they believed in many gods, each of whom controlled some aspect of nature
The gods behaved much like humans and Sumerians offered worship and sacrifices to them to avoid their wrath
Sumerians believed the souls of the dead passed on to a gloomy afterlife
The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of a mighty king who failed in his quest to find immortality – it is the earliest known work of literature
Above: Images of Sumerian gods
Left: An Assyrian sculpture of Gilgamesh, c. 700 B.C.