Transcript Ancient Sumer

Ancient Sumer
3500 B.C.
Where did the Sumerians settle?
The Tigris and
Euphrates rivers
define
Mesopotamia, which
means “between the
rivers” in Greek.
The two rivers flow from the highlands of modernday Turkey through Iraq into the Persian Gulf. The
rivers unpredictably & frequently rose in terrifying
floods that washed away topsoil and destroyed
mud-brick villages.
Controlling the rivers
When the water
came and flooded
the river, people
dug irrigation canals
(like ditches) for the
water to flow away
from the river and
get to their fields.
How else did the irrigation canals help the farmers?
Sumerian Cities
By 3000 B.C., the
Sumerians had formed
12 city-states in the
Tigris-Euphrates river
valley. Rival cities
often battled for control
of land & water
Sumerian cities were often rectangular in shape,
surrounded by high, wide walls. Inside the city
gates were broad avenues. In the center of the
city was a ziggurat.
What kind of government do you think Sumer had?
Sumerian Public Works
In each city-state, the ruler was
responsible for maintaining the city
walls and the irrigation systems. He
led the city’s armies in war and
enforced the laws. As government
grew more complex, he employed
scribes to carry out functions such as
collecting taxes and keeping records.
What were the Sumerian people concerned about?
Sumerian Writing
Cuneiform
• By 3200 B.C., Sumerians
invented the earliest known
form of writing by using a
pointed stick (stylus) on wet
clay. Priests used the system
to record goods brought to
temple storehouses.
•As writing evolved, it was used to record myths,
prayers, laws, treaties & business contracts
•Scribes had to go through years of strict schooling
to acquire their skills.
Was everyone in Sumer literate?
Sumerian Religion
Like most ancient people,
Sumerians were polytheistic.
These gods were thought to
control every aspect of life,
especially the forces of
nature. To Sumerians, their
highest duty was to keep the
gods happy & thereby ensure
the safety of their city-state.
An, the highest deity, was
responsible for the seasons
Inanna (goddess of love)
Why do you think Sumerian gods dealt with nature?
The Ziggurat
Ziggurats were pyramid-temples that soared to the
heavens. Their sloping sides had terraces, or wide
steps, that were sometimes planted with trees or
shrubs. On top of each ziggurat was a shrine to the
chief god or goddess of the city.
Why were the ziggurats built so tall?
Why do you think the ziggurats had terraces?
Where do you think the ziggurats were built?
Ziggurats & Social Classes
• Only priests were allowed to enter the
shrine on the top of the ziggurat
• The nobility were privileged landowners
• Commoners included farmers, artisans,
craftsmen & unskilled workers
• Slaves made up the lowest class of
Sumerians
• Everyone, from slave to king, gathered to
worship at the ziggurats
Did everyone in Sumer own land?
Sumerian Achievements
The Wheel
The Sumerians solid
wooden wheel, the
greatest mechanical
invention of all time,
remained essentially
unchanged for
centuries
Lunar calendar
To correct inaccuracies in their
lunar year, Sumerians
occasionally added a 13th month.
Mathematics sexagesimal
The 1st
mathematical
system combined
10 with a “celestial”
6 to obtain the base
figure of 60. This
enabled Sumerians
to divide numbers
into fractions,
multiply into the
millions, calculate
square roots or
raise numbers
several powers.
The 360 circle is
from Sumer.
What was Sumer’s greatest achievement? Why?