Transcript Chapter 6 Lesson 2

Chapter 6
Lesson 2
The
Contributions of
the Sumerians
What did the
Sumerians do first?
There are three things
to look for?
The Epic of
Gilgamesh
• An EPIC
is a long
poem
about a
hero.
The First Kings
• Early city-states were ruled by priests.
• In times of war, cities needed ONE strong
leader to save them.
• These part-time leaders eventually became fulltime kings.
• The kings took care of the irrigation canals and
judged court cases.
The Sumerian Religion
• The religion was a kind of POLYTHEISM.
Polytheism is the belief in many gods.
• In Mesopotamia all of the good and bad things
in life came at the will of the gods.
• There were a few major gods (about 10) and
then over 3000 lesser gods.
• Temples were built to please the gods; food
was offered to the gods at the temples.
The Beginnings of Writing
• Writing was invented so merchants could keep
track of the things they bought and sold.
• PICTOGRAPHS were the first symbols used in
writing. A pictograph is a picture which stands
for words or ideas.
• Later, the language of CUNEIFORM was
invented. Cuneiform means “wedge shaped
writing.”
• Few people could read and write.
Professionals called SCRIBES were hired for
reading and writing.