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A Sumerian document dating to 3500 BCE is the first written
confirmation we have of the wheel. Remnants indicate the
invention started with a need for a pottery wheel - and once the
concept was born it evolved into use for transportation.
The oldest wheel found in archeological excavations was
discovered in what was Sumer and is believed to be over 5,500
years old.
A lot of Sumerian art shows our earliest images of wheeled
vehicles, from simple rollers to carts and chariots with axles.
Archeologists and historians date the original time frame for the
invention between 10,000 and 8000 BCE - in what we call the
"Pre-Pottery Neolithic A" period in the Levantine and upper
Mesopotamian region (which includes Sumer) of the Fertile
Crescent.
Copper and tin
Most Mediterranean civilizations had begun using Bronze
for tools and weapons by 2500 B.C., replacing the previous
'copper only' period, which lasted approximately 1,000
years.
Nebuchadnezzar
These were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World. He built them for his wife Amytis to remind her of
her homeland in Media. The prophet Daniel was called in
to interpret his dream about a huge idol with clay feet.
(Daniel 2:33-45)
The word "Mesopotamia", derived from ancient Greek,
means "land between two rivers". The land of fertile soil is
not the correct meaning, but it applies, as Mesopotamia
had very fertile soil. Babylon was a kingdom within
Mesopotamia. Those two rivers are the Euphrates and
Tigris. At one time they emptied into the Persian Gulf
separately. That area all silted in and the rivers become
what is now known as the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, which
empties into the Persian Gulf.
3500 B.C.
The Sumerians settled themselves in Sumer and developed new
agricultural methods, using innovative systems of irrigation, the
wheel, the plough and creating the cuneiform script. They
organized themselves politically under the form of city-states: Ur,
Uruk, Nippur, Lagas, Umma, Larsa.
Cuneiform
One of the earliest forms of writing invented by the Sumer. It uses
wedge shaped marks to make picture symbols on clay tablets.
Different Classes of People With people moving to towns and
governments being formed, society was dividing into different
classes of people for perhaps the first time. At the top of society
was the king and his family. The priests were considered near the
top as well. The rest of the upper class was made up of the
wealthy such as high level administrators and scribes. Below the
upper class was a small middle class made up of craftsman,
merchants, and civil servants. They could make a decent living and
could work hard to try and move up in class. The lower class was
made up of laborers and farmers. These people lived a harder life,
but could still work their way up with hard work. At the bottom
were the slaves. Slaves were owned by the king or bought and
sold among the upper class. Slaves were usually people who were
captured in battle.
What type of homes did they live in? Most people lived in
mud brick homes. They were rectangular in shape and had
two to three levels. The roofs were flat and people would
often sleep on the roofs during the hot summers. The mud
brick worked as a good insulator and helped to keep the
homes a bit cooler in the summer and warmer in the
winter.
Clothing. Clothing was typically made from
sheepskin or wool. The men wore kilt-like skirts and
the women wore longer dresses. They enjoyed
wearing jewelry, especially rings. The women
braided their long hair, while the men had long hair
and beards. Both men and women wore makeup.
Mesopotamian Religion did not believe in
the after-life. They believed that all good
and bad people go under-ground as ghosts
and eat dirt.
They're religion also believed that they
were servants of god. If you were to ask a
person today why they are here they would
say because god loves me. Back in
Mesopotamia they would say to be a
servant of the gods.
Mesopotamia invented the wheel,
plow, irrigation systems and the
sailboat!
Priests would read the livers of
chickens or lambs to see what
the gods wanted for sacrifices.
Priests controlled the
irrigation systems and also had more
power than the king and queen!
Mesopotamia was made up of individual
City-states controlled by different powers.
They would eventually attack each other
and end up under 1 ruler. The people would
retaliate and go back to being city-states.
This process was repeated many times.
The Mesopotamian king
ordered the construction of the
Hanging Gardens for his wife
because she grew up in the
mountains and was homesick!
Mesopotamia was made up of individual
City-states controlled by different
powers. They would eventually attack
each other and end up under 1 ruler.
The people would retaliate and go back
to being city-states. This process was
repeated many times.
In the Mesopotamian religion there are 4
main gods of Earth, Water, Air and the
Heavens. And there were 3,000 lesser gods
and each represented an everyday item like
a pickaxe. If you were mining and the
pickaxe slipped and fell on your foot, the
god of the pickaxe hated you!
The Sumerians developed the first form of writing. As Sumerian towns grew into
cities, the people needed a way to keep track of business transactions, ownership
rights, and government records. Around 3300 BC the Sumerians began to use
picture symbols marked into clay tablets to keep their records. Sumerian Writing
by Unknown Symbols were made with wedge shaped marks on clay tablets Clay
Tablets Writing was inscribed on clay tablets. Scribes would take a stylus (a stick
made from a reed) and press the lines and symbols into soft, moist clay. Once
they were done, they would let the clay harden and they had a permanent record.
Cuneiform, the initial writing of the Sumerians utilized simple pictures or
pictograms. For example, a drawing of a person's head, meant the word "head".
Over time, however, the writing of the Sumerians further developed to include
sounds and meanings. Scribes would use the stylus to make wedge shaped marks
in the clay. This type of writing is called cuneiform writing, which means "wedgeshaped". Translating Mesopotamian writing is difficult for archeologists today.
This is because there were over 700 different symbols and the symbols' meaning
and shapes could change between different cities and regions. The symbols often
changed over time as well. However, many Sumerian tablets have been
deciphered. This is how we know so much about Mesopotamian culture,
government, and history. Literature while most of the tablets discovered have
been government and financial records, some of the writings are literature. This
literature includes mythology of the Mesopotamian gods, tales of their heroes,
poetry, and songs. Some of the writings include sayings of wisdom. The most
famous and epic of all the Mesopotamian literature is the story Gilgamesh. Go
here to learn more about the Epic Tale of Gilgamesh. Interesting Facts about
Sumerian Writing People signed items with personal seals made of stone, metal,
or wood. Later Mesopotamian civilizations such as the Assyrians and the
Babylonians used Sumerian writing. Cuneiform writing was around for thousands
of years until it was replaced by the Phoenician alphabet near the end of the neoAssyrian Empire. Hieroglyphics was invented in Ancient Egypt about the same
time as cuneiform in Mesopotamia, but scientists believe that cuneiform came
first. As far as archeologists can tell, the Sumerian language is not related to any
other language on Earth. Cuneiform refers to the way a language is written, not
necessarily a particular language. It was initially used in Mesopotamia to write
Sumerian, but later was used for Akkadian which the Sumerians, the Akkadians,
the Babylonians, and the Assyrians all spoke.
Akkadian - A language spoken by most of Mesopotamia. It
replaced Sumerian as the primary language.
Akkadian Empire - The Akkadian Empire was the world's
first empire. It formed when Sargon the Great conquered
many of the Sumerian city-states and united them under
one leader.
Aqueduct - A man-made channel built to carry water from
one location to another.
Ashur or Assur - Assur was the original capital city of the
Assyrian Empire. It was also the name of the primary god
in the Assyrian religion.
Assyrian Empire - An empire known for their fierce
warriors, the Assyrian Empire rose and fell several times
to rule over much of Mesopotamia and the Middle East.
Babylonian Empire - The Babylonian Empire ruled much
of Mesopotamia from the city of Babylon. The empire rose
and fell over the course of ancient history.
Chariot - The chariot was a two wheeled vehicle pulled by
horses. It was typically used for warfare and was one of
the strengths of the Assyrian army.
City-state - A city-state is an independently
governed region that is centered on a single
powerful city. The civilization of the Sumer was
governed by many independent city-states.
Civilization - A civilization is an advanced state of
human society. Typically a civilization is marked by
advanced government, agriculture, science, and
culture.
Code of Hammurabi - A written code of law from 1772 BC.
It was put in place by Babylonian King Hammurabi. It is
one of the oldest detailed recordings of a code of law in
world history.
Cuneiform - One of the earliest forms of writing invented
by the Sumer. It uses wedge shaped marks to make
picture symbols on clay tablets.
Cylinder seal - An engraved stone cylinder used to create
a seal or signature on clay tablets.
Dynasty - When one family rules a kingdom or
empire for a period of time, passing down the reign
to the next generation.
Empire - A large number of states or regions that are
ruled by a single leader called the emperor or
empress.
Fertile Crescent - A large area of land in the Middle
East that is shaped like a crescent on a map. It runs
from the Persian Gulf, along the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers, over to the Mediterranean Sea,
and down the Nile River Valley of Egypt.
Gilgamesh - A Sumerian King of the city-state
of Uruk. He later became known in mythology
as a demigod with superhuman strength.
Irrigation - Watering crops through man-made
efforts such as ditches and canals.
Lyre - A stringed instrument shaped like a small
harp.
Marduk - The primary god of the Babylonians.
Mesopotamia - A term used to describe the lands
between and near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
It is mostly located in present day Iraq and Syria.
Mina - A unit of weight equal to 60 shekels or around
1.25 pounds.
Nebuchadnezzar - A famous king of Babylon,
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt much of the city including
the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Persian Empire - The last major empire of Ancient
Mesopotamia, the Persian Empire conquered much
of the Middle East.
Scribe - A person trained in writing cuneiform script.
They were well-respected in Mesopotamian society.
Shekel - A standard unit of weight first used in
Mesopotamia.
Siege weapons - Weapons used to capture cities
and take down walls. The Assyrians were experts at
using siege weapons such as battering rams and
siege towers.
Stylus - A writing tool made from a reed that scribes
used to make wedge shaped symbols on clay
tablets.
Sumer - The first human civilization in world
history, the Sumer began to form towns in 5000
BC.
Ziggurats - Large temples usually located at the
center of a Mesopotamian city. Ziggurats
looked like pyramids with a flat top.
Zoroastrianism - The main religion of the
Persian Empire, it followed the teachings of
Zoroaster.