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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?