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KEY Chapter 3: Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent Section 2: The Rise of Sumer Big Idea The Sumerians developed the first civilization in Mesopotamia. An Advanced Society Vocabulary
1) Rural: a countryside area
2) Urban: a city area
3) City-State: a political unit consisting of a city and its surrounding countryside
4) Empire: land with different territories and peoples under a single rule
Sumerians, in southern Mesopotamia, developed the world’s first civilization. By 3000 BC,
several hundred thousand Sumerians had settled in Mesopotamia, in a land they called Sumer.
The City-­States of Sumer Most people in Sumer were famers who lived in the rural areas. The centers of Sumerian society were the urban areas. By 2000 BC, some of Sumer’s cities had more than 100,000 residents. The Sumerians created city-­‐states by combining their rural and urban areas. The city-­‐
states fought against each other to gain more farmland, and as a result of these conflicts, built up strong armies. In addition, city-­‐states built strong, thick walls around their cities for protection. By 3500 BC, the city-­‐state Kish, became very powerful. The city-­‐states of Uruk and Ur fought for dominance over the next 1,000 years. Gilgamesh, one of Uruk’s kings, became a legendary figure in Sumerian literature.
Rise of the Akkadian Empire Just north of Sumer, another society developed along the Tigris and Euphrates created by the Akkadians. They spoke a different language than the Sumerians. They lived in peace for many years, until 2300 BC when Sargon sought to extend Akkadian territory and built a new capitol, Akkad, on the Euphrates River. Sargon was the first ruler to have a permanent army and launched a series of wars. His soldiers defeated all the city-­‐states of Sumer along with northern Mesopotamia. Sargon established the world’s first empire. Sargon was the emperor for more than 50 years. A century after his death, hostile tribes from the east raided and captured Akkad. The city-­‐state of Ur rebuilt its strength and conquered the rest of Mesopotamia, making the Sumerians the most powerful civilization in the region. Religion Shapes Society Vocabulary 1) Polytheism: the worship of many gods 2) Priests: people who performed religious ceremonies 3) Social Hierarchy: the division of society by rank or class Religion played a large role in Sumerian society in nearly every aspect of public and private life. Sumerian Religion The Sumerians practiced polytheism. The worshiped the following gods: •Enlil, the lord of air •Enki, god of wisdom •Inanna, goddess of love and war •Uta and Nanna represented the sun and moon Sumerians believed their gods had enormous powers and that success depended on pleasing the gods; therefore, they had a duty to serve and worship the gods. Priests had a great status in Sumer. They interpreted the wishes of the gods and made offerings in temples, where they also performed their religious ceremonies. Sumerian Social Order Sumer’s social hierarchy consisted of: •Kings (claimed they had been chosen by the gods to rule) •Priests •Skilled craftspeople, merchants, and traders who exchanged grain for gold, silver, copper, lumber and precious stones •Working Class (farmers and laborers) •Slaves Men and Women in Sumer Men = held political power and made laws Women = took care of the home and children Education = reserved for men, but some upper-­‐class women were educated too In Sumer’s temples, some educated women were priestesses, who helped shape Sumerian culture. The first female writer in history was Enheduanna, the daughter of Sargon, who wrote hymns to the goddess Inanna.