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Sumer Mesopotamia - The Land Between Two Rivers Mesopotamia was a place where many cities began to grow. As its name suggests, Mesopotamia was located between two rivers. The two rivers were the Tigris River and the Euphrates River. Mesopotamia was located in the Middle East, and surrounded by desert. People came to Mesopotamia because the soil between the two rivers was very fertile. USA Mesopotamia was located in the Middle East. Mesopotamia was located in what is now the country of Iraq. Mesopotamia was part of a larger region called the Fertile Crescent. This area, that stretched from the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea down to the Persian Gulf, had fertile soil and was where many civilizations started. The shape is somewhat similar to a crescent (think of a crescent roll, or a crescent-shaped moon). The Cradle of Civilization Mesopotamia is located in the Middle East, which is located in Southwest Asia. As we’ve discussed before, the first civilizations and examples of writing were found in Southwest Asia. These things began in Mesopotamia. When a newborn baby begins life, he or she is placed in a cradle. Mesopotamia is called the cradle of civilization because the first civilizations began there, about 5,500 years ago in 3500 B.C. CITY-States Arise The area around Sumer was either scorching desert or mudflats. For this reason, Sumerian cities were independent because they were cut-off from the others with little if any communication. They raised their own crops and made their own goods. They gained control of the area around it. These formed city-states. City-states were SELF GOVERNING. Most had between 5,000 and 20,000 people. City-States Formed Along the Rivers They each had their own form of government, and the people worshipped different gods and goddesses. Eventually, they each had their own kings. The region where the two rivers meet was called Sumer. The people who lived in the Sumer region were called Sumerians. Why Did These Cities Develop? Due to the fertile soil in Mesopotamia, farming was very successful. In fact, people were able to create surpluses of food. This meant that some people could stop farming and begin doing other things, like building a city. As cities began to develop, people began to worry about others who might come and invade their city. They wanted to protect themselves from enemies, so people in Mesopotamia built walls around their cities. Sumerians Remember, Sumer is the region where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers meet. Writing first began in Sumerian cities. The first schools were set up in Sumer over 4,000 years ago. Sumerian schools taught boys the new invention of writing. Those who graduated became professional writers called scribes. Scribes were the only people who could keep records for the kings and priests. Boys that wanted to be scribes had to attend school from the age of 8 to the age of 20. A Sumerian City Sumerian city streets were so narrow that you could hardly get a cart through them. Sumerian houses faced away from crowded streets. Instead, they faced onto courtyards where families ate and children played. Narrow Streets Courtyard Area Sumerian Cities On hot nights, people slept outdoors on the top of their house’s flat roof. Sumerians had a form of light at night. They burned oil lamps. Sumerians even had plumbing! Clay pipes that were buried underground carried their waste away. Inventions like plumbing wouldn’t come around for another thousand years in other parts of the world! Sumerian Religion Sumerians worshipped many gods, not just one. This belief in many gods is called polytheism. “Poly” means many and “Theism” means gods. Each city-state claimed a god as their own. The picture above shows a ziggurat. Ziggurats were the main temples used to worship the gods of a city. Ziggurats were built in the center of the city. They had steps and ramps, and it was believed that the gods descended to the Earth using the ziggurat as a ladder. The very top was a holy place. Sumerian Mythology Sumerian myths, or stories, explained people’s beliefs. Sumerians believed that a person must keep the gods happy by going to the ziggurat and praying to them. They believed that the gods would reward them for good service. They also believed that the gods would punish the people who made them angry. ziggurat Gods SOCIAL GROUPS IN SUMER • If you were a Sumerian, you usually stayed in the class you were born into. • Upper class – Kings, priests, warriors, government officials • Middle Class – merchants, farmers, fishers, artisans. Was the LARGEST SOCIAL CLASS. • Lower Class – enslaved people, criminals, debtors, war prisoners. They worked for the UPPER CLASS. Males & Females Males • Head of the home • Boys went to school and were trained for a specific job. • Any Sumerian was required by law to take care of their own children or their adult parents if they needed help. • • • • Females Ran the home Trained daughters to run the home Cared for the children Had few civil rights Farmers & Traders • • • • • • • Most men in Sumer were farmers and owned a plot of land in the area around the city-state. Wheat, barley, and dates were the major crops. They also raised sheep, goats, and pigs. Trade was very important. Skilled artisans needed the materials to do their work. Merchants went to other lands to trade. Trade has been traced as far as India and Egypt. They traded wheat, barley, and tools for timber, minerals and metals. Sumerians valued a red stone called carnelian, but especially a blue stone called lapis lazuli. Sumerian Writing Scribes used a sharp point called a stylus to etch words into clay tablets because they didn’t have paper. These tablets have been discovered by archaeologists and looked at by historians. Cuneiform • Made up of about 1200 characters! • Represented names, objects, numbers. • Cuneiform comes from a Latin word meaning “wedge.” • Only a few people learned to read and write cuneiform, mostly boys from wealthy families. They became SCRIBES. Gilgamesh • After writing developed, storytellers could finally write down stories they’d told orally for centuries. • The world’s oldest story is from Sumer. • It was written more than 4,000 years ago and is still studied today. It is called the Epic of Gilgamesh. • An epic is a long poem that tells the story of a hero. Other Sumerian Contributions • Wheel – evidence of a wheeled vehicle from 3500 B.C. • Carts – pulled by donkeys • Chariot – early vehicle • Sailboat • Wooden plow – for the fields • Potter’s Wheel • Were first to make bronze • Studied math and astronomy • Place value system based on 60 • Positions of stars for planting • 12 month calendar based on moon The Downfall of the Sumerians Each of the Sumerian city-states had a ruler, and these city-states began fighting each other. They fought over land and the use of river water. Since the Sumerians were constantly at war with each other, they became weak. By 2000 BC, Sumer was a weakened area, and by 1759 BC, Sumer was conquered by another group of people - the Babylonians, who were from the north.