WldHistoryCh2Sumer

The Tigris-Euphrates river valley, sometimes referred to as the Fertile Crescent or Mesopotamia ("Land Between the Rivers"), is an area that has supported numerous civilizations throughout history. One of the earliest civilizations with written evidence is that of the Sumerians. Arriving in the Tigris-Euphrates valley from Central Asia in approximately 3500 BC, the Sumerians pervaded the existing settlements of the Ubaidians, of whom little is known, in southern Mesopotamia. Taking control of the land and its resources, these individuals developed a complex civilization that would live on to influence later civilizations.

Within the southern section of Mesopotamia, which came to be known as Sumer (hence Sumerians), regional city-states developed. Each of these city-states was ruled by a king whose authority dictated the construction of buildings and temples, maintenance of irrigation systems, deliberation of justice, and formation and amendment of trade and defense policies. Initially, these kings were elected officials, but their positions eventually became hereditary.

Because Sumer was a region of numerous city-states, tension and conflict among the states was frequent. Often, these conflicts arose over rights to water and land, and it was common for one city-state to attempt to gain complete control over a neighboring city-state. Such internal dissension allowed for the region to be conquered by King Sargon of Akkad. In 2000 BC, the area was invaded and came under Babylonian control.

Sumerian Economy

The economy that sustained the people of Sumer relied on agriculture and trade. To support agriculture, the surrounding land of each city-state was plotted out into individual tracts which were then irrigated through a system of canals and dams. The irrigation of the land allowed for crops such as wheat and barley to flourish in this region. Trade, another important element of the economy, occurred through the transportation of textiles and crops by Sumerian merchants to other lands, such as Asia-Minor and Iran, where these goods were exchanged for stone, metals, and timber. The traders would then return to Sumer where these items would either be traded to other Sumerians or used to fabricate jewelry, tools, and weapons to be traded later.

One of the greatest accomplishments of the Sumerian people was the invention of the earliest known system of writing. The Sumerians created written documents by using a triangular-tipped stylus to make wedge-shaped impressions in soft clay. Because of their appearance, these impressions have been given the name "cuneiform" (from Latin, meaning "wedge-shaped"). Thousands of cuneiform documents have been discovered, the majority of which are record of business, taxation, and production figures. However, many cuneiform documents have been found to be inscribed with epics, myths, essays and poetry, as well as educational texts.

Other skills and innovations that the Sumerians developed include the art of engraving, bleaching and dying of fabrics, the development of measuring and surveying equipments, as well as canals and dams. The Sumerians are also well-known for cylinder seals which have been discovered in archaeological digs. These artifacts depict various scenes of Sumerian life and beliefs. One of the most commonly depicted episodes on these seals was on in which the seal's owner is presented to a god by another god, presumably the owner's "guardian angel." Other cylinder seals were also used to record business transactions.

Sumerian Religion

The Sumerians believed that the world was created out of an an ancient sea from whence the universe, gods, and people were created. They believed that the universe was ruled by these gods, who were anthropomorphic (they had human features and personalities) and who represented various natural phenomenon. Each Sumerian city-state had its own patron deity to whom the citizens paid homage. Temples, known as ziggurats, were often erected in the cities to honor and house each city's god. The city of Ur, for example, constructed a ziggurat for Nanna, the god of the moon.

Ziggurat in Ur

The key gods of the Sumerians were Enki (god of water), Ki (god of earth), Enlil (god of air), and An (god of heaven). These main gods were believed to have created the rules of Sumerian society to which all people were expected to adhere. Sumerians also believed that the reason for their existence was to delight the gods. The observance of certain rituals and animal sacrifices were considered necessary in order to satisfy these often capricious deities.