Sumer

Sumer Develops

The challenge of controlling the two rivers forced cooperation, thus Sumer arose

Developed in the region where the two rivers meet

Due to the fertile soil people were able to create surpluses of food.

Uruk, the first Summerian city, developed around 3750 B.C.E.

Sumerian City-States City-state is an independent state that includes a city and its surrounding territory.

Each city-state had its own government, laws, and main god.

Sumerians and later Mesopotamians built walls around their cities.

Changes in Sumer Seed funnel

Irrigation

Writing

Trade in Sumer

Southern Mesopotamia had little wood or stone.

Trade was done by bartering, exchanging goods for other goods without the exchange of money.

Used large rafts (barges) to transport goods

Eventually Sumerians used a sail on their boat to speed up travel process

SumeriansWriting first began in Sumer.

Sumerian schools taught boys the new invention of writing

Professional writers called scribes

Kept records for the kings and priests

Sumerian GovernmentThe first leaders of Sumer were priests, not kings

As issues among city-states grew the priest would choose the best person to lead the city-state into war

Some military leaders became the first kings

To stay in power the kings needed the support of the priests, so the kings were careful to respect the priest's rights and power

The priests would declare that the gods had sent the king to rule the city and the idea that kings were choosen by the gods became common in Sumer

Sumerian GovernmentThe earliest known code of laws was issued around 2100 B.C.E by Ur-Nammu

Ur-Nammu law code included laws about marriage, slavery, and causing harm to others

Social Classes Highest class included the ruler, top officials, and priests, wealthy merchants

Middle classes was made up of farmers and skilled workers

The lowest class was mostly slaves

Each class was distinct and people were not able to move from one class to the next

Sumerian Religion Sumerians were polytheistic

They believed the gods controlled every aspect of life

Sumerians believed only priests knew how to communicate with the gods

In large Sumerian cities temples were known as ziggurats

The Downfall of the Sumerians

Sumerian kings began fighting over use of river water and land

By 2000 BC, Sumer was a weakened area

1759 BC, Sumer was conquered by another group of people - the Babylonians, who were from the north.