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Sumerian Civilization 4000-1750

Sumerian Civilization 4000-1750. What makes the location of the Fertile Crescent special?. MAJOR CITY-STATES Ur Erech Kish. ACCOMPLISHMENTS First known civilization in ancient Middle East.

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Sumerian Civilization 4000-1750

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  1. Sumerian Civilization 4000-1750

  2. What makes the location of the Fertile Crescent special?

  3. MAJOR CITY-STATES • Ur • Erech • Kish

  4. ACCOMPLISHMENTS • First known civilization in ancient Middle East. • Consisted of several independent city-states (large town and countryside cooperating for mutual defense with own government and rulers). • built dykes and canals • defensive walls (stored food for attack) • built ziggurats(home or temple of city’s god) in shape of step-pyramid

  5. unique city-god worshipped (farmer’s gave 2/3 harvest to temple) • priests ruled city in name of gods, later replaced by military leaders

  6. Developed cuneiformto assist in keeping records, especially for trade. Established schools for scribes - harsh discipline. • First people to use wheel, wheeled cart and sailenabling merchants to engage in long-distance trade. • Developed a 12-month calendar based on seasons for farming • Introduced concept of irrigationand planted trees as wind-breaks • Created a system of arithmetic based on number 60 (used in our modern circles and clocks) • Rivaling City-States constantly at war with one another - developed chariot .

  7. UR Sumerian City-State (2500-2400 BC)

  8. The City-State of Ur was founded sometime in the 6th millennium B.C. and occupied for perhaps five thousand years. Why was its location so important? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4uuoHc6k9w&list=PL97280C98CCB3ADA9&scrlybrkr=16f3ab67

  9. In 1920s, Leonard Woolley found a cemetery containing about 1800 burials, 16 of these as "royal". How do we know they were “royal”? The most elaborate (and unrobbed) grave was that of Queen Puabi. The tomb featured a vaulted chamber set at the bottom of a deep "death pit"; the lady was buried lying on a wooden bier.

  10. remains of five men dressed in armor • a wooden sled drawn by a pair of oxen • 12 female attendants and musicians holding their harps. • Each of the attendants carried stone or clay cups. Why did each attendant carry a cup?

  11. Sumerian Daily Life

  12. Clothing - Sumerian men went bare-chested and barefooted, wearing a form of kilt. Later they wore shirt dress. Women wore fitted dresses and elaborate headgear.

  13. Beauty - consisted of heavily made-up eyes, faces and hands (men and women). Kings wear false beards to look more dignified. Women would paint their faces white like masks and color cheeks and lips bright red. Why would this extreme paleness be attractive? What is modern America’s view of attractiveness and health?

  14. Food- unleavened bread, onions, beans, garlic, lentils, goats, milk, butter, dates, and fish Beer - main beverage - 19 different types This tablet was taken by astronauts in the 1989 mission of the space shuttle Discovery. Representing the oldest human artifact to have traveled in space. The tablet lists rations for messengers undertaking a journey: For Bama: 5 qts. beer; 5 qts bread; 5 oz onions; 3 oz oil; 2 oz alkali For Baza: the menial: same amount For Su-Esdar: 10 qts beer; 10 qtz bread; 5 oz onions; 3 oz oil; 2 oz alkali

  15. Cuneiform Tablets: 'Cuneiform' means 'wedge-shaped' because the inscriptions were made by pressing the triangular tip of a reed or a stick (stylus) into wet clay tablets. At first there were over 2000 different signs, but the Sumerians gradually reduced their 'alphabet' to about 600 symbols.

  16. Most tablets would not have been preserved – simply reused. • Important tablets were allowed to dry in the sun. Like this one describing the Gilgamesh Epic. • Others preserved in accidental fires.

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