The Sumerian Civilization

1. The Sumerian Civilization By Trey Duncan James Williams Elementary Challenge – Mrs. Sonde February 14, 2012

2. Table of Contents • Location • Geography • Language • Inventions • Government • Bible References • Unanswered Questions

3. Location of Sumer The Sumerians lived in Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia (the land between two rivers) is an area that holds a lot of ancient civilizations. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers provided water and fertile soil. The Fertile Crescent was an area that stretched from the Nile River to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in an arc shape. Sumer was located at one of the tips of the Fertile Crescent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=w8v2vRlLL58

4. Geography of Sumer • The land is fertile in North Mesopotamia. It rains in certain seasons. Rivers and streams come out from the hills and mountains of the region.  • The land in South Mesopotamia is mostly flat and bleak. Temperatures can go over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. There is very little rainfall. Storms come in from the Persian Gulf, which cools things off. The area does have slight seasons. It can get quite cool at certain times of the year.  • Thousands of years ago, early settlers wandered into the land between the two rivers.  People lived off the vegetables and animals that were in the area. The rivers provided fresh drinking water and a place to bathe. These early people stayed in the area and invented a system of irrigation. They began to farm the land.  

5. Language of Sumer The Sumerians developed a cool writing system which became known as cuneiform, and it changed over the years. www.ancientscripts.com

6. Inventions • The fantastic game of Checkers was invented in the city of Ur located in Sumeria. Another name for Checkers is Draughts. (http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/inventions.html) • A wheel to a chariot (the oldest wheel discovered) was probably made in Mesopotamia around 3500 B.C. (http://library.thinkquest.org/C004203/science/science02.htm) • Cuneiform was the first written language. (http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/cuneiform.html) • Hammurabi’s Code was the first written set of laws . (http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/hammurabi.html) • The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest recorded stories. (http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/gilgamesh.html)

7. Government Sumeria was divided into city-states at first. Each city was ruled by a priest-king who actually ruled for the gods. Sometimes a priest-king would take over another city-state. The priest-king did not rule all by himself. He was helped by one or more assemblies. Later, Sargon of Akkad conquered the region and started a government with one ruler (absolute rule). (http://www.worldhistoryonline.org/ancient-history/government-in-mesopotamia-from-the-sumerian-civilization-to-the-persian-empire.html) When the Babylonians had taken over Sumeria, one of the rulers, Hammurabi, created a set of written rules. In court, it did not matter if you were poor or rich. You were punished if you broke the law. (http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/hammurabi.html)

8. Bible References to Sumeria The Garden of Eden is located in the Mesopotamia area according to the Bible. (Genesis 2:8-14) Genesis 2:8a, 14 “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east…..The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asher. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.” The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible both have flood stories. (Genesis 6-8)

9. Bible References to Sumeria Abraham and Sarah lived in the city-state of Ur before God told him to go to the land of Canaan. (Genesis 11:27-32) The Book of Daniel records the captivity of Israel in Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar’s Rule. (Daniel 1-12)

10. Unanswered Questions How were the Sumerians wiped out? How did the Sumerians eat? With their hands? With utensils? What did the Sumerians do for fun? Did the Sumerians have any desserts? What were the Sumerian homes made of? Are the Sumerian descendants still alive? If not, how did they die out?

11. THE END