Ancient Sumer 3 000 B C About a
Ancient Sumer • • 3, 000 B. C. About a dozen (12) small cities Southern Mesopotamia World’s first civilization and advanced society
An Advanced Society • Most Sumerians were farmers • Rural = countryside • Urban = city • City-state = a city and all the countryside around it (combines rural and urban) – By 2, 000 B. C. over 100, 000 people
City-States of Sumer • Life in Sumer centered around city-states – Fought with each other to control water and gain farmland – Protected by thick walls • Powerful city-states were Kish, Uruk, Ur
• • • Sargon – The Akkadian Empire Not Sumerians About 2, 300 B. C. Founded Akkad Ruler of Akkad was Sargon had a permanent army
Sargon – The Akkadian Empire • Sargon fought other city-states – Defeated all the city-states of Sumer – All of Mesopotamia was under Sargon’s rule • Established the first empire, or land with significant territories and people under a single rule – Ruled for 50 years • Eventually Akkad falls to the Sumerians
Sargon
Religion Shapes Society • Religion played a central role in public and private life – Polytheism = belief in many gods – Ziggurat = large brick building with a temple on its peak – Enlil – lord of the air – Enki- god of water – Innana- goddess of love and war • Priests- performed religious ceremonies
Inanna Enki
Sumerian Social Order • Social hierarchy- division of society by rank or class –King (chosen by the gods? ) –Priests –Merchants, traders, craftsmen –Farmers, laborers –Slaves
Men and Women in Sumer • Men held power • Women took care of the home and children • Men were educated –Some upper class women were educated; Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon
Cuneiform • First developed to record farm surpluses • In 3, 500 B. C. symbols looked like what they described • Simplified over time • About 500 signs were used • Signs represented sounds and ideas as well as objects
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