Sumeria Cradle of Civilization The First Civilization A

Sumeria Cradle of Civilization

The First Civilization

A PARADE OF EMPIRES

Significant Terms Civilization- A large scale, complex organized society, associated with urbanism and sociopolitical territories known as states City State- A sociopolitical entity, that contains an urban centre and controls a defined territory

The State and Urban Revolution: In the city-state (or state), kin and tribal loyalties are, by definition, subordinated and replaced by political ties…. What makes a citystate different from an agricultural town is the synergy created by its people interacting with each other on the basis of political relationships rather than traditional blood ties.

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

Modern Day

Diversional Irrigation

CITY OF UR

Sumeria- an Ingenious society

THE AGE OF GOD KINGS • The Kings List records the names of the Kings of Sumer and the lengths of their reign • Kingship‘ descended from Heaven” • Kingship was hereditary

Social and political organization: • The King: he had military powers. • The Governors: they governed the territories of the kingdom. They were generals and judges at the same time. • The aristocracy: they were priests and traders. • The peasants: the people who work the land. The King The Governors The Aristocracy The Peasantry

The Beginnings of Writing Farmers needed to keep records. The Sumerians were very good farmers. They raised animals such as goats and cows (called livestock). Because they needed to keep records of their livestock, food, and other things, officials began using tokens. Tokens were used for trade. Clay tokens came in different shapes and sizes. These represented different objects. For example, a cone shape could have represented a bag of wheat. These tokens were placed inside clay balls that were sealed. If you were sending five goats to someone, then you would put five tokens in the clay ball. When the goat arrived, the person would open the clay ball and count the tokens to make sure the correct number of goats had arrived. The number of tokens began to be pressed on the outside of the clay balls. Many experts believe that this is how writing on clay tablets began. A system of writing develops. The earliest form of writing dates back to 3300 B. C. People back then would draw "word-pictures" on clay tablets using a pointed instrument called a stylus. These "word-pictures" then developed into wedge-shaped signs. This type of script was called cuneiform (from the Latin word cuneus which means wedge). Who used cuneiform? Not everyone learned to read and write. The ones that were picked by the gods were called scribes. Boys that were chosen to become scribes (professional writers) began to study at the age of 8. They finished when they were 20 years old. The scribes wrote on clay tablets and used a triangular shaped reed called a stylus to make marks in the clay. The marks represented the tens of thousands of words in their language.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CUNEIFORM: The Sumerian writing system during the early periods was constantly in flux. The original direction of writing was from top to bottom, but for reasons unknown, it changed to left-toright very early on (perhaps around 3000 BCE). This also affected the orientation of the signs by rotating all of them 90° counterclockwise. Another change in this early system involved the "style" of the signs. The early signs were more "linear" in that the strokes making up the signs were lines and curves. But starting after 3000 BC, these strokes started to evolve into wedges, thus changing the visual style of the signs from linear to "cuneiform".

Unlocking the Mystery-

A Literary Society • • • Religious Myths Tales of Enlil and Inanna The Flood Myth Epic Tales; “ The Epic of Gilgamesh “ Hymns and Elegies Wisdom Compositions eg ; ” The Dispute between Cattle and Grain; ” ‘ The Dispute between Hoe and Plough’ Proverbs eg” Into An open mouth, a fly enters’ Instructional Essays; n” The Farmers Almanac”

HOUSES OF URUK

Tablet showing Nippur Plan

The Rise of Great Cities

ZIGURRAT OF UR

ZIGURRAT AT URUK

Necessity is the Mother of Invention • Sumerians had located the position of Mercury Saturn and Mars as well as knowledge of the sun and moon • Sumerians had developed a sophisticated system of weights and measurements • Sumerians were the first to institutionalize learning in schools, generally for the training of scribes • Sumerian law code predates Hammurabi

STANDARD OF UR

SCENES OF WAR

AN ARTISTIC SOCIETY

A WARLIKE SOCIETY

Development of organized warfare • Sophisticated and stronger weaponry • Metal helmets and body Armor • Importance of cavalry, and chariots • Phalanx formation

Upper Register of the Stele of Vultures

STELE OF NARIM SIN

SIR LEONARD WOOLLEY 1880 -1960

Dead Men Do Tell Tales • Sir Leonard Woolley excavated the Royal Tombs of Ur, finding a large number of skeletons in the vaults, possibly royal attendants. • • • As well jewellery, waggons, furniture, musical instruments, pottery, and even board games were found. Woolley showed great care in his rescuing and restoring objects for example- The Standard of Ur These objects have been able to tell us much about Sumerian society

The Legacy of Sumer Commerce Maths And Science Cuneiform Sumerian civilization Arts Technology Literature Religion