The Sumerian people were very smart and they seemed to be able to become the world's first great civilization even with a lack of natural resources. For example, they did not have access to wood, or stone. What they did have access to, was mud, and lots of it, in thanks to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
To continue, the Sumerians were a very unique group of people. They arranged their civilization into city-states, which was a form of political organization. These city-states were ruled by kings, who were warriors who proved their leadership in battle, because of all the fighting that took place. For the most part, kings and priests controlled all of Sumer, while slaves worked on it. City-states were the first organized places where a civilization developed, as most of the other people of the world were still nomadic. The Sumerians were polytheistic, which means they believed that more than one god existed. These people were very much into religion, and they created massive towers called ziggurats to pray and offer different sacrifices to prevent bad things from happening to them. A common practice among .
the Sumerians was something called Animism, which is the belief that a divine force or god lives within natural objects, such as rivers or mountains. Their belief that the earth was created through a series of punishments influenced later civilizations that formed in the Middle East. (SOURCE).
This civilization continued to thrive for almost two decades, but decline was inevitable. The Sumerian people simply could not withstand invaders and began to fall to outside parties. The first of the invasions began in 2400 BC when an Akkadian king conquered the city-states. Their first ruler was Sargon I, who controlled almost the entire region by himself. The Sumerian culture and economy still lived on in this new empire, but the way of life that was once known, was gone. This was the beginning of the end for the Sumerian people and Sumer, and by 2000 BC, they almost completely ceased to exist.
The Sumerians put a strong emphasis on education. ... The Sumerians made most of their tools out of flint. ... Cows, sheep, pigs, and goats roamed around the houses, living with the people. ... Sumerian's were one of the first people to introduce a written calendar. ... The middle class was made up of business people, schoolteachers, artisans, and farmers. ...
The Sumerians, the active and gifted people who preceded the Semites in the land first known as Sumer, and later as Babylonia, created what was probably the first high civilization in the history of man, spanning the fifth to the second millenniums B.C. ... In contrast to The Sumerians, Kramer's From the Tablets of Sumer, didn't treat the political history of the Sumerian people or the nature of their social and economic institutions. (Kramer, preface) Citing the work of Benno Landsberger, he points out that many Sumerian words do not appear to be of Sumerian origin, ...
From what scientists have learned about the first established civilizations, they have come to find that the examples set by the first peoples are still followed today. ... The Sumerian culture was one of the first villages that developed into a city. ... The Sumerians worshiped several gods, each with its own responsibilities. ... The Sumerians form of writing became known as cuneiform. ... Other epics like Gilgamesh and a few love songs have been linked the Sumerians....
People began to move into mesopotamia at a very early time. ... The sumerians, the people of sumer were among the first people to leave a written record. ... Large number of people were free to work at other jobs. ... Sumerian inventions: As it's height sumerian society was very complex,wealthy,and powerful. ... It was probly the greatest invention by the sumerians. ...
If people knew little facts about Sumer it would change the way people looked at other ancient societies. ... Most people don't even know much about the origin of the Sumerian culture. ... Sumerians were pessimistic. They believed that when people died they went down to an eternally silent dark world. ... Sumerians were very good at art. ...
But it was not just lore, it effectively taught the outlook of Sumerian culture and instilled morals. ... One such reason why Gilgamesh has survived is due to its accurate account of the gods and the beliefs that made them so crucial to these ancient people. ... This document provides a vivid account of the overall religious theme to which the Sumerians belonged. Through this story, the keepers of the text could easily depict the gods and their roles in the Sumerian society. ... It holds so many of the ideals of the Sumerians, that it is such an effective way of showing those principles to...
The Sumerians and Egyptians both had their own different gods. ... The Sumerians also believed that the sun god was the main god. ... Sumerian polytheism had gods embodied in the forces of nature. ... The Sumerians believed that the human role was that to serve and please the gods and that people were made to do the labor that the gods did not want to do. ... The Sumerians thought otherwise. ...
This is a small votive figure from the Sumerian time period. ... The Sumerians believed offerings needed to be placed to each of their gods everyday. For many people this was not possible because there were so many temples due to their polytheistic culture. ... This image shows an assortment of votives from the Sumerian time period. ... The Sumerians were well known for the devotional practices. ...
They were the first people to use irrigation trenches. ... The canals made travel easy, and people could spread out easier. The populations of these cities could reach over ten thousand people. The city of Uruk had over fifty thousand people. ... The Sumerians were also some of the first people to start farming. ...