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. This book is an unparalleled collection of what is know about them.
Samuel Kramer's intension, which the book admirably serves, is to provide a comprehensive introduction of the history and culture of Sumer, while avoiding the usual gloss and superficiality that sometimes accompanies similar text. This book can also serve as companion to Kramer's very popular, History Begins at Sumer, by providing the political and economic background necessary to fully appreciate the contributions of that civilization to our modern world. 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, not even the Sumerian word for Tigris and Euphrates ---idiglat and buranun, respectively. He adds that many Sumerian cities names do not appear of Sumerian nor words involving technology, (e.g. apin for plow). Echoing Landsberger's conclusion that the Sumerians picked these words up from people who were already there. Nicholas Postgate, however, dismisses all this with the single phrase, saying that the findings based on such linguistic evidence "have not achieved general acceptance." (126) He seems to favor a position that the Sumerians were there, or at least did not invade Mesopotamia in anytime marked by the archaeological records. Kramer disagrees with the description that picture the economy as dominated by the temple and instead argues that it was "cultivable free and that private property was the rule rather than exception.
The Sumerians put a strong emphasis on education. ... The Sumerians made most of their tools out of flint. ... Sumerian religion especially influenced Christianity and Judaism. ... Sumerian Kings established city-states that lower kings ruled. Below the king or governor, Sumerians had three classes. ...
The Sumerian culture was one of the first villages that developed into a city. ... The Sumerians worshiped several gods, each with its own responsibilities. ... Sumerian religion was troubled with life and saw the afterlife in a depressing light. ... The Sumerians form of writing became known as cuneiform. ... Other epics like Gilgamesh and a few love songs have been linked the Sumerians....
The sumerians, the people of sumer were among the first people to leave a written record. By about 4,000 bc the sumerians were living in large villages, with buildings made of sundried mud brick. ... Sumerian society: As the food supply became more plentiful,not everyone was needed to work in the feilds. ... Sumerian inventions: As it's height sumerian society was very complex,wealthy,and powerful. ... It was probly the greatest invention by the sumerians. ...
The Sumerian people were well into education. ... To continue, the Sumerians were a very unique group of people. ... The Sumerian alphabet had more than 2,000 symbols. ... The twelve-month calendar was also created by the Sumerians. ... Although the Sumerian civilization was a lot older, the Egyptians were the only people that could be compared to the Sumerians. ...
But it was not just lore, it effectively taught the outlook of Sumerian culture and instilled morals. ... 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 others. ...
While researching Sumerian culture I learned many interesting facts that I did not know before. ... Most people don't even know much about the origin of the Sumerian culture. ... The wheel was also first implemented in the Sumerian nation. ... Sumerians were pessimistic. ... Sumerians were very good at art. ...
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 thought otherwise. ... The Sumerian and Egyptian religions are there because they want to believe such is true. ...
This is a small votive figure from the Sumerian time period. ... The Sumerians were the first culture to invent writing, they are the culture credited with inventing cuneiform. ... The Sumerians believed offerings needed to be placed to each of their gods everyday. ... This image shows an assortment of votives from the Sumerian time period. ... The Sumerians were well known for the devotional practices. ...
The Sumerian and Akkadian languages coexisted for about 1000 years until Sumerian dialects died out around 1800 BCE. ... Sumerians wrote on all kinds of things. ... The religion of the Sumerians was very complex. Sumerians made many beautiful works of art. ... Sumerians made pottery and statues from clay. ...
