The Sumerians: Founders of Civilization

Introduction

• The Sumerians are credited with founding the oldest known civilization in Mesopotamia.
• Innovations include writing, the wheel, and division of time into seconds and minutes.
• Developed agriculture and built large cities, influencing trade and culture.
• Their civilization mysteriously died out around 4,000 years ago, but recent archaeology has unearthed their history.

Geography and Early Civilization

• Located in present-day Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
• Known as Mesopotamia, "the land between the rivers."
• Important for transportation and trade due to its rivers.
• Lacked natural resources like wood and metal ores, but made use of river transport to compensate.

Origins and Agriculture

• Originated from fertile areas in Anatolia.
• Archaeological discoveries show they settled 9,000 years ago.
• Discovery of wild wheat enabled settling and development of agriculture.
• Agriculture led to population growth and territorial expansion.

Technological Innovations

• Invented the wheel and complex irrigation systems.
• Tamed the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for agriculture.
• Reaping bountiful harvests, they built large cities like Ur and Nippur.

Urban and Economic Development

• Cities like Ur and Nippur emerged as urban centers.
• Featured impressive architecture and ziggurats.
• Relied on trade routes to obtain resources like wood and lapis lazuli.
• Sumerians developed contracts and enacted laws, like the Code of Hammurabi.

Society and Culture

• Society encompassed merchants, craftsmen, and slaves.
• Artisans produced fine jewelry, ceramics, and instruments.
• Religious life centered around temples and a pantheon of gods like Enlil and Inanna.

Decline and Legacy

• Civilization declined due to salinization of soil, climate change, and resource depletion.
• Sumerian influence continued through their contributions to law, trade, and myth.
• Their myths, like the flood story, influenced later cultures, including biblical narratives.
• Despite decline, aspects of Sumerian culture were passed on to future civilizations like the Babylonians and Greeks.