Was Ancient Sumer a Civilization?

By studying artifacts, archeologists have learned a lot about Sumer.

Characteristics of Civilizations

Characteristics of Civilization

Characteristics of CivilizationTechnologyTechnology

The ArtsThe Arts

WritingWriting

Stable Food Supply

Stable Food Supply

Social CultureSocial Culture

GovernmentGovernment

ReligionReligion

Characteristics of Civilization• Stable Food Supply-People of a society have the

food they need to survive• Social Structure-Different social levels and jobs• System of Government-Life in the society is

orderly• Religious System-Set of beliefs and forms of

worship• Highly developed culture-Includes arts (painting),

architecture, music and literature• Advances in technology• Highly developed written language

Stable Food Supply

• Sumerians invented two things to help them create a stable food supply

• Irrigation system-System of canals and reservoirs allowed Sumerian farmers to regularly water their crops

• Plow-The plow helped farmers prepare the soil for planting, making farming faster and producing more food

Social Structure

• A social structure includes different jobs and social levels

• People at higher levels have greater status than others

• Upper class: Priests, landowners, and government officials had the nicest homes and lived in the center of the city

Social Structure

• Middle: Merchants and artisans made and sold tools and luxury items. Farmers and fishers lived in small houses at the edge of the city, and farmers served in the army

• Bottom: Slaves had no property and lived with their owners

Government

• All civilizations have a system of government to direct people’s behaviors and make life orderly.

• Sumerians believed that their kings were chosen by the gods.

• King & Government duties: recording and enforcing laws, collecting taxes, building temples, maintaining and patrolling irrigation canals, and leading the army

Government

• Leading the army=King’s most important job• Army=professional soldiers, temporary citizen

soldiers. Some were foot soldiers, some drove chariots

• Kings had governors to help• Scribes helped record laws• Sumerians-1st to develop a system of written

laws

Religion

• A religious system includes worship practices and a set of beliefs

• Religion was important in Sumer because it influenced every part of daily life

• Ziggurats-Religious towers, made of mud bricks, believed gods lived in ziggurats

• Sumerians had many religious statues and had many kinds of religious ceremonies

The Arts

• Metalworkers-Created practical and decorative items

• Architects-Designed temples and ziggurats• Musicians-played instruments and sang during

ceremonies

• Sumerians believed music brought joy to the people and to the gods

Technology

• Sumerians made several technological advances

• Most important invention: Wheel.• Wheeled carts made it easier to move goods

over long distances• Arch-added strength and beauty to Sumerian

buildings. Great architectural achievement

Writing

• Cuneiform-writing that uses wedge shaped characters

• Cuneiform developed around 2400 BCE• Cuneiform was based on pictographs• Pictograph-A symbol that stands for an object