23 Ancient CityStates of Sumer

1
2-3 Ancient City-States of Sumer
Oldest civilization on earth Geography
Mesopotamia the land between the rivers
(Greek) Tigris Euphrates Fertile
Crescent Crossroads of trade routes Irregular
flooding
2
Social Structure
Women's status??? Ku-Baba
Ruler
ruling family high priests leading officials
Merchants, artisans, lesser priests, scribes
Farmers
Farmers
Slaves
Slaves
3
Political Structure

• the city was rectangular in shape and developed
  out of the need for protection high walls
• consisted of 12 independent city-states. The
  city-state was a prerequisite for urbanization in
  those days the city had to precede the state.
• 1st rulers were priests then replaced by military
  leader - dynastic
• Ruler responsibilities maintain city walls
  irrigation systems, led army, enforced laws,
  chief servant/agent of the gods
• tension and conflict among the states was
  frequent as they often waged war against each
  other over rights to land water, but there were
  also wars against a common enemy that unified
  them
• strong armies, which with their chariots, held
  power over their less civilized neighbors
• internal conflicts allowed for the region to be
  conquered by King Sargon of Akkad

4
Religion

• Polythestic circa 3,000 gods
• the temple Ziggurat/ home of gods, highest
  building
• magic spirits were their gods
• the gods controlled the powerful forces
• Gods had human emotions and behaviors
• Priests used divination and astronomy to control
  society
• Various public rituals, food sacrifices, and
  libations took place on a daily basis also had
  monthly feasts and annual celebrations
• king gave offerings and keep their homes
  (temples) in good condition. When a building was
  repaired the king would often leave his name
  carved on objects buried in the foundations or
  stamped on the bricks. In this way he hoped the
  gods would bless him and his kingdom.
• had a strong belief in life after death, also
  believed that each person had a "Ghost" which
  followed the individual at all times.
• Earth a scary and gloomy place since man was
  created as a broken, labor saving, tool for the
  use of the gods and at the end of everyone's
  life, lay the underworld, a generally dreary
  place.

5
Intellectual

• developed the 1st writing system in the world
  cuneiform
• wrote on clay tablets with a unique stylus
• Scribes learned in edubba (tablet house)
  wealthy boys mostly
• Attended from sunrise to sunset corporal
  punishment used for discipline
• studied mathematics, medicine, geography,
  astronomy, literature, and religion
• developed many ways of understanding time having
  an accurate calendar, that was lunar solar
• developed pseudo-science like astrology, within
  the context of religion believing that the stars
  on the sky were gods that controlled the events
  in the world, and that the position between these
  gods could be used to predict events in the
  world, as well as the fortune for individuals
• Key to decoding cuneiform - Behistun Rock found
  by
• Sir Henry Rawlinson in 1846 cuneiform
  Persian
• Literature Epic of Gilgamesh

6
Technology

• Architecture bricks, Ziggurats, arches, domes,
  columns, ramps
• Art
• art and architecture is very ornate and complex
• excelled in Painting and Sculpture
• Clay abundant native material, used for
  fine-textured pottery
• primarily used for religious purposes
• Cylinder seals used a signatures for property
• started carving in stones and shells, and
  creating statues
• Jewelry was also created from gold and silver

• Innovations wheel vehicles pottery, the
  sail, the plow, oldest maps, oldest records of
  scientific investigations, number system based on
  6 60 - 360, 1st to use bronze, 1st system of
  writing, system of weights measurements based
  on 10, mapping the stars

7
Economy

• belonged to a rural zone where agriculture was
  performed outside the walled city
• major crops were barley, wheat, dates and
  vegetables
• raised cattle, donkeys, sheep and goats. Textiles
  were made from wool from the sheep.
• traded with neighbors in the area, Egypt, the
  Persian Gulf India
• Imports ivory and other luxury items and copper
  tin to make bronze