SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION

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SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION

• By Mimi Turrentine, Christian Fleming, Amanda
  Perry, Kaylee Wagner

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Social Structure

• Social structure was like a pyramid starting from
  top to bottom
• Gods/pharaohs
• Government
• Soldiers
• Scribes
• Merchants
• Artisans
• Farmers
• Slaves and Servents

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Political Rulers

• Hammurabi- 6th king of Babylon from 1792
  B.C-1750, first king of the Babylon Empire,
  extended Babylons control over Mesopotamia, most
  known for Hammurabi's code.
• Fact Hammurabis code was one of the first codes
  recorded in history

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Religion

• Mythology, pantheon, rites, and cosmology of
  Sumerian civilization
• Myths passed down through oral tradition
• In the late Early Dynastic period religious
  writings became prevalent as temple raise myths
• Temples were originally small, elevated, one-room
  structures, but in the early dynastic periods
  temples were raised terraces and multiple rooms
• Priests were held responsible for continuing
  cultural and religious traditions

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Technology

• Wheel- device to carry heavy objects, also used
  in some machines
• Cuneiform- type of written expression
• Arithmetic- elementary form of mathematics
• Irrigation system- large water system that
  disperse water to land and soil, used for growing
  crops
• Other boats, arrowheads, swords, war chariots,
  and beer

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Economy and Trade

• Sumerian developed techniques such as
  mono-cropping, organized irrigation, and
  specialized labor force to grow their crops
• Their ability to store food allowed them to
  settle in once place, causing population growth
• They used animals to transport goods
• The obsidian (large rock made from lava) and the
  Indus Valley was a wide ranging trade network
• Slave women worked as weavers, millers, and
  porters

Fact 89 of people lived in the cities and cedar
wood from Lebanon was treasured
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Writing System

• They believed that it was important to record and
  communicate information about the government and
  religion
• The most famous script is hieroglyphic.
• Hieroglyphic was developed about four thousand
  years before Christ, the Egyptians called it the
  words of God which is why this type of writing
  was mostly used by priests
• Hieroglyphic was written in rows or columns and
  can be read from left to right or from right to
  left

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City Structure

• The old kingdom
• Time period that lasted from 2700-2200 B.C
• The sphinx and the great pyramid at Giza were
  built
• The middle kingdom
• Lasted from 2100-1800 B.C
• They developed a new government where the
  pharaohs did not have complete power
• The new kingdom
• Lasted from 1570-1080 B.C
• They started out well including taking over many
  countires, but near the end of this period it
  began to fall apart and was eventually taken over

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Law Codes and Legal Syetem

• Hammurabis Code
• Babylonian code of law
• Dating to 1700 B.C
• One of the oldest writings of significant length
  in the world
• Consist of 282 laws with scaled punishments laws
  were based on levels in society, slave or free
  man as graded on social status, slave verses
  free man
• A half of the laws consist of payments, while
  one third are dealing with households, family
  relationships, and sexual behavior.

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General Geography

• Sumerians 1st civilization was located in
  southern mesopotamia
• Surrounded by the two rivers Tigris and
  Euphrates
• Learned to use the two rivers by constructing
  leevees and irrigation canals
• Learned to control flooding which produces
  fertail land
• Grew crops such as barley, wheat, flax, and
  seasame

• Fact Mesotopia means the land between the
  rivers

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Roles of Women

• Women were free to go to the market, own
  property, attend legal matters if her husband
  couldnt, and engage in business
• High status women, such as priestesses and
  members of royal families had the opportunity to
  learn how to read and write and were considered
  to give administrative authority
• Fact Women who had multiple husbands got stoned

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Military

• Constant wars among Sumerian cities
• States helped develop military technology
• Military weapons used were spears, copper
  helmets, and leather shields
• The spearmen lined up in advanced formations
  which required training and discipline
• Sumerian cities were surrounded by defensive
  walls

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10 Question Review

• 1. Could women own property?
• 2.Who was at the top of the social structure?
• 3.What was Hammurabi known for?
• 4.Describe a Sumerian Temple.
• 5.What was one type of technology?

• 6. Mesotopia means the land between the
  _________
• 7.Why is Mesopotamia so fertile?
• 8.What were animals good for?
• 9. How many Laws were in the code of Hammurabi?
• 10.What helped develop the military technology?

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Citations

• "Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Writing."
  1997.http//www.eyelid.co.uk/hiromenu.htm
  (accessed 8/18/11).
• Ancient Mesopotamia. http//www.newworldencyclop
  edia.org/entry/Sumer (accessed 8/18/11).
• Code of Hammurabi.August17,2011.http//en.wikipe
  dia.org/wiki/Hammurabi27s_Code(accesedAugust17,20
  11).
• "Egyptian Social Structures." http//www.ushistory
  .org/iv/3b.asp (accessed 8/18/11).
• Geography. http//hypermedia.educ.psu.edu/k-12/e
  dpgs/su96/meso/mesopotamia.htmlgeography
  (accessed 8/18/11).
• Hammurabi.August18,2011.http//en.wikipedia.org/
  wiki/Hammurabi(accesedAugust18,2011).
• "Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt Old, Middle, and New."
  http//library.thinkquest.org/J002046F/kingdoms
  of ancient egypt.htm (accessed 8/18/11).
• Sumer. wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumer (accessed
  8/18/11).
• Sumerian Religon.July2,2011.http//en.wikipedia.
  org/wiki/Sumerian_religion(accesedAugust18,2011).
• Women in world history. womeninworldhistory.com/
  lessonz.html (accessed 8/18/11).