Figure 1.--The hero of the 'Epic of Gilgamesh' was probably an actual Sumerian historical figure. The world's first important literary work is the 'Epic of Gilgamesh' a 3,000-line poem that was created in ancient Sumer. The wealth from intensive agricultural helped finnce an exlosion of the arts--including writing which led to literature. The poem recounts the adventures of a Sumerian king as he battles a forest monster and goes on a quest for the secret of eternal life. The poem’s hero is a demigod with Herculian strength, but scholars believe the epic is based on the actual king who served as the fifth ruler of the city of Uruk. The historical Gilgamesh appears on the Sumerian “King List” and is thought to have lived sometime around 2700 BC. This chalky alabaster statue depicts Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, one of the Sumerian city states.

The first major civilization was the Sumerians who developed a loose coalition of independent city states. Their civilization was concentrated in the marshy south where a thriving civilization emerged about 3500 BC. Summerians developed the pottery wheel from which they made clay utensils. They also developed an early lunar calendar and advanced mathematics. An innovative irrigation system permitted the first intensive cultivation of the Tigris Euphrates. The Summerians also developed the first primitive writing, cuneiform writing first used for commercial records, but evolving into literature such as poetry. One of the first known works of literature, The Epic of Gilamesh was written in cuneiform. The Summerians using a system of irrigation and canals were able to make the plain between the Tigris and Euphrates extraordinarily productive. With their advanced agriculture were able to support the first first urban centers. The first city appears to be Ur. It apparently was from Ur that Biblical Patriarch Abraham left to find Canaan. The Amorite King Hammurabi unified the Sumerian city states. He is know for enacting the fist written legal code. The Amorites and other war-like people from the herding societies of the north blended with the agrarian Sumerian civilization.

City States

The first major civilization was the Sumerians who devloped a loose coaltion of independent city states. Cities are largelt synonimous with civilization. These major Sumerian cities were: Eridu, Ur, Lagash, Uruk, Shuruppak, Nippur, Kish and Sippar. Their coalition was called Sumer, but the area in which summer rose is better known to modern readers as Mesopotamia, the Greek term meaning meaning ‘(the land) between the rivers’.

Location

The Sumerican civilization was concentrated in the marshy south of the Tigris Euphrates Valley. It was at the mouth of Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, essentially southern Iraq.

Chronology

A thriving civilization in Sumer emerged (about 3500 BC). At first there was conflict between the city satates that developed in the region. Gradually a loose confederation developed which moderated internal warfare. Sumer continued to be the center of Mosoptamian culture for about a millenia and a half. Babylonia eventually emerged as the dominate power in the Fertile Cresent (around 1900 BC). The Babylonians were led by the great Amoritic dynasty. Babylonia was located in the southern areas of Mesopotamia. It was divided into two states, Acad and Sumer. Babylon developed as the most important city of the region. But even after political control passed to more powerful empires, the imprint of the Sumerians in their technological advances and mythology was firmly implanted on the successor civiluzations.

Economy

Ancient Sumerians are best known for establishing one of the world's first agricutural societies. Recent discoveries in southern Iraq suggest that from an early point were engaged in commerce, both land and maritime commrce.

Agriculture

The Sumerians about 6,000 years ago were the first people to emerge from the mist of prehistoy. The reason for this was their major achievement--agriculture. Agriculture appears to have been invented in he hill areas north of Mesopotamia (anatolia and Iranian Plteau), but it as in fertile alluvian soils of Mesopotamia and irrigation that mad possible bountiful crops. An inovative irrigation system permitted the first intesive cultivation of the Tigris Euphrates. The Sumerians using a system of irrigation and canals were able to make the plain between the Tigris and Euphrates extrodinarily productive. With their advanced agricuture were able to support the first first urban centers. The first city appears to have been Ur. (This was not, however, the Ur that the Biblical Patiarch left to find Canaan.)

Trade

Ancient Sumerians are best known for establishing one of the world's first agricutural societies. This has long been understood. The Sumerians were also developed an important trading people. Mesompotamia, especially the southernn area where Sumer was located lacked important resources like timber, stone and minerals. They had to trade to obtain these materials. And this meant devloping both overland amd maritime routes. Understanding their markets encounters the same problem we have with subsequent ancient societies, the names they used are not the modern names. Tw ancient trading lands were known as 'Magan' and 'Meluhha'. These names may refer to Egypt and Ethiopia. Their most important commercial partner is believed to have been the island of Dilmun (modern Bahrain) which held an early monopoly on the all important copper trade. Further voyages to Oman and the Indus Valley obtained gold and gemstones. Recent discoveries in southern Iraq have confirmed that from an early point were engaged in maritime commerce. Italian archologists working at Abu Tbeirah have found brick ramparts along with darks and an artifucial basin which was an ancient port. It dates to about 2,000 BC. It is the oldest harbir discovered in Mesopotamia. [D'Agostino] And they have found products that could only be sourced abroad, including carnelian beads (from India) and alabaster vases. These finds are surprising in that the substantial number of cuneiform clay tablets find jin umer provide etensive information about farming, but nothing about seafaring. This may reflct the much greater extent of organization involved. Sumerian merchants went on months-long journeys up the rivers to Anatolia and west to Lebanon to obtain wood, especially ceder. Archeologists have found Sumerian artifacts (art and jewelry) with lapis lazuli—a blue-colored precious stone. Merchants may have traveled as far as Afghanistan to obtain it.

Further Achievements

Agriculture provided the wealth a resources to found the first true civilization. The Agricultural Revolution resulted in a remarkable explosion of human creativity and technological dvances. Sumerians developed the pottery wheel from which they made clay untensils. They also developed an early lunar calendar and advanced mathematics. The Sumerians also developed the first primitive writing, cuniform writing first used for commercial records, but evolving into literature such as poetry. One of the first known works of literature, "The Epic of Gilamesh" was written in cuneiform.

Clothing

Clothing because of the climate and weaving techology was very simple. Sumerian men normally went barechested and wore a simple kilt-like skirt. You can se that in the sttute here (figure 1). The skirts had waist ties to hold them up. Women wore longer gowns that covered their upper torsos down to their ankles. The women's gowns were made so that the right arm and shoulder were left bare. The ancient Sumerians had two basic raw materials to use for clothing. One was wool from sheep. The other was a field crop--flax. This was used to produce linnen. The climate meant that clothing needs were limited. But even in Mesomptamia there can be could cool evenings. The limited choice of fabrics and weaving technology also restricted the creation of specialized garments, especially for the peasant class. Garments could, however, be made thicker for cooler weather. We have little information about children';s clothes. We have no information on garments specifically made for children. Younger children probably commonly went naked. Men were often clean shaven, butvsome had ong hair and beards. Women wore their hair long, commonly in braids which they then wrapped it around their heads. The same basic styles were worn by men and women of all social classes. The ruling classes, however, could afford the better, more finerly woven materials and more richly decorated. Both men and women wore jewelry, primarily earrings and necklaces. The ruling classes might have gold and silver jewlry. some times encrusted with precious stones, including lapis lazuli and carnelian.

Religion

The Sumerians founded civilization and were the root culture of the civilizations which followed in Mesopotamia. Sumer was invaded and occupied many times. First came the Babylonians, then the Kassites, and finally the Assyrians. Despite these invasions and multiplicity of rulers, the religion of the Sumerians remained virtually unchanged. The Sumericans remained loyal to the same gods. They worshipped in the same temples and ziggurats, often repaired or rebuilt. The same myths were adopted and and translated throughout the region. Historians note only minimal alterations. The religious mythology of ancient Sumer became that of the wider Near East over three millenia. The ancient Summericans were obsessed with religion and successive civilizations shared this obsession. One Assyriologist explains, " ... for more than three thousand years the religious ideas promoted by the Sumerians played an extraordinary part in the public and private life of the Mesopotamians, modelling their institutions, colouring their works of art and literature, pervading every form of activity... In no other antique society did religion occupy such a prominent position, because in no other antique society did man feel himself so utterly dependent upon the will of the gods... the religious motives should never be forgotten or minimised." [Roux] Judaism emerged from the Middle East and the mythology of Sumer was copiously copied by ancient Hebrew scholars. "The Epic of Gilgamesh" is one of the earliest litrrary or relgious works. And in that Sumerian work ones finds much of the creation story of Genisus. There is a great flood, a garden of Eden, and awily serpant that caused man's fall from grace. Gilgamesh predates the Hebrew texts by more than 1,000 years.

Political Weakness

The development of agriculture made the Summerian city states rich. Unfortunately for the people of Summer, this had adverse consequences. The wealth attracted the interest of babarian raiders desiring their wealth. One might think that the populated and relatively wealthy civilized city states could repel the barbarian incursions. This proved not to be the case for a range of reasons. One there was no geographic barriers to impede the raiders who could attack across the flat plain. Two, the priest-led Sunerian temple communities were organized to placate the gods, not to make war. Three, the raiders led by tribal chiefs for a nomadic life by their very nature were organized on a para-military basis. Four, as agriculture expanded the separate city states began to quarle among themselves over land. Meaning that there was no united resistance to the barbarian incursions. [McNeill, p. ?.]

Hammurabi

The Summerian city states were militarily unable to resist the encroachments of more war-like, nomadic peoples. The Amorite King Hammurabi unified the Sumerian city states. Under Hammurabi, Babylon emerged as the first hreat metropolis. He was a great warrior, but his greatest achievemnent was the enacting the first written legal code. It was posted in ablack pillar erected in a public place. The Amorites and other war-like people from the hearding socities of the north gradually blended with and were absorbed by the more populated agrarian Sumerian civilization. Thus the advanced Sumerican culture was perpetuated.

Sources

D'Agostino, Franco. Sapienza University, Rome. "Seaworthy Sumerians," Archaeology (July-August 2018), p. 20.

McNeill, William H. The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1991), 828p.

Roux, George. Ancient Iraq (Penguin Books, 1992).

Created: March 20, 2003
Last updated: 11:22 AM 7/5/2018