Covers Sumer- the first civilization. Details early farming, government, societal hierarchy, technologies, arts, written language, embedded relevant YouTube videos. I used images from google search images.

1. Civilization music
video- 3:54)

2. Big Ideas:
The Sumerians developed
the first civilization in
Mesopotamia.
The Sumerians made
many advances that
helped their society
develop.
1. The Sumerians created
the world’s first advanced
society
1. The Sumerians invented
the world’s first writing
system.
2. Religion played a major
role in Sumerian society.
2. Advances and
inventions changed
Sumerian lives.
3. Many types of art
developed in Sumer.

3. Mesopotamia:
The Fertile Crescent
Textbook pages
58-59
1. Why did the
first civilizations
all develop in
river valleys?
2. Where were
the four earliest
river valley
civilizations
located?
-color code your
map.

4. Sumer- “The Cradle of Civilization”
3,000BC

5. The City-States of Sumer
Sumer City-States (1:59)
Each city-state had a large Urban
center with rural countryside
surrounding it.
Each had its own military that
protected their rural lands.
Fought each other to gain more
farmland
Kings (called lugal) ruled each city-
state
Built large armies

6. Characteristics of a City-State
Rural farmland was divided into
square or rectangle plots
*plots were crisscrossed by early
irrigation systems (canals &
channels)
*farmers used plows, seed-drills,
and stone hoes to grow crops
*Gardens and fruit orchards
*Trade: Carts pulled by donkeys
& boats in the canals moved
goods into the urban center of
the city-state.

7. Characteristics of a City-State
The Urban city was
surrounded by walls
• Soldiers stationed by
towers and gates
• Wide paved boulevards
crossed main sections,
lined by 2-story houses
for wealthy, made of
brick
• Narrow twisting alleys
surrounded by small flat
roofed huts for farmers
& craftsmen

8. Rise of the First Empire
• Akkadians built north of Sumer & spoke a
different language
• Lived peacefully next to Sumer until the Akkadian
king Sargon decided to extend his territory along
the Euphrates River.
• Sargon- first ruler to have a permanent army
• Conquered all of Mesopotamia
resulting in the world’s first empire
(Persian Gulf to Mediterranean Sea)
**Textbook page 61: Sargon’s Story

9. Sumerian City-State Ur
Ur regains control of its land and takes over all of Mesopotamia-
Political stability is restored to the region *Textbook pages 62-63

10. Sumerian Religion
• Polytheism: the worship of many gods
• Each city-state considered one god to be its
protector

11. Enlil: God of Air

12. Enki: God of Wisdom

13. Inanna: Goddess of Love & War

14. Uta: God of the Sun

15. Sin or Nanna: God of the Moon

16. Sumerian Ziggurat
• Assyrian word “zigguratu” means height
• Largest structure in city-dedicated to a patron god
of the city (religious temples)
• Resembled pyramid- made of brick
• Built to look like a mountain because Sumerians
believed the gods preferred to live there

17. Priests of the Ziggurat Temples
• Preformed religious
ceremonies at the
temple
• Helped people gain
favor with the gods
• Interpreted wishes
made by the gods
• Made offerings to
the gods at the
temples

18. Sumerian Social Order
Title Description
king Believed the gods gave them the right to
rule
priests Gave up working & lived of the offerings of
the people- given large tracts of land to
rent out to farmers for financial support
Skilled craftspeople Crafters with specific skills that are in high
need
merchants People who buy & sell goods to the public
Traders *huge impact on Sumer
Travel to far away placed to trade gold,
silver, cooper, lumber, & precious stones
Farmers Grow crops- working class
Laborers People who do manual labor-ex. Build
bricks and structures- working class
Slaves People bought and sold to me laborers for
the wealthy- lowest social class

19. Men & Women in Sumer
Men
• Held political
positions
• Made laws
• EducatedWomen
• Took care of the home
& children
• Some wealthy women
got an education
• Some educated women
became priestesses in
the temples

20. Invention of Writing
• Cuneiform-
world’s first
system of
writing
• Pictographs-
picture
symbols
• Scribe- writer
• Epics- long
poems that tell
the stories of
heroes
Video (7:20)

21. The Legend of Gilgamesh
• Textbook pages 70-71
• One of Uruk’s early Kings
• known as Gilgamesh
• City-states of Ur and Uruk
fought for a thousand years
trying to dominate each other
• Gilgamesh became a
Legendary in figure Sumerian
literature

22. Technical Advances
First civilization to develop:
• The wheel
• Vehicles with wheels- carts & wagons
• Potter’s wheel
• Plow-pulled by oxen (increased farm production)
• Clock-used falling water to measure time
• Sewers under streets
• Bronze tools & weapons
• “Bronze Age”
• Makeup
• Glass jewelry

23. Sumerian Math
• System based on
the number 60
• Divided a circle into
360 degrees
• Divided a year into
12 months (factor
or 60)
• Calculated the
areas of rectangles
and triangles

24. Sumerian Science
• Tablets with names of thousands of plants,
animals, and minerals
• Used ingredients from these to make healing
drugs
• Ex: milk, turtle shells,
figs, and salt
• Cataloged treatments
according to symptoms
and body parts

25. Sumerian Art
*Textbook page 68-69: The Arts
Cylinder Seal

26. Sumerian Art

27. Sumerian Art

28. Sumerian Jewelry

29. Sumerian Music
Oldest written melody c. 1400 BC (5:42)

30. Organizer #1
The Rise of Sumer
Government Religion Society
• Originally
organized into
city-states
• Large empire
created by
Sargon
• First permanent
army
• Polytheistic
• Each city had a
god as protector
• Gods have
enormous
power
• Priests interpret
wishes of gods
• Everyone must
serve and
worship gods
• Kings
• Priests
• Skilled crafters
• Merchants
• Traders
• Farmers
• Laborers
• slaves

31. Advancement/ Effect Organizer
writing
wheel
plow
• Improved record keeping
• Allowed works on law, math, &
grammar to be written
• Made literature possible
• Improved transportation
• Improved pottery-making
• Increased efficiency and farm
production
• Created new use for large
animals
• Let to surplus of food