Ancient Mesopotamia and the Sumerians (Room 56) The Sumerians are thought to have formed the first human civilization in world history. They lived in southern Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the Middle East. The word Mesopotamia means "the land between rivers". When people say Mesopotamia they are referring to a section of land in the Middle East between and around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Today this land is located mostly in the country of Iraq. There are also portions in southwestern Iran, southeastern Turkey, and northeastern Syria. The heart of Mesopotamia lies between the two rivers in southern Iraq. The land there is fertile and there is plenty of water around the major two rivers to allow for irrigation and farming. Cradle of Civilization Many historians think that cities and towns were first formed in Sumer around 5000 BC. Nomads moved into the fertile land and began to form small villages which slowly grew into large towns. Eventually these cities developed into the civilization of the Sumer. This land is often called the "Cradle of Civilization". Sumer City-States As the Sumerian villages grew into large cities, they formed city-states. This is where a city government would rule the city as well as the land around it. These city-states often fought each other. They built walls around their cities for protection. Farmland was outside the walls, but people would retreat to the city when invaders came. Page 1 of 9
There were many city-states throughout Sumer. Some of the most powerful city-states included Eridu, Bad-tibura, Shuruppak, Uruk, Sippar, and Ur. Eridu is thought to be the first of the major cities formed and one of the oldest cities in the world. Sumerian Rulers and Government Each city-state had its own ruler. They went by various titles such as lugal, en, or ensi. The ruler was like a king or governor. The ruler of the city was often the high priest of their religion as well. This gave him even more power. The most famous king was Gilgamesh of Uruk who was the subject of the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the world's oldest surviving works of literature. In addition to the king or governor, there was a fairly complex government with officials who helped to organize city building projects and keep the city running. There were also laws that the citizens must follow or face punishment. The invention of government is often credited to the Sumerians. Religion Each city-state also had its own god. In the center of each city was a large temple to the city god called a ziggurat. The ziggurat looked like a step pyramid with a flat top. Here the priests would perform rituals and sacrifices. Important Inventions and Technology One of the great contributions the Sumerians made to civilization was their many inventions. They invented the first form of writing, a number system, the first wheeled vehicles, sun-dried bricks, and irrigation for farming. All of these things were important for the development of human civilization. They also had an interest in science including astronomy and the movement of the moon and the stars. They used this information to make a more accurate calendar. Fun Facts About the Sumerians Their number system was based on the number 60, like ours is based on the number 10. They used this when they came up with 60 minutes in an hour and 360 degrees in a circle. We still use these divisions today. The Sumerians are often credited with inventing the wheel. Some historians think that the ziggurat at the city of Eridu was the Tower of Babel from the Bible. Some of the city-states were quite large. Ur is thought to have been the largest and may have had a population of 65,000 people at its peak. At the center of each major city was a temple to the city's god called a ziggurat. Their buildings and homes were made from sun-dried bricks. Page 2 of 9
The Sumerian language was eventually replaced by the Akkadian language around 2500 BC. People who replaced the Sumerians in Mesopotamia Akkadians - The Akkadians ruled Mesopotamia after the Sumerians. They formed the first united empire where the city-states of the Sumer were united under one ruler. The Akkadian language replaced the Sumerian language during this time. It would be the main language throughout much of the history of Mesopotamia. Babylonians - The city of Babylon became the most powerful city in Mesopotamia. Throughout the history of the region, the Babylonians would rise and fall. At times the Babylonians would create vast empires that ruled much of the Middle East. The Babylonians were the first to write down and record their system of law. Assyrians - The Assyrians came out of the northern part of Mesopotamia. They were a warrior society. They also ruled much of the Middle East at different times over the history of Mesopotamia. Much of what we know about the history of Mesopotamia comes from clay tablets found in Assyrian cities. Persians - The Persians put an end to the rule of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. They conquered much of the Middle East including Mesopotamia. Page 3 of 9
Interesting Facts About Mesopotamia The Babylonian law created by King Hammurabi, the Code of Hammurabi, may be the oldest written law in the world. The Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers are both well over 1,000 miles long. Because this is where people first began to write, Mesopotamia is often called the place where history began. Mesopotamia is part of a larger area that archeologists call the Fertile Crescent. Many of the buildings, walls, and structures were made from sun-dried bricks. These bricks didn't last long, so very little of Ancient Mesopotamian cities still stand. Much of what we know about Mesopotamian history comes from thousands of clay tablets found in the library at the Assyrian city of Nineveh. Questions What does the word Mesopotamia mean? The land of ancient Mesopotamia is now located mainly in the country of What is the land is often called the "Cradle of Civilization". What are the Sumerians famous for? Fighting with the Greeks Forming the first human civilization Conquering Ancient Egypt The Hanging Gardens of Babylon The library at Nineveh What was the basic division of government throughout the Sumer land? Counties Satrapies City-states Provinces Empires Which of the following is considered an important invention by the Sumerians? Writing Page 4 of 9
Government Irrigation Wheeled vehicles All of the above What was the temple called that was located at the center of each city? Ziggurat Pyramid Center temple Crossroads Nexus What are the Tigris and the Euphrates? Gods worshiped by the Sumerians The two most famous Kings of the Sumer Major cities located in Mesopotamia Deserts located to each side of where the Sumer originally settled Major rivers that flowed through Mesopotamia Which of the following was NOT a major city of the Sumerian people? Eridu Uruk Gilgamesh Sippar Ur How was the number 60 important to the Sumerians? It was the number of gods they worshiped It was the base number for their mathematics and numbering system It stood for the number of major cities in the area They considered the number 60 unlucky and never used it They had 60 letters in their alphabet What were their homes made of? Tents made from animal hides Wood Stone Sun-dried bricks They did not have homes Some historians think that the ziggurat at the city of Eridu was the from the Bible. is considered as the oldest written law in the world. Page 5 of 9
Room 56 - The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery Ur Ur is now known as Tell el-muqayyar. The site was occupied from around 5000 BC to 300 BC. Ur is famous as the home of the Old Testament patriarch Abraham (Genesis 11:29-32) as the 'Ur of the Chaldees'. The main excavations at Ur were undertaken from 1922-34 by a joint expedition of The British Museum and the University Museum, Pennsylvania, led by Leonard Woolley. At the centre of the settlement were mud brick temples dating back to the 4000 BC. At the edge of the sacred area a cemetery grew up which included burials known today as the Royal Graves. An area of ordinary people's houses was excavated in which a number of street corners have small shrines. But the largest surviving religious buildings, dedicated to the moon god Nanna, also include one of the best preserved ziggurats, and were founded in the period 2100-1800 BC. For some of this time Ur was the capital of an empire stretching across southern Mesopotamia. Rulers of the later Kassite and Neo-Babylonian empires continued to build and rebuild at Ur. Changes in both the flow of the River Euphrates (now some ten miles to the east) and trade routes led to the eventual abandonment of the site. Three objects found at the Royal Cemetery at Ur The Standard of Ur (about 2600-2400 BC) What the Standard of Ur was used for remains a mystery but it seems to have royal connections. It was buried in a royal grave and depicts two contrasting scenes of a king of Ur - identifiable as larger than the other figures. On one side captured enemy prisoners are presented to the king by his soldiers. On the other side the king enjoys a ceremonial banquet accompanied by lyre music. Page 6 of 9
This object was found in one of the largest graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, lying in the corner of a chamber above the right shoulder of a man. Its original function is not yet understood. When found, the original wooden frame for the mosaic of shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli had decayed, and the two main panels had been crushed together by the weight of the soil. The bitumen acting as glue had disintegrated and the end panels were broken. As a result, the present restoration is only a best guess as to how it originally appeared. The Standard of Ur is the earliest depiction of a vehicle with wheels. Lapis Lazuli is a deep blue stone and is one of the most sought after stones in use since man's history began. In ancient times Lapis Lazuli was most highly regarded because of its beautiful colour and the valuable ultramarine dye derived from it. The Ram in a Thicket (about 2600-2400 BC) This is one of an almost identical pair discovered by Leonard Woolley in the 'Great Death Pit', one of the graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. The other is now in the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia. It was named the 'Ram in a Thicket' by the excavator Leonard Woolley, who liked biblical allusions. In Genesis 22:13, God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, but at the last moment 'Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt Page 7 of 9
offering in the stead of his son'. The 'ram' is more accurately described as a goat, and he reaches up for the tastiest branches in a pose often adopted by goats. Goats and sheep in the Near East were among the earliest animals to be domesticated. They were an everyday feature of agricultural life and are regularly depicted by artists in many different ways. The figure had been crushed flat by the weight of the soil and the wooden core had perished. Wax was used to keep the pieces together as it was lifted from the ground, and it was then pressed back into shape. The ram's head and legs are covered in gold leaf, its ears are copper (now green), its twisted horns and the fleece on its shoulders are of lapis lazuli, and its body fleece is made of shell. Its genitals are gold. The tree is covered in gold leaf, with golden flowers, the whole supported on a small rectangular base decorated with a mosaic of shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli. The tube rising from the goat's shoulders suggests it was used to support something, most likely a bowl. The Royal Game of Ur (about 2600-2400 BC) One of the most popular games of the ancient world This game board is one of several with a similar layout found by Leonard Woolley in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. The wood had decayed but the inlay of shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli survived in position so that the original shape could be restored. The board has twenty squares made of shell: Five squares each have flower rosettes, 'eyes', and circled dots. The remaining five squares have various designs of five dots. According to references in ancient documents, two players competed to race their pieces from one end Page 8 of 9
of the board to another. Pieces were allowed on to the board at the beginning only with specific throws of the dice. We also know that rosette spaces were lucky. The gaming pieces for this particular board do not survive. However, some sets of gaming pieces of inlaid shale and shell were excavated at Ur with their boards. The boards appear to have been hollow with the pieces stored inside. Dice, either stick dice or tetrahedral in shape, were also found. Examples of this 'Game of Twenty Squares' date from about 3000 BC to the first millennium AD and are found widely from the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt to India. A version of the Mesopotamian game survived within the Jewish community at Cochin, South India until modern times. Questions Ur is famous as the home of the (Genesis 11:29-32) as the 'Ur of the Chaldees'. At the centre of the settlement in Ur were mud brick temples dating back to the. What is depicted on the two panels in the Standard of Ur? What is Lapis Lazuli? Where do you find the 'Ram in a Thicket' in the Bible? Page 9 of 9