Sabina Bacino 10-25-12 History 2 period

Ancient Sumerian Civilization

5.3 Stable Food Supply The Sumerians invented irrigation systems and plows. Irrigation systems are things that supply land with water. Plows are tools for tilling the soil to prepare it for planting. The invention of the irrigation system helped the Sumerians by allowing them to not travel far for water. The invention of plows helped them because before they used sticks to dig, but now they can use plows. 5.4 Social structure Includes different jobs and social levels, and people at higher levels have greater status than others. To get a higher status in the Sumer you have to be a priest, a landowner or a government official. There are four levels in the social structure the first level is the highest level and thats where the priest, landowner and

Sabina Bacino 10-25-12 History 2 period

government official lived. The middle level is where the merchants and crafts people lived. The common level is where the farmers and fishermen live. The very bottom level is where the slaves lived. I would want to be a farmer because even though I will be hot out working I like to garden and water plants. 5.5 Government Q. Why do civilizations have a system of government? A. They had a government to make life orderly. Q. Who ruled Sumerian City-States? A. Kings ruled Sumerian city-states. Q. Why did Sumerians obey their king? A. The Sumerians obeyed their kings because they believed that the gods chose the kings and they had to obey the will of the gods. Q. What did the king do? A. The king enforced laws and collected taxes along with the duty of leading the

Sabina Bacino 10-25-12 History 2 period

army. Q. What was one of the kings most important jobs? why? A. One of the kings most important jobs was leading the army against attacking villages, so that they didnt steal their water and food. Q. What types of soldiers did the Sumerian army include? A. A Sumerian army included professional warriors and temporary citizen-soldiers, along with chariot driving soldiers. Q. Who helped the king and how? A. The king was helped by officials under him that helped him with his duties and scribes that wrote the laws. 5.6 Religion A religious system is a set of beliefs, usually in gods, and a form of worship. It was extremely important in Sumer. They built temples and religious towers called ziggurats. They were as high as eight stories and as wide as 200 feet. They were

Sabina Bacino 10-25-12 History 2 period

so big that they could be seen from 20 miles away. They built special temples in the tops of them for the gods to live in. 5.7 The Arts Some creative forms of expressions include paintings, music, and architecture. Some kinds of Sumerian metal workers made practical objects such as weapons for fighting, cups for drinking. They also made mirrors and beautiful jewelry for the ladies. The Sumerian architects designed temples for traditions and worship. The architects also made ziggurats, that is an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower. The Sumerians believed that music brought joy to the gods and people alike. They also played interesting music that would fill the temples. The musicians would play music while a ceremony and in a temple. 5.8 Technology

Sabina Bacino 10-25-12 History 2 period

1. Technology is a practical tools or invention. 2. The Sumerians most important invention was the wheel. The wheel was because could role and it was helpful for pottery makers to spin clay. 3. Before the wheel was flipped on its edge it was a potters wheel. 4. The most important architectural invention for the Sumerians was the Arch. The arch was built above doorways, they built them using clay, brick, and straw. 5.9 Writing Sumerians created a form of writing called cuneiform and it was created in 2400 B.C.E. Sumerians wrote with wedge-shaped stylus. The earliest examples of cuneiform were to show that they used it about recording information about good Sumerians. The Sumerians used as many as 2,000 symbols but was lowered to about 700 symbols.

Sabina Bacino 10-25-12 History 2 period

The writing cuneiform was based on a simpler way of writing that used pictures.