Sumerian Culture

Sumerian Culture

by

Christopher Schwebius

Sumerians were people who inhabited southern Mesopotamia from around 3500 BC to 1800 BC. They had formed twelve city states, the most famous being Ur and Sumer. A common language called Sumerian was followed throughout these cities. Though there are no modern day descendants of Sumerians, Sumerian culture lives on mainly due to their inventions. No other ancient culture has contributed so much to today s world as the Sumerian culture. We know so much about the Sumerian culture due to tone of their inventions too writing.

The Sumerians formed the first human settlement bringing to an end the nomadic ways of ancient man. They were an agricultural culture and raised crops in three areas. Inside the cities they kept highly cultivated gardens, while the cultivation of crops and other food sources came from agricultural fields outside the city. The third region was away from water resources mainly for grazing of the domesticated animals, hunting and for collection of fuel. The salty and stagnant water from the canals were used for growing the highly nutritious date-palms. In order for agriculture, the Sumerians needed irrigation. This paved way to the development of canals and embankments to control flood waters from the Euphrates River. Large scale cooperation was needed to keep the irrigational canal building continuing, repairing them and finally to address concerns and allot water shares. This gave rise to monarchy, government and laws. The Sumerian culture continuously invented and reinvented to perfection.

Sumerian villages were built on mounds with houses clustered together on narrow lanes. Some houses were two to three stories high and the Sumerians had learnt very early how to make bricks and dry them in the sun or a kiln. The cities were protected by a wall all around it and the poor people s settlements were outside these walls with houses made of reeds plastered in clay. Like every other ancient society, the Sumerian culture was centered on gods. The cities were built around the shrine of a local god. Any city s wealth was reflected in the elaborate structures of its temples. Ramps and staircases led to the temples which stood on raised platforms. Temples were not only religious shrines but the entire Sumerian culture and its people depended on them for daily life. The temple complex had quarters for the priest, officials, accountants, singers and musicians. It also served as a treasure house for the city and a storehouse for grains, tools and weapons. Workshops for professions which were the mainstream of Sumerian culture were in the temple complex as well. These included bakers, pottery makers, jewelers, leatherworkers and spinners and weavers. Sheep and goat meant for sacrifice to the temple gods were also kept within the complex.

Sheep, goat, oxen, donkeys and dogs had been domesticated though horses and camels were still unknown. The Sumerian culture has been responsible for several inventions as they progressed as a race. The plow for agriculture, the wheel for trading carts, sail boats for moving bulky goods up the river and above all writing was invented to make easier the job of remembering details of trade.

Christopher Schwebius is an entrepreneur who seeks out sharply defined, specifically focused topics to research. Upon finishing his research he provides relevant, un-biased information to his readers based on his discoveries and/or personal experiences. One of his latest ongoing projects can be viewed at

sumerian-clothing.com

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Sumerian Culture