Point of View pictures and Sumerian Vocab

1. Point of View pictures and Sumerian Vocab

6. Vocab for Sumer • Fertile Crescent – Area of land in Asia that is shaped like a crescent and is good for growing crops.

7. Mesopotamia • Greek word for “the land between two rivers”. Can be used as a synonym for the Fertile Crescent

8. Tigris – Euphrates • The two rivers that flow through Fertile Crescent to the Persian Gulf. They are wild and often overflow – which is what makes the area so fertile

9. Sumer – Sumerian • Southern section of the Fertile Crescent. Sumerians lived in Sumer, one of the first civilizations in the world.

10. “History begins with Sumer” • Sumerians were the first to develop a form of writing. Their writing (cuneiform) propels them into history where writing records their stories and their way of life.

11. “Cradle of Civilization” • What we call the Fertile Crescent or Mesopotamia. This land was the “cradle” for holding the “new-born baby” that was civilization.

12. Civilization • Three requirements • A group of people • Share a way of life • Can read and write

13. Culture • A way of life that includes • Dress, customs, holidays, language, religions, foods, stories, heroes and traditions.

14. #1 - Ancient Sumer and Babylonia • On the map • Present day Iraq (near Iran) • Few resources besides clay (needed stone, wood, gold)

16. Good water – two rivers surrounding the land • Good crops (flax, barley) • About 6 great cities in an area about the size of Massachusetts

17. “First” civilization • Sumer was responsible for the first: • Casting of bronze and copper • Engraving • Sculpting • Writing • Law-making

18. Government • Weights and Measures • Astronomy • AND MORE!!!!

19. #2 - Sumerian Economy • Different jobs • Farmers • Herdsmen • Fishermen • Merchants • Scribes • Potters • Masons • Jewelers

20. Farmers • Farming was the most popular job • Used donkeys and oxen • The oldest piece of literature found is a farmers almanac – 5000 years old!

21. Barley was their best grain – they used it for porridge, flour, and beer

22. Traders • Traders were needed to obtain stone, wood and metal. • What about the location of Sumer made it a good trading community??

23. #3 - City-states • Once the people of Sumer were able to produce sufficient food, their population could grow.

24. They created cities with canals built for irrigation, walls for protection and temples for honoring their gods.

26. Population Growth • By 2000 B.C. the cities within Sumer grew so large that some, like Ur, had more than 200,000 residents.

27. Protection • Cities were protected with walls and moats. • The city of Uruk had a wall that was 6 miles long with over 900 towers.

28. Houses • Most houses were made of clay bricks covered smoothly with mud. • There was very little city planning and the cities were very unattractive!! • Most houses had a family burial crypt below the house.

29. Garbage • Garbage and Sewerage were thrown into the streets until they piled higher than the house!!

30. Upper - class • Although most houses were only one story, upper class members of Sumer had two story houses with more rooms and . . . . . . WOOD FURNITURE!! • Why was wood furniture a big deal??

31. Decorations • Residents would decorate their houses with animal skins and rugs and woolen wall hangings to cover the walls and floors

32. Market place • The business area of town was filled with booths for merchants to supply the townspeople with all their material needs • How do you think people “paid” for things??

33. #4 – Fun and Games • Archaeologist have found a “board game” buried in royal graves. They have not been able to find any rules, but the game consists of pieces and dice just like any game you would play today.

34. More fun • The board game may have been an “upper-class” recreation. Other forms of recreation that we know of include harp playing, monkey shows and bare-fisted boxing matches

35. #5 – Education • The biggest impact Sumerians had on education was developing cuneiform. • The wrote on clay tablets with a sharpened reed called a stylus

36. Cuneiform • The “scribe” wrote from left to right and from top to bottom (Why?)

37. School • School was referred to as the “tablet house” • The school was for males only and the head of the school was called the “school-father”

38. School faculty • Other workers had special responsibilities: • The teacher assistant (“Big Brother”) – checked homework, prepared new tablets

39. Penmanship teacher • Grammar teacher • Attendance Keeper • Discipline (“Man with the whip”)

40. Curriculum • The main focus of school was to become a scribe • Single classes lasted from morning to sunset

41. Discipline • Discipline appears to have been a problem in schools, but was solved with the whip or cane

42. One boy’s story • He was caned for • Being late • Grammar mistake • Wearing dirty clothes • Speaking without permission • Standing without permission • Taking something without permission • Poor script work • Poor spoken grammar

43. He invited the teacher to have dinner at his house where the boy’s father gave the teacher new clothes, a ring and a raise in pay and the teacher praised the boy from then on!

44. #6 - Ziggurat • Temples built for many years in each Sumerian city • The Ziggurat in Ur had over 3 million bricks!

45. Ziggurat • They were different from pyramids. Pyramids were resting places while Ziggurats were believed to be stairways from heaven.

48. Each Ziggurat had two temples • The higher one was for receiving their heavenly visitor • The lower one was for helping their visitor rest before ascending again

49. Religion • Soon, priests were praying for the entire community in the Ziggurat all day long (Why?) • The temple became the center of the community and markets and courts starting to form around the Ziggurat

50. #7 – Death pit of Ur • Sometime around 2000 B.C. the Death Pit of Ur was destroyed by enemies. • We have learned much of daily Sumerian life from the remnants of these pits.