Mesopotamia and the Sumerians
3000- 1595 B.C.E.
The Sumerians lived in Mesopotamia, which was located between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, in what is now modern day Iraq. By 3000 B.C.E. the people of Mesopotamia had invented the wheel. This allowed them to sustain agriculture, which provided for a more stable way of life. Since the Sumerian population was quite large they were able to divide labor amongst the people. Their society was also divided. It was made up of four social classes: nobles, clients, commoners, and slaves.
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The Sumerians lived in Mesopotamia, which was located between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, in what is now modern day Iraq. By 3000 B.C.E. the people of Mesopotamia had invented the wheel. This allowed them to sustain agriculture, which provided for a more stable way of life. Since the Sumerian population was quite large they were able to divide labor amongst the people. Their society was also divided. It was made up of four social classes: nobles, clients, commoners, and slaves.
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Writing
They developed an early form of writing called cuneiform, which they wrote on clay tablets. Their writing system advanced over time and they were able to express sounds and abstract ideas. By 2500 B.C.E. the Sumerians had scribe schools, where students learned the art of writing cuneiform. They also had knowledge of geometry and trigonometry. They had an advanced number system based of units of six, ten, and sixty. Using their knowledge of mathematics, the Sumerians were able to build extensive temples, palaces, and cities.
Religion
Sumerians were polytheists, meaning they believed in many gods. Not all gods were considered equal. There were gods of war, wisdom, and justice, to name a few. People built shrines for the gods in order to gain their favor. They also built large monuments for the gods called ziggurats, where sacrifices took place.
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