Sumerian/ Mesopotamia CivilizationCoral Davids, Jessica Waleski, Miranda Vawter, Sierra Manzanares, and Janeen Reynolds

Social Classes Upper Class (Amelu):

Priests:Priests: Used to work in fields alongside others, but were separated from them.

Became the largest landowners in Sumerian creating power and wealth.

Were trained to be scribes and be with the city council of elders.

Government OfficialsGovernment Officials Professional SoldersProfessional Solders

Middle Class (Mushkinu): CraftspeopleCraftspeople FarmersFarmers MerchantsMerchants LaborersLaborers Artisans Artisans FishermenFishermen

Comprised of the middle-class poor and rich.

They owned their own land and livestock.

This is the largest class of the three.

Social Structure: Land over Money In the Sumerian society,

your wealth was measured by how much land you owned and your harvest rather than riches.

Those who failed to harvest enough food had to borrow harvest from another landowner and wait until the next season to repay. If they had another bad year and couldn’t return their loan, they would have to work for the farmer the borrowed from.

Slaves How to become a slave!How to become a slave!

They were prisoners of war. They fell into too much debt

to pay out. They were born into slavery Husbands can sell their

wives into slavery and parents can sell their children into slavery as well.

RightsRights1. They can borrow money

for necessities only.2. They can own little

property to pay debts.3. They can engage in some

trade.4. Can serve as a witness in

a legal matter5. Buy their freedom (once

freed, they can’t go back to slavery.)

Political/ Rulers

Political ruler:Hammurabi Background Meaning of his name : Hammu = Relative or Uncle Rabi = Great Translation-- The Uncle Is Great

He was the 6th King of the tribe known as the Amorites from Syria

He was the son of Simmuballit, a king who had worked to unite control of Sumer and Akkad

He never gained control of all of Babylonia. He reigned for 43 years (about 2067 - 2025 BC)

Hammurabi's accomplishments- he worked for the welfare of his people-he was

an excellent administrator strengthened his kingdom by conquests built canals to improve agriculture build roads to improve communication set up maximum prices and minimum wages set up soldiers who were stationed all over the

kingdom to keep peace set up posts for carrying mail -- runners carried

clay tablet letters

Economy/ Trade (Trade) Mesopotamians had

to acquire non-indigenous sources from direct or indirect trading with far-off lands. A widespread trade network evolved along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers which connects Mesopotamia to Anatolia (Turkey present-day) through Syria’s northern area. Many trade routes in the Mesopotamia region are nearby rivers.

(Labor) The requirements of specialized labor, irrigation and agriculture, probably have contributed to creating early Mesopotamian organization of socio-political. Dependence on these particular social structures also had leaded the Mesopotamians toward political and economic authority besides social.

Economy/ Trade continued… (Agriculture) Mesopotamian farmers use the oxen for plowing and the

other are eventually for eating like: Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Pigs, Ducks, Geese. Mesopotamian farmers grew barley, the chief crop, which is a salt-

tolerant kind of wheat which grows perfectly in semi-salty soil of Mesopotamia. The barley kernels and grains are used in popular foods and drinks across the Mesopotamia. Many other known food crops include:

Oil-rich sesame, Linseed plants, Lentils & Peas, Garlic & Beans, Cucumbers & Lettuce, Apples & Grapes, Figs & Date Palms.

Beans and lettuce, shade ground crops, needs to be away from the hot sun. So farmers of Mesopotamia created a technique called the shade-tree gardening, where particular crops grow under the palm and other fruit trees’ branches. Another alternative way is to dig canals or irrigation ditches from close by rivers.

Technology Mesopotamian farmers used tools that are mainly made

of wood for farming. From these tools it includes: Wooden plow drawn by oxen Metal-tipped axes mounted on wooden handles Particularly for harvesting crops the Mesopotamian

farmers used wooden sickles with sharpened flint blades attached to them.

City Structure/ Architecture

Ziggurat: The Great Ziggurat was built as a place

of worship, dedicated to the moon god Nanna (or Sin), in the Sumerian city of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia.

The word "ziggurat" meant "mountain of god" or hill of heaven. The temple which resembles a huge stepped platform was constructed approximately in the 21st century BC by king Ur-Nammu.

In Sumerian times it was called Etemennigur. Each ziggurat was made up of a series of square levels. Each level was smaller than the one below it. Stairways led to the top of the colossal ziggurats, which were believed to be the home of the city's chief god. Only priests could enter this sacred area.

Today, after more than 4000 years, the ziggurat is still well preserved in large parts as the only major remainder of Ur in present-day southern Iraq.

City Structure/ Architecture continued… . They were organized in city-states where each city had its

own independent government ruled by a king that controlled the city and the surrounding farmland. Each city also had its own primary god. At the center of each Sumerian city was a temple, called a ziggurat. Around the ziggurat were courts, the center of Sumerian life. Artisans worked there; children went to school there; farmers, artisans, and traders stored their goods there; and the poor were fed there.

Schools were for the sons of the rich only. Poorer boys worked in the fields or they learned a trade. When a student graduated from school, he became a scribe. The ziggurat, the palace, the government, or the army then employed him.

General Geography Mesopotamia/Sumer is the region around and between

the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Sumer can be found in the southern half of

Mesopotamia “Mesopotamia” means “between the rivers” in Greek Climate has occasional, severe rain storms but is

usually very dry and flat Because of the two rivers in Mesopotamia the soil is

very fertile, thus earning it the nickname of the Fertile Crescent

Roles of Sumerian Women Their rights depended heavily on their social status Higher-class women were able to read and write Lower-class women stayed at home taking care of the

house and the children Some women run small-scale farms while the men work

in the fields Women were also allowed to go into the market to buy

and sell things

Military The most influential part of Sumerian military is their

very poor strategic position Sumerian soldiers usually used small bronze swords ,

spears , large shields, and bronze armor They fought in many inter-city battles Sumerians invented the chariot and ergo were the first

to use them in battle

Religion/ Faith Believed that many gods controlled the various forces of nature

(polytheism). Demons known as Ugallu protected humans from the evil demons

who caused disease, misfortune, and misery. They built impressive ziggurats for the gods and offered rich

sacrifices of animals, food, and wine.

Sumerian Law King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BCE) had laws inscribed on stone

stelae and placed in various places throughout his realm Mesopotamians believed that laws came from the gods On the stela of law is a prologue describing Hammurabi’s

appointment by the gods as the ruler of his people May have been older forms of law but they were lost over time Nearly every bit of life was recorded on a tablet which was used as

evidence when conflict arose Before reaching court an attempt to settle the matter was made

with a maskhim (mediator), when/if that failed it was brought to court with a panel of judges known as dikuds

How did Hammurabi come to power? He inherited the throne from his father Sin-muballit.

Sumerian Writing Cuneiform from Latin ‘cuneus’, meaning “wedge” Any script is cuneiform as long as it’s wedge-shaped Many languages (Sumerian, Eastern Semitic, Elamite, Eblaite,

Hittite, Hurrian, Utartian, Ugaritic, and Old Persian) were written in cuneiform

Earliest forms of Mesopotamian symbols are on clay tokens used as early as 8000 BCE for record keeping

Sumerian cuneiform from 3300 BCE to 100 CE Gilgamesh, king of Uruk in Babylonia about 2700 BCE Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps oldest written story on earth, about

the adventures of King Gilgamesh Written on 12 clay tablets, revised to eleven since tablet twelve

appeared to be a sequel

10 Questions!1. What were the three caste systems and describe who were

included in them?2. What tools did the farmers of Mesopotamian used for farming?3. What kind of crops did the Mesopotamian farmers grow?4. What was the basis for cuneiform writing and how were they first

drawn? 5. How did Hammurabi come to power?6. How does their location affect their military?7. How are women treated differently from men?8. Name 3 things King Hammubari accomplished.9. What god was Ziggurat dedicated to and what does the name

mean?10. How did Sumerians worship the gods?

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