SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION

• Sumeria or Sumer is located on • Sumerians are known for their

the southernmost tip of ancient high degree of cooperation with
mesoptamia. one another and their desire for
great things. They are not
content with the basic things
that life can offer. This desire
pushed them to develop many
things connected with science
and technology.
 CUNEIFORM
• One of the major contributions of the Sumerians is the development of the
first writing system known as Cuneiform.
• It is a system that utilizes word pictures and triangular symbols which are
carved on clay using wedge instruments and then left to dry.
• Cuneiform allowed the Sumerians to keep records of things with great
historical value or their everyday life.
 URUK CITY
• Another important contribution of the Sumerians is the City of Uruk. It is a great wonder
not only because it is considered to be the first true city in the world but also for the way it
was erected.
• There were no building stones in the location of this city and lumber was limited, making
the construction a big challenge.
• The Sumerians were able to build the city using only mud or clay from the river, which
they mixed with reeds, producing sun-baked bricks--a true engineering feat.
• They used the bricks to make houses that protected them from the harsh weather and to
build a wall around the city that prevented wild animals and neighbouring raiders from
entering
Uruk Archaelogical Site at Warka 3D visualization of Uruk City
 The Great Ziggurat of Ur
• Another engineering and architectural feat of the Sumerians is the Great Ziggurat of Ur.
The ziggurat, also called the mountain of god, was built in the same manner that they
constructed the City of Uruk.
• Without much building materials, the structure was constructed using sun-baked bricks.
• The ziggurat served as the sacred place of their chief god, where only their priests were
allowed to enter.
• The temple showcases not only the elaborate and intricate Sumerian architecture but
also the remarkable technology used to build it. As such, even until today, people still
enjoy and marvel at the preserved Great Ziggurat of Ur.
 Irrigation and Dikes
• As population increased, so did the demand for food. The Sumerians were challenged
to mass produce food items but the elements in the environment seemed uncooperative.
• It was difficult to get water from the rivers, thus they could not maintain farmlands.
Some groups had scarce water supply, while others had problems with flooding caused
by the river. As a solution to this dilemma, the Sumerians created dikes and irrigation
canals to bring water to farmlands and at the same time control the flooding of the
rivers. This method was considered as one of the world's most beneficial engineering
works.
• Through the dikes and canals, the Sumerians were able to enjoy year-long farming and
harvesting, which increased their food production.
 Sailboats
• Another challenge to the Sumerians was transportation. At that time, the wheel was not
yet invented; the main mode of transportation was through waterways such as rivers
and seas. Boats were used to carry large quantities of products and were able to cover
large distances. However, they wanted to discover faraway lands to settle since the
population was getting larger, and boats were not enough to accommodate more people
and products.
• They needed a mode of transportation that did not require much human resource. Some
sources attribute to the Sumerians the invention of sailboats to address their increasing
demands. Sailboats were essential in transportation and trading as well as in fostering
culture, information, and technology
 Wheel
• In the latter part of their history, the Sumerians were able to invent the
wheel since the specialized tools needed to create it were already
available.
• The first wheels were not made for transportation but for farm work and
food processes. With the use of the wheel and axle, mass production was
made easier.
• Farmers were able to mill grains with less effort in less time.
 The Plow
• Another farm technology invented by the Mesopotamians is the plow. Humans
evolved from being food gatherers to farm cultivators. However, farmers needed a
technology which would enable them to dig the ground where seeds would be
planted.
• The plow was invented to dig the earth at a faster pace. As the plow breaks the
ground, the farmer would just drop the seeds and farm work would already be
done.
• With this tool, farmers could cultivate larger parcels of land faster, enabling them
to mass produce food without taking so much effort and time.
 Roads
• In order to facilitate faster and easier travel, the Sumerians developed the first
roads. With this work, the flow of traffic became faster and more organized.
• They made the roads with the same technology they used in making the sun-
baked bricks that they laid down on the ground.
• They later poured bitumen, a black sticky substance similar to asphalt, to
smoothen the roads.
• The invention of roads was very useful especially during the rainy season
when traveling in soft and muddy roads proved to be too difficult.
THAT’S ALL THANK YOU!