An Introduction to the Ancient Middle East
Part
1: The Sumerians
The
first civilization is thought to have arisen in Mesopotamia,
between the Tigris
and Euphrates
Rivers. In an area known as Sumeria,
people built huts, raised cattle, and farmed for their food.
They built huge temples (called ziggurats)
and monuments in their cities. They were the first to gather
in large city-states. Among these were Kish,
Lagash,
Ur,
and Uruk.
They
also invented many things:
- They developed the
first written language, a system of writing called
cuneiform. This alphabet had in it about 500 characters
that were different kinds of wedges.
- They were the first
people to use the wheel, making carts for farming and
trade.
- They built reservoirs
to store water and canals to transport water from these
reservoirs and from rivers and lakes to the farmland that
needed it. This was the first use of
irrigation.
- They invented the
library. They wrote in books and kept these books in one
central place.
Sadly,
the Sumerians didn't spend enough time or money on weapons
and defense. They were conquered by Sargon
and his people, the Akkadians.
Next
page > Hammurabi
and the Hittites
> Page 1, 2,
3,
4,
5
