The Sumerian CivilizationSWBAT: Describe and explain the Sumerian Civilization.

Aim: To examine the civilization of Sumer

Do Now:If you lived 5,000 years ago, where would you make your home?

Would life be easy or hard? Why?

In what modern day country was the Fertile

Crescent?

Geography

The Sumerian civilization rose in the valleys between the Tigris

and Euphrates rivers.

Sumerian CivilizationThe _______ _______________ in ______________ was _________.By about ________ ______ ago, __________ along the ___________ and ___________ ________ had grown into busy _________.What did these city-states make-up?

What did various city-states fight over?

Sumerians Invented Writing

This is cuneiform.Babylonians wrote using this “wedge-shaped” writing on clay tablets.The Sumerians invented writing.

More cuneiform writing

Economic: trade and farming

Sumerians (Mesopotamians) were known to trade with the Egyptians and the Indus Valley civilizations.In later years, these trade routes became Silk Road.

Sumerians invented the wheel!

The wheel was invented by 6000 BC!It helped military, farming and trade.At right, this is made of wood.

Ziggurats Pyramid Like

Temples

The largest buildings in city-states.

Political:Mesopotamian Law

Code of Hammurabi“eye for an eye tooth for a tooth”

ReligionWhat did the polytheistic Sumerians believe in?

What did each city-states have?

What were the largest buildings?

VocabularyVillageRiverPoliticalCity-statesPolytheism Monotheism

Nature PyramidZigguratsGodGoddessCuniform

SummaryWhat did you learn about the Sumerian Civilization?

Application:How did Sumer attract invasion and

migration? HOMEWORK

Compare Sumerian society to Egyptian society. How were they alike? How were they different?