The Sumerians
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The Sumerians
They founded a number of independent city states (such as Erech, Kish, Lagdash and Ur), which were collectively known as Sumer. Of these, Ur became the most powerful.
Sumerian cities had walls, palaces and temples (the latter were built on the top of large stepped pyramids known as ziggurats.) The people used weapons, tools and ornaments fabricated from copper, bronze and gold.
The Sumerians were the first people to have left written records. These have been found in the form of many thousands of clay tablets.
Marble Head from the Sumerian City of Uruk
Samples of Sumerian Cuneiform (Wedge-Shaped) Writing
The Sumerians are the first people to have left us written records. These magnificent clay cylinders date from the period of of the Sumerian ruler Gudea, and are covered with cuneiform (wedged-shaped) texts.
They are now located in the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character
The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character (Phoenix Books)
Amazon Price: $17.56 (as of 06/04/2012)
The Sumerians, the pragmatic and gifted people who preceded the Semites in the land first known as Sumer and later as Babylonia, created what was probably the first high civilization in the history of man, spanning the fifth to the second millenniums B.C. This book is an unparalleled compendium of what is known about them.
Professor Kramer communicates his enthusiasm for his subject as he outlines the history of the Sumerian civilization and describes their cities, religion, literature, education, scientific achievements, social structure, and psychology. Finally, he considers the legacy of Sumer to the ancient and modern world.
The Great Zigurrat at Ur in 2004 (Photo: Twthmoses)
The Sumerians helped start it all
"Newton was not the first of the age of reason. He was the last of the magicians, the last of the Babylonians and Sumerians, the last great mind that looked out on the visible and intellectual world with the same eyes as those who began to build our intellectual inheritance rather less than 10,000 years ago."
-- John Maynard Keynes
Statue of Gudea, Prince of Lagash. Neo-Sumerian Period (2150-2100 BC).
Seated diorite statue of Gudea, prince of Lagash, dedicated to the god Ningishzida, c. 2120 BC (neo-Sumerian period). It was excavated in Telloh (ancient Girsu), Iraq. The head of this work was excavated by Ernest de Sarzec and the body was excavated by Gaston Cros during excavations in 1903.
This statue is now located in the Palace of the Louvre Museum (Department of Oriental Antiquities, Richelieu, Ground Floor, Room 1), Paris, France.
Latest News on the Sumerians
Bust (Stele) of the Goddess Bau, Sumeria
Photographer: Marie-Lan Nguyen
Bust of a goddess, perhaps Bau, wearing horned cap. Limestone, Neo-Sumerian period (2150-2100 BC). From Telloh, ancient Girsu. This bust was excavated by Gaston Cros in 1905.
It is now located in the Louvre Museum, Paris. (Department of Near Eastern Antiquities, Richelieu, Ground Floor, Room 2).
Have something to say about this lens or about the Sumerians?
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Mujjen
Jan 7, 2012 @ 3:28 pm | delete
- My daughter has home-work about the Sumerians, and she really enjoyed reading this lens and seeing the pictures!
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blastfromthepast
Jan 9, 2012 @ 9:23 am | delete
- I am glad to hear that your daughter enjoyed this lens!
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