About 6,000 years ago, a civilization possessing technology so advanced at the time that it seemed strange suddenly sprung up on the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, part of the so-called “Fertile Crescent.”

The first Greeks were the first to call this area Mesopotamia, which means “land between rivers”. These people (we know them today as Sumerians) called themselves sag giga, the “black-headed people”, and they called their lands ki-en-gir. Tea akkadiansHowever, he referred to these people as shumer (which can actually refer to language); the Bible refers to this region as sinar. The area is today in southeastern Iraq.

The events that took place there are considered among the most pivotal events in human history. The Sumerians, shortly after settling in Mesopotamia, developed a very sophisticated irrigation and agriculture system. The irrigation system made the most of the waters of the two rivers, which resulted in the significant increase in their agricultural yields. Then the Sumerians built magnificent cities, enacted governing laws, and invented a written language. Where did these people come from?

Unfortunately, historians are not sure of the origin of the Sumerians. Some archaeologists hold that the origin of the Sumerians is from lands northeast of Mesopotamia, while others say that they are actually from Anatolia. In fact, no one is really sure where these people originally came from. When the Sumerians arrived in Mesopotamia, there were already people living there (the Ubaidians), but they were quickly supplanted by the newcomers.

The ancient Sumerians invented the wheel, probably while spinning clay to make pottery on a simple wheel. Eventually, the wheel was used for transportation, in carts pulled by donkeys. Later, it was used for chariots. They also invented a math system based on the number 60. We still divide hours by 60 minutes and minutes by 60 seconds. Theirs is also the idea of ​​dividing the circle into 360 degrees, as well as the division of the day into 24 hours, and the year into twelve months. Archaeologists found evidence that the Sumerians developed writing as early as 3500-3000 BC. The first form of writing of the Sumerians was composed of images. Later, the images were simplified and symbols were used to represent sounds. This style of writing is known today as cuneiformwhat is from the latin word cuneo (cradle).

The Sumerians also seem to have developed one of the first monarchical systems of government. The first Sumerian states, which are the first states in human history, were ruled by a kind of priest-king. His government was actually a combination of monarchy and democracy. Elected officials in the Assembly also governed the people: kings had to consult the Assembly on matters of state. The laws that were written during Babylonian times were actually laws created by the ancient Sumerians.

The Sumerians had twelve city-states, each with its own ruler and its own temple. One city, Ur, contained about 24,000 inhabitants. These city-states were surrounded by walls, which included nearby lands and towns. The central structure of the city is the temple, called ziggurats.

The Sumerians were polytheists; that is, they worshiped many gods, including goddesses. The main deities were Enkiwho put order in the universe, and inana (later known as Ishtar), the “Queen of Heaven”.

Sumerian society had three classes: the upper class, which was made up of the nobility, priests, government officials, and warriors; free men, made up of merchants, merchants and artisans; and the lower class, made up of serfs and slaves. Women may own property, but they did not have the same rights as men. A husband may divorce his wife for any reason, but the wife may not initiate divorce proceedings on her own. However, women played a vital role in these ancient kingdoms. Their society was matriarchal and women were highly respected.

At the beginning of each year, the goddess Inanna must perform a sacred “ritual marriage” with the ruler to ensure a bountiful harvest for the coming year. The goddess was represented by a priestess in this “marriage” with the king.

Other Sumerian inventions include the sailboat, frying pans, razors, cosmetic sets, pottery, and the plow. The Sumerians also created a lunar calendar based on the lunar month and even mapped the stars into constellations, which later became the zodiac. These people also established the first formal schools.

There were many skilled Sumerian craftsmen. They made well-designed jewelry with gold and precious stones, furniture, and ceramics. They also created colorful mosaics in intricate and beautiful patterns using chunks of painted clay. The Sumerians also used musical instruments such as the harp, reed flutes, drums, and lyres.

The modern world learned of the existence of Sumer through references in the literature of ancient civilizations; this literature speaks of an even older civilization, which turned out to be that of the Sumerians. Excavations carried out between 1842 and 1854 at various sites in Mesopotamia led to the discovery of this remarkable people and their achievements.