The Sumer civilization developed advanced agricultural techniques like irrigation systems and the plow, which allowed them to farm productively in Mesopotamia's fertile floodplains. They had a stratified social structure led by priests, landowners, and government officials who lived in large homes. Merchants, craftspeople, and slaves comprised the middle and lower classes. City-states were governed by kings chosen by the gods to enforce laws and collect taxes, and scribes recorded these laws. Religion influenced all aspects of life and Sumerians built large ziggurats to house their gods. They also made technological advancements such as the wheel, arch, and a written language called cuneiform recorded on clay tablets.

1. Sumer Civilization
History Alive Textbook

2. Stable Food
Supply
 Used (1) IRRIGATION SYSTEM to
farm in the (2) FERTILE
CRESCENT in Mesopotamia
 Invented the (3) PLOW to till the
soil and prepare it for planting
 Before, they poked holes in the
ground using animal bones, which
took a very long time.
 Used (4) OXEN to pull the plow

3. Social Structure
 (5) UPPER: priests, land owners, government officials
 Had large two-story homes made of whitewashed mud walls
in the city center
 (6) MIDDLE: merchants and craftspeople
 Used gold, silver, tin, led, copper, bronze
 Made swords, plows, hoes, mirrors, jewelry
 (7) LOWER: Slaves
 Had no property and lived with owner

4. Government
 City-states were led by kings (8) CHOSEN BY GODS
 Enforced laws, collected taxes, maintained irrigation
and army
 Army made of professional soldiers and temporary
citizen-soldiers
 Foot soldiers, (9) CHARIOT DRIVERS
 (10) GOVERNORS ruled towns outside the main city
 (11) SCRIBES recorded laws

5. Religion
 Affected all parts of life and created a bond between
people
 Believed they could please the gods by showing love and
devotion
 King built and maintained huge temples, or (12)
ZIGGURATS, where the gods lived
 Staircases allowed gods to come down to Earth
 Statues showed people (13) WORSHIPPING
 Religious (14) CEREMONIES involved music and
sometimes human sacrifice

6. Arts
 Painting, architecture, music
 (15) METALWORKERS made weapons, cups,
jewelry, mirrors
 (16) MUSICIANS played music to entertain and
please the gods and people
 Played the drums, pipes, and (17) LYRE, a wooden
instrument with strings that was often decorated

7. Technology
 Most important: (18) WHEEL in (19) 3500 BCE
 Used for pottery, farmer carts, army chariots
 Before, used a (20) SLEDGE, or flat-bottom cart
 Wheeled carts were faster and easier for oxen to pull
 Invented upside-down U and V (21) ARCHES to
make stronger doorways and more beautiful
buildings

8. Writing
 Invented (22) CUNEIFORM, a highly
developed written language, around 2400
BCE
 Wrote on (23) CLAY TABLETS
 Used to track trade
 Based on (24) PICTOGRAPHS, or symbols
that stand for real objects

9. Standard of Ur - War

10. Standard of Ur - Peace