The Sumerians were the first group to settle in what we call Mesopotamia, which means "between two rivers", located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern-day Iraq. As one of the earliest agricultural settlements, and earliest "civilizations", the Sumerians contributed much to the world.
1. Cuneiform. Cuneiform is the earliest form of writing. Cuneiform is made up of a series of wedges and lines carved into wet clay with a stylus. The cuneiform script was copied by the Assyrians, Persians, and Babylonians. Cuneiform recorded commercial transactions as well as history. In essence, we have the Sumerians to thank for writing!
2. Irrigation . The Sumerians used irrigation for agricultural growth. Situated between two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, they were able to harness enough water during the hot drought seasons to survive year round. One of the unfortunate environmental consequences was seasonal flooding, so the Sumerians also...
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developed water transport systems to bypass the northern flood waters.
3. City-states. The Sumerians didn't exist in one settlement; they formed dozens of city-states that served as urban centers. The city-states often went to war against one another.
4. Monumental architecture. The Sumerians used mud-dried bricks to create architecture that was used for religious and political purposes. The ziggurat was a Sumerian pyramid used for religious purposes; unlike the Egyptian pyramids, ziggurats look more like stacked boxes (similar to the Mayan and Aztec pyramids).
5. Number system based on 10, 60, and 360. We still use this system today- 60 minutes in an hour, a circle has 360 degrees, etc.
What were the contributions of the Sumerians?
The Sumerians were an ancient people who settled in Southern Mesopotamia, now present-day Iraq, around 4500 BC. The Sumerians were one of the first urban civilisations in world history and are responsible for a number of important inventions and techniques:
- They invented cuneiform, the first system of writing that was made up of wedge-shaped strokes. Sumerian children then went to school to learn how to read and write this complex script - another first in history.
- They invented and used the wheel.
- They developed a system of counting that is based on 60. They used this primarily for telling the time, as we do today.
- They were the first people to cast and use glass.
- They invented a system of irrigation as a means of overcoming the dry and hot summers of this region and ensuring successful harvests.
- They wrote the first history, law and religious books.
References
What are the important contributions of the Sumerians to later society?
Perhaps the greatest contributions of the Sumerians was the invention of the wheel; it allowed merchants and others to transport items over much further distances and soon was adapted to a plethora of other uses. Among their other accomplishments was the creation of bronze by combining copper and tin, and later the ability to forge tools and weapons from iron. Another important contribution was the development of a system of writing, in the case of Sumeria this was cuneiform. The development of writing led to the expansion of knowledge and scholarship, and allowed for its preservation for future generations. Finally, the Sumerian numerical system of base 60 is the foundation of our modern system of measurement of degrees, distances, even time. The Sumerians were the first to develop a twelve month calendar, a sixty minute hour, and a sixty second minute.