Mesopotamia is a region of Asia where it is very hot and it almost never rains. There are, however, two important rivers: the
. The name Mesopotamia, in fact, means "land between two rivers."
In southern Mesopotamia, about 5500 years ago, settled the people of Sumer
. The territory in which they decided to live was occupied by swamps, that is muddy and wet. The Sumerians reclaimed, that made him dry farmland. To do this, they observed the rivers at certain times of winter and spring the water was abundant, so overflowing, that is flooded, flooded, the neighboring land and destroying crops. The Sumerians built channels,
levees and dams to prevent damage to farmland and rivers to store water for periods when there was no rain and the rivers were dry.
I channels: they are digging. The water enters the canals and flooded fields, so it can be carried and used also in fields away from the River. The banks
: walls are made of earth (or brick) made along the banks of rivers so as not to leave the water. The dams: the walls are high. Stop the water from a river and they go into an artificial lake, built by man. The collected water is used in summer, when there is little in the rivers.
economic activities
The Sumerians used the '
plow. The oxen pulled, that pulled the plow. With the Sumerian farmers plow plowing (working) fields and arable land.
The crops were: the cereal (barley, wheat), the legumes (peas), the vegetable
the cotton, fruit plants. The Sumerians
raised the
oxen, the sheep the goats, the pigs and
donkeys. The Sumerians were also hunters and fishermen. The Sumerians were also very good craftsmen . Produced wool fabrics, clothes , ceramics, jewelry
,
weapons, tools, ie tools for working stone, wood and metals. In Mesopotamia, however, there were no metals, stones or timber, ie the raw materials required for the work of artisans. So the Sumerians merchants went to take the raw materials in other countries. At the same time in those countries door to sell their products . For this reason trade was well developed. Sumerian merchants traveling on small boats or sailing boats along rivers or on foot, carts and donkeys transporting goods.
. The most important buildings of the Sumerian cities were the king's palace and the temple, whose name was
ziggurat. The temple was very large and you could see from afar. On top of the ziggurat:
● priests celebrating rituals, reciting prayers and perform actions that demonstrate respect for the gods; ● priests watched the stars and the movements of the planets. Inside
of the ziggurat were: ● warehouses to store crops and goods, ● workshops of artisans;
● the shops of traders. So
the ziggurat was also the economic center of the city
, the place where craftsmen and merchants were selling the products produced.
houses
The homes of poor people had one or two rooms. The garden was on the back. The houses of rich families were on two floors and had more rooms. The yard was inside. They had few windows, which does not face towards the road. The furniture was: the bed, chairs, stools, chests and the chests for storing household linen, clothing, jewelry.
The government and society
As we have said, each was a Sumerian city state. Initially it was ruled by a priest. It was later ruled by a king.
The king was the head. Then there were the priests, the nobles (rich and considered important), officials (who helped the king to administer the city), the scribes (Educated people who could read, write and do arithmetic operations) and the military.
The king took the decision for all his subjects, he dictated the laws. If the subjects did not obey the law, decided the punishment. The king commanded the army. For his subjects represented the gods on earth. The most important subjects were: ● priests were running the church and organized religious ceremonies;
● nobles: administered the land (instead of the king); ● officials and scribes controlled documents, collected taxes, collecting the produce of the land to be preserved in the stores ... ●
the military: defending the territory.
The other subjects were: merchants, craftsmen, farmers, ranchers.
Finally there were the slaves, men and women who had become prisoners in war or who could not pay their debts.
The invention of the wheel
Craftsmen Sumerians also invented the wheel
. At first used the wheel to make vessels more quickly. Then they also built wagons with wheels. Therefore people and goods could travel with ease!
The invention of writing
In 3200 BC (about 5200 years ago) about the Sumerians invented writing.
To them it was necessary, that it was absolutely necessary, count and record all goods arriving at the temple from the countryside, the cattle (ie the set of all domestic animals, as oxen, cows, sheep ...) artifacts (ie, the objects constructed by craftsmen). They had to find a way to remember which and how many products coming, count the goods sold or purchased ...
The Sumerians were the top marks on clay tablets. The clay can score easily, because it is not too hard. The clay tablets were for the Sumerians as a block of notes for you. Here are the three stages of this important invention: 1. at first were invented
pictograms, that is, small drawings of objects: for example, pointed ears corn or other grains;
2. later Sumerians needed to invent another way and other signs to indicate the ideas. The little drawing of the "mouth", for example, could also mean "speak" a drawing of a foot could mean "go": that is, were invented
characters, drawings representing a concept (an action, an idea )
3. Finally, since it was not easy to draw on clay, spread the habit of drawing pictures simplified, made up of small triangles in the shape of
wedge, which was the pole used to write. For this reason, the writing of the Sumerians took the name cuneiform
. At the time of the Sumerians was very difficult to learn to write because there were 600 different characters! The person who wanted to learn to write was to go to school for many years and eventually became a scribe.
Religion
The Sumerians were polytheists
, that is believed in many gods (one hundred). The most important deity
were: the sky god Anu, Enlil god of air, the earth goddess Inanna and Enki the water god. Sky, air, land and water are the four elements of nature. Each city had its own patron god and the city belong to God. In the temple the people came to pray to the gods.
ancient Mesopotamia when the temple deity was male, the high priest, the priest that is most important, was a woman, and if the deity was female, the high priest was a man.
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Source:
http://ppbm.elmedi.it/materiali/testifacilitati/v4_st_03.pdf
)
My mother gave me two cakes and I went out; 
"Why are you late?" 
The Sumerians built cities near rivers and canals. Around the City There were walls to protect the inhabitants from enemies or water when rivers overflowed. 
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