Sumer

Quick Facts: Who was Sumer?

Subject:

Sumer

Known for:

The earliest known civilization in southern Mesopotamia, developing writing and urban life.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Sumer ( SOO-mər) is the earliest known civilization, located in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (now south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the 5th and 4th millennium BC. Like nearby Elam, it is one of the cradles of civilization, along with Egypt, the Indus Valley, the Erligang culture of the Yellow River valley, Caral-Supe, and Mesoamerica. Living along the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Sumerian farmers grew an abundance of grain and other crops, a surplus of which enabled them to form urban settlements. The world's earliest known texts come from the Sumerian cities of Uruk and Jemdet Nasr, and date to between c. 3350 – c. 2500 BC, following a period of proto-writing c. 4000 – c. 2500 BC. The term "Sumer" (Akkadian: 𒋗𒈨𒊒, romanized: šumeru) comes from the Akkadian name for the "Sumerians", the ancient non-Semitic-speaking inhabitants of southern Mesopotamia.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In their inscriptions, the Sumerians called their land "Kengir", the "Country of the noble lords" (Sumerian: 𒆠𒂗𒄀, romanized: ki-en-gi(-r), lit. ''country" + "lords" + "noble''), and their language "Emegir" (Sumerian: 𒅴𒂠, romanized: eme-g̃ir or 𒅴𒄀 eme-gi15). The Akkadians, the East Semitic-speaking people who later conquered the Sumerian city-states, gave Sumer its main historical name, but the phonological development of the term šumerû is uncertain. Hebrew שִׁנְעָר Šinʿar, Egyptian Sngr, and Hittite Šanhar(a), all referring to southern Mesopotamia, could potentially be western variants of Sumer. Most historians have suggested that Sumer was first permanently settled between c. 5500 and c. 3300 BC by a West Asian people who spoke the Sumerian language (pointing to the names of cities, rivers, basic occupations, etc., as evidence), a non-Semitic and non-Indo-European agglutinative language isolate.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Others have suggested that the Sumerians were a North African people who migrated from the Green Sahara into the Middle East and were responsible for the spread of farming in the Middle East. However, contrary evidence strongly suggests that the first farming originated in the Fertile Crescent. Although not specifically discussing Sumerians, Lazaridis et al. 2016 have suggested a mix of basal Eurasian and western Eurasian hunter-gatherer ancestry for the pre-Semitic peoples of the fertile crescent, particularly the Natufians, after testing the genomes of Natufian and other Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture-bearers. Some scholars associate the Sumerians with the Hurrians and Urartians, and suggest the Caucasus as their homeland. This is not generally accepted.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 2016: 2016 Milestone — 2016 have suggested a mix of basal Eurasian and western Eurasian hunter-gatherer ancestry for the pre-Semitic peoples of the fertile crescent, particularly the Natufians, after testing the genomes of Natufian and other Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture-bearers.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Sumer

True or False: “The Sumerians developed their writing system immediately upon establishing permanent settlements around 5500 BC.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While they settled in the region earlier, reliable texts and proto-writing evidence date significantly later, between c. 4000 – c. 2500 BC.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Sumer