Sumerians

Quick Facts: Who was Sumerians?

Subject:

Sumerians

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The earliest known civilization, developing writing and city-states in southern Mesopotamia.

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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.

Career & Major Achievements

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.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The term "Sumer" (Akkadian: 𒋗𒈨𒊒, romanized: šumeru) comes from the Akkadian name for the "Sumerians", the ancient non-Semitic-speaking inhabitants of southern Mesopotamia. In their inscriptions, the Sumerians called their land "Kengir", the "Country of the noble lords" (Sumerian: 𒆠𒂗𒄀, romanized: ki-en-gi(-r), lit.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Sumerians

True or False: “True or False: The Sumerians were the first people in the world to develop a writing system.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the Sumerians developed one of the earliest known writing systems, other cultures, such as those in the Indus Valley, also developed complex record-keeping methods around the same time.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Sumerians