Sumer

**1. Sumerian Civilization Overview:**
– Sumerians derived their name from the Akkadian term ‘šumeru.’
– Sumer was likely settled between c.5500– c.3300 BC by a people speaking the Sumerian language.
– Sumer is recognized as the earliest known civilization.
– Sumerians developed urban settlements due to surplus agricultural production.
– Sumerian civilization influenced subsequent cultures in the Middle East and beyond.

**2. Historical Periods in Sumer:**
– Sumerian city-states gained power during the Ubaid and Uruk periods.
– Akkadian Empire conquered Sumer around 2270 BC.
– Third Dynasty of Ur briefly saw native Sumerian rule re-emerge.
– Semitic states from the northwest gradually gained control over Sumer.
– Sumerian language persisted as a sacred language even after foreign conquests.

**3. Political and Social Structures:**
– Late 4th millennium BC saw Sumer divided into independent city-states centered around temples.
– Each city-state was ruled by a priestly governor or king tied to religious rites.
– Shift from temple to secular rule during the Early Dynastic Period.
– Women’s rights deteriorated post 2300 BC in Sumer.
– Marriages arranged by parents, contracts recorded on clay tablets.

**4. Technological Advancements and Tools:**
– Sumerian writing is a milestone in human development.
– Tools like knives, drills, saw-like instruments were known.
– Metal blades on daggers, copper hammered into plates.
– Fire-places, fire-altars, and carved legged furniture existed.
– Tablets were used for writing purposes.

**5. Cultural Aspects and Artifacts:**
– Considerable evidence of Sumerian music, lyres and flutes played.
– Sumerian princesses depicted in art, like the one from c.2150 BC.
– Lyres of Ur are well-known musical instruments.
– Artifacts like necklaces made of gold and carved furniture existed.
– Frontal details of Sumerian art displayed in Louvre Museum.