Ancient Sumer and the Advent of Civilization

What contributions and legacies did ancient Sumer leave us? Sumer is best described as one of the first complex civilizations. It may very well be the first to undergo an agricultural revolution and establish laws and a formal Government. The Sumerians introduced society to written language in order to communicate using recorded documents. They implemented some of the first technological advances, and even introduced the first schools. Even some of the most complex belief systems emerged thanks to the Sumerians. (Kramer S.) History Begins at Sumer.
Perhaps the most significant of Sumer’s contributions is its system of writing, which is known as Cuneiform. This system of writing was developed over several centuries. Thanks to the Sumerians, humans are equipped with a more advanced form of communication, and the ability to record documents. Everything from laws to transactions were recorded in cuneiform script. These would include, but weren’t limited to administrative and economic records. There were a great deal many different symbols to memorize, so not everyone knew how to read and write. Scribes were specially trained in these fields in order to serve the Kings and religious elites of the day. Their jobs were to satisfy the demands of both the temple and the palace. It is because of the requirement of special training needed to learn how to read and write that the first schools were introduced. It was as early as 3,000 B.C.E. that some scribes had a thought process in regards to the process of learning and teaching. Although it was slow in progress in the centuries to follow, by the middle of the third millennium there were numerous schools throughout Sumer. It was here that young boys were formally taught how to read and write. These records were found in the city of Erech, where lists of words incorporated into practicing and studying the cuneiform script were uncovered. Essays about the Ancient Sumerian teachers, practice tablets with exercises prepared by students of the day were recovered. Everything from pupils first learning to write to those who had mastered the craft were found. In Ancient Shuruppak, they even found school text books that date back to 2,500 B.C.E. These were uncovered in 1902-03. There were also “scientists” who studied the natural laws, although their perspective on subjects such as zoology, botany and other sciences were much different than they are today, and few people questioned these points of view. It’s said that the students themselves came from wealthy families, school was not a privilege or requirement as much it is today. Like many other older civilizations of the day, only males went to these schools. No evidence of women were ever listed as scribes. (Kramer S.) History Begins at Sumer.
As far as philosophy went, the Sumerians didn’t develop the system quite in the same way as it is thought of in modern times. For the most part, the myths and legends concerning the gods were the explanations behind the movement of the sun and moon, and the study of the stars and beyond. They did however, think about the nature and origin of the universe. To them the gods were in charge of everything. These gods had a system of leadership and importance much like how humans themselves were organized. Even things like the plow and sickle had a god to explain its origin and use. (Kramer S.) History Begins at Sumer. Many of the spiritual and religious beliefs of the Sumerians no doubt had an inspiration on the modern world’s Abrahamic religions of today; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The story of “Noah’s flood” had an origin in Sumerian culture. Even the origin of the forbidden fruit story had its roots in the myths and legends behind the Sumerians. The myth does have many differences though, such as the fact that paradise was a place of the gods rather than the dwelling place of the first man and woman. It was also the god Enki who ate eight different fruits as opposed to that of woman. (Kramer S.) The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. It is clear that many of the beliefs of the Hebrew people, passed down to the Christians and Muslims evolved from the beliefs of the Sumerians. Without these myths, we may not have had the complex religious beliefs that we have today.
Aside from leaving a legacy of myths and writing, one of the important tools that the Sumerians left to mankind was that of agriculture. Using technological advances, they were able to irrigate waters of the Tigris and Euphrates in order to hydrate and nourish their rich lush gardens. The rich silt from the rivers provided nutrients that would help their crops to grow. They also developed the Farmer’s Almanac in Cuneiform in an attempt to predict the weather patterns for that year’s growing season. The small tablet was made of clay and its discovery was made in Iraq by an expedition from America. This tablet is very important to our understanding of the techniques behind the agriculture of that day. This old document gives instructions from a farmer to his son to guide him throughout his farming activities for that year. These helpful guidelines may be something farmers had used to have successful growing seasons. (Kramer S.) History begins at Sumer.
The legacy and contributions of Sumer left us with a very rich culture and a very intricate set of beliefs. They even left us with the beliefs that many people still hold today, albeit they have evolved into the world religions we know today. They left us with writing, and the ideas behind philosophy, even if the philosophical contexts of the day weren’t as open as they became later on.  They left us with myths and stories. The first schools were developed and the entire culture revolved around these school systems. Text books even give evidence to suggest that higher education was part of their society. Agriculture and farming are things that we still do today that are essential to civilization and providing enough food for all the human beings in the world. The first Farmer’s Almanac was even developed by the Sumerians. It’s worth it to delve into their rich history and culture and reflect on what their legacy has left us. Looking back at the Sumerians and their societies really makes one feel like they are stepping back in time. It’s worth it to step back and think just how they have influenced our way of life both in large and subtle ways, and how different the world would be without them.
 
Bibliography
Kramer, S. N. (1959) History begins at Sumer Doubleday Anchor Books Doubleday & Company              Inc. Garden City, New York.
Kramer, S. N. (1963) The Sumerians The University of Chicago Press. Chicago, Illinois