In this Grade 6 lesson from History Alive! The Ancient World, students examine why historians classify ancient Sumer as a civilization by analyzing key characteristics including stable food supply, social structure, systems of government, religion, technology, and written language. Students explore specific Sumerian innovations such as irrigation systems, the plow, cuneiform writing, and the ziggurat, using artifacts like the Standard of Ur as archaeological evidence. The lesson builds understanding of how Sumerian city-states like Ur, Lagash, and Uruk developed a complex culture beginning around 3500 B.C.E. in ancient Mesopotamia.
Section 1
Historians Define Civilization
A civilization is a large, complex society with many organized parts. Historians use a set of seven key features to identify and study these ancient cultures.
These characteristics include a stable food supply, a social structure with different jobs, and a system of government. They also feature a shared religion, unique arts, new technology, and a developed system of writing.
Section 2
Sumerians Engineered a Food Supply
The Sumerians lived in Mesopotamia, a land between two powerful but unpredictable rivers. Sometimes the rivers flooded and destroyed crops. At other times, the hot, dry climate left the fields with too little water for farming.
To solve these problems, the Sumerians developed new technologies. They dug canals to control river water and direct it to their fields, a system called irrigation. They also invented the plow, a tool pulled by oxen that made it easier to prepare the hard, dry soil for planting.
Section 3
Sumerians Develop a Social Structure
As Sumerian cities grew, people had different jobs and amounts of power. This created a social structure that organized society into different levels, much like a pyramid.
At the top were the most powerful people: kings, priests, and government officials. The middle class included merchants, artisans, and farmers, and it was the largest group in Sumerian society.
Section 4
Sumerian Kings Governed with Divine Authority
Each Sumerian city-state was led by a king. The people believed that the gods had chosen this person to rule on their behalf. This idea of divine approval gave the king great power and respect among his subjects.
With this authority, the king performed many important jobs. He led the army in times of war, created and enforced laws to keep order, and organized workers for large projects. These projects included building temples and maintaining the vital irrigation systems for farming.
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Section 1
Historians Define Civilization
A civilization is a large, complex society with many organized parts. Historians use a set of seven key features to identify and study these ancient cultures.
These characteristics include a stable food supply, a social structure with different jobs, and a system of government. They also feature a shared religion, unique arts, new technology, and a developed system of writing.
Section 2
Sumerians Engineered a Food Supply
The Sumerians lived in Mesopotamia, a land between two powerful but unpredictable rivers. Sometimes the rivers flooded and destroyed crops. At other times, the hot, dry climate left the fields with too little water for farming.
To solve these problems, the Sumerians developed new technologies. They dug canals to control river water and direct it to their fields, a system called irrigation. They also invented the plow, a tool pulled by oxen that made it easier to prepare the hard, dry soil for planting.
Section 3
Sumerians Develop a Social Structure
As Sumerian cities grew, people had different jobs and amounts of power. This created a social structure that organized society into different levels, much like a pyramid.
At the top were the most powerful people: kings, priests, and government officials. The middle class included merchants, artisans, and farmers, and it was the largest group in Sumerian society.
Section 4
Sumerian Kings Governed with Divine Authority
Each Sumerian city-state was led by a king. The people believed that the gods had chosen this person to rule on their behalf. This idea of divine approval gave the king great power and respect among his subjects.
With this authority, the king performed many important jobs. He led the army in times of war, created and enforced laws to keep order, and organized workers for large projects. These projects included building temples and maintaining the vital irrigation systems for farming.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter