The Sumerians

The Sumerians moved to the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers about 3500BC, but we do not know where they came from. They were probably nomads who discovered the fertile land of Mesopotamia. Nomads travel in small groups until they have eaten the food that grows wild and hunted the animals in their area. When food is no longer plentiful, the nomads move to a new area. Some people continue to live nomadic lifestyles in remote parts of the world to this day.

Eventually the Sumerians developed a civilization. They learned that by planting seeds and plowing their land, they were able to grow crops. The Sumerians learned to domesticate, or tame animals to help them plow their lands. They learned to use irrigation. Irrigation is a system of watering crops to grow more food. The Sumerians also made a very important invention--the wheel. The invention of the wheel made it possible to pull heavy loads.

Sumeria was composed of several city-states, or nations the size of cities. Walls around each city-state protected the citizens from outside invaders. Farmland was usually outside the city walls, and people would seek protection from the walls of the city when under attack.

The Sumerians were polytheistic, which means they believed in many gods. The Sumerians worshiped their gods at huge temples they called ziggurats. Each ziggurat was dedicated to a specific god, whom the Sumerians believed ruled over their city. When one city was conquered, the invaders would force the conquered people to accept their gods. Most people in the Western Hemisphere today practice monotheism. This means they believe in only one God. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are all monotheistic faiths.

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