CHARACTERISTICS OF ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS

Agriculture

Agriculture was the main activity. Ditches were constructed for irrigation. Agriculture was improved by the introduction of the plough. Sumerians grew grains, vegetables and dates. They kept domestic animals that included cows, sheep, goats and oxen to pull carts and chariots. They grew flax which was used to make linen and also produced woolen products. All land belonged to the god of the city-state and was farmed on his behalf. However, some of the land was rented.

Trade

The production of enough food enabled people to work as traders and artisans. Sumerians traded with people in the Middle East before 3000 BC. Traders had agents in distant places while others moved from town to town vending Sumerian goods. These included metal products, textiles, pottery, agricultural products among others.

Architecture

Sumerians had well-planned and built structures made of sun dried bricks. Besides, they invented many architectural designs, for example, the arc (a curved structure). They also built rounded roofs shaped like domes. The most famous of Sumerian buildings are the Ziggurats or holy mountains. Ziggurats were temples with seven stories, the topmost of which served as a shrine for a god.

 

 

Science and engineering

In science and engineering Sumerians developed and used the wheel. They also developed algebra and used a system of numbers based on 60. They divided the circle in 360 degrees, each degree in 60 minutes and each minute in 60 seconds. This marked the development of the principle of the compass or watch/clock. They also developed a calendar with 12 months based on the movements of the moon (lunar calendar).

Education

Education in Sumer was very important. Only boys from rich families went to school. Schools were located in temples and run by priests. They trained officials needed in palaces and temples. The main subjects were writing and spelling. Scribes spent twelve years to learn cuneiform script. Students learned to write by copying religious books and songs. They were also taught history, mathematics, foreign languages and making maps. Advanced education included medicine and surgery. They also studied divination (interpretation of the future).

Writing       

The expansion of towns and growth of wealth lead to the need for a system of keeping records. This was why Sumerians developed a system of writing known as cuneiform. In this type of writing wedge shaped characters were imprinted on wet clay tablets using a pointed stick called stylus. Tablets were then put in the sun to dry. There were about 600 cuneiform signs. Writing had the advantage of aiding memory and transfer of knowledge. It also helped people add on previous knowledge and this led to more discoveries. Letters, contracts, business records and books written in cuneiform have been excavated. An example is the Epic of Gilgamesh which contains myths about the lives of ancient people in Mesopotamia.

Law

The discovery of writing led to the emergence of written law. The recording of laws was necessary for order in Mesopotamia because there was a lot of chaos. The writing of laws ensured that they outlived the ruler. In 2500 BC Uruinimgina passed laws to protect the powerless. In 1792 BC Sumeria was conquered by Hummurabi who introduced the Hammurabi Code. This code introduced harsh punishments so as to promote order in society. A man who destroyed someone’s eye lost his own and a son who beat his father had his hand cut off. Many of Hammurabi’s laws aimed at protecting the powerless, for example, women and children from unfair treatment. Hammurabi’s laws also aimed at preserving social order. This was why there were laws and punishments for different classes. The code had 282 laws which controlled all aspects of life, for example, agriculture, irrigation, wages, hours of work, working conditions, contracts among others. The laws were enforced by judges supervised by the king’s officials.