SUMERIANS: HISTORY, SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND CHARACTERISTICS - HISTORY - 2024

The Sumerians were a Middle Eastern civilization that inhabited a region south of Mesopotamia, between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. It is considered the first civilization in that region and one of the first in the world, along with Ancient Egypt.

It is estimated that the Sumerians have their origin in 3500 BC. C., and a historical existence that lasted for more than a thousand years, until 2300 a. C., approximately.

To them is due the invention and implementation of techniques and habits necessary for the man who lives in society. They were the first to develop writing as a form of registration and communication.

The study of Sumerian history over the years has allowed us to discover qualities that have marked the life of man in society, as well as the elements that make up an organized and functional civilization.

Sumerian history is broken down from the main dynasties of power and the dynamics existing in the large cities of the region.

The vestiges left behind by the Sumerians have also made it possible to create an entire imaginary around expressive forms, thus reconstructing the mythology of that time.

History of the Sumerians

The recorded history of the Sumerians dates back to approximately 27 centuries BC. By this period there was already a large population in Sumeria distributed in several city-states.

The Sumerians have been historically categorized by different stages that are governed by the ruling dynasty, and the advances and social developments they experienced.

However, the periods prior to the consolidation of the Sumerians as a civilization are also studied, which can be traced back a few millennia.

The most developed periods of Sumerian history begin three millennia BC, and are as follows: Uruk, the early dynasty, the Akkadian empire, and the third dynasty of Ur.

Uruk

By this time, the Sumerian civilization already had a solid economic and livelihood apparatus, which had allowed them to make the most of exchange through their trade routes, as well as the internal production of goods.

The Sumerians, due to their location, enjoyed the fertility of the lands to maximize their agricultural production.

The first stratified cities began to emerge, expanding from a temple as a central point. These cities featured populations of up to 10,000 citizens.

These cities had a centralized administration. Due to the population boom, they resorted to slavery.

The largest cities could have outlying colonies; However, the Sumerians did not have the military force to conquer and preserve very distant territories.

The Sumerian expansion greatly influenced the adjacent communities, which developed and improved their internal mechanisms taking the Sumerians as a reference.

During this period it is considered that the power system was theocratic, and that the city-states were governed by independent priest-kings.

The largest city of this period, and that gives it its name, was Uruk, which had more than 50,000 inhabitants in its interior.

Early dynasty

The end of this period gives rise to the early dynasty, when the most popular names of the Sumerian civilization come to light, such as Gilgamesh.

This stage brought with it changes in the political and government systems of the different cities, leaving aside the government of priest-kings, to give rise to a council of wise men led by a superior.

Many details about this period have been revealed from what is considered to be the earliest and earliest literary manifestation of man: The Epic of Gilgamesh, a poetic series that recounts the history of Uruk through various of its king dynasties.

Akkadian empire

After this stage, a period of the Akkadian Empire would come, which is conceived as the integration of Akkadians and Sumerians under the same power, becoming the first empire of Mesopotamia.

This period lasted for approximately three centuries, and one of its most influential rulers was Sargon.

The most outstanding feature of this period was the imposition and proliferation of Akkadian as a communication language, displacing Sumerian towards more specialized branches that only scribes and priests knew.

The power of the monarch Sargon led him to make considerable territorial conquests in Mesopotamia, expanding his empire and the strength of the Akkadian.

Third dynasty of Ur

A few brief and not very deep periods would proceed after the decline of the Akkadian Empire, to reach the last great stage of the Sumerian civilization: the period of the third dynasty of Ur, another of the most important Sumerian cities.

This stage is considered the Sumerian Renaissance, although there were already many more Semites in the region than Sumerians, with Akkadian insurgencies in some smaller areas. This stage would be the preamble to the disappearance of the Sumerian civilization.

The Semitic influence within the cities began to occupy positions of power and different directions, which did not help the Sumerian condition to be perpetuated.

The use of the Sumerian language was increasingly limited, coming to be classified as a priestly language.

The Sumerian civilization would see its end a few centuries later. Among its causes are the rise in the salinity of the lands, hindering the abundant agriculture that gave them sustenance.

The massive displacements to the north of Mesopotamia and the power disputes that occurred between different cities are also considered causes of disappearance.

The end of the Sumerians is linked to the growing importance of Babylon under the rule of King Hammurabi.

Social organization

The Sumerians were based on a vertical social system, with particular implications at different levels.

The position of greatest privilege and importance was that of the king (or its similar versions during different periods), followed by priests and elite characters, as members of a council or specialized practice.

Higher-level military positions follow, followed by junior and mid-level officials.

After the levels of royal and military power, civil stratification is conceived, giving greater importance to expert merchants and artisans, followed by minor artisans and peasants. At the last level were the slaves.

Economy

Being one of the first consolidated civilizations, the Sumerians had a great capacity for growth thanks to the economic activities they developed, making the most of the fertile soils and other natural resources that they had around them.

The Sumerians sustained their development and economy through commercial exchange. Some of the most popular products traded between cities at that time were minerals and precious stones such as obsidian and lapis lazuli.

Despite being in a river area, wood was a rare commodity, which made it a high-value resource when it could be commercialized.

The highest levels of the social hierarchy had their own money system, with silver and cereal grains as the main currency.

They also developed credit systems to which they could have limited access. Debt was an integral part of the economic activities of the Sumerians.

At the lowest of all economic levels was slavery. The Sumerians generated some income from this activity, but it was not high enough to be considered influential.

Religion and beliefs

Like many prehistoric civilizations, the Sumerians founded their beliefs on a multi-god cosmology in the face of which they acted with caution and fear.

They were very respectful of subjects like death and divine wrath. This conditioned the creation of numerous ceremonies and rites related to these elements.

It is estimated that there were several myths that gave rise to the religion of the Sumerians: one recounts the birth of civilization from previous unions between dissimilar characters, generating the harmony necessary for creation.

Another myth starts from mythologies already present in the region of Mesopotamia, and that influenced during the consolidation of the Sumerian civilization.

The Sumerians worshiped many gods, among which are Utu, god of the Sun; Sin, god of the moon; An, god of the heavens; Inanna, goddess of love, beauty and war; Enlil, god of wind and rain; and Enki, the healing god responsible for giving men knowledge of arts and sciences.

These were the main deities that made up the pantheon of the Sumerians in the beginning.

With the passage of time and the cultural influence of other civilizations, the Sumerian deity tree began to expand and transform, changing some gods and making new ones appear.

Even in the early centuries, the importance, abilities, or names of certain gods varied depending on the city in which they were worshiped.

That is why, over the years, these deities were much more susceptible to changes and transformations.

Technology

This civilization is credited with the creation and implementation of many tools and techniques that are already standardized in today's society.

It is possible to think that, at that time, the Sumerians themselves had no idea that their creations would be crucial for the development of man and society.

Among the most significant contributions of the Sumerians are the invention of the wheel and writing, specifically the cuneiform writing, which was in force until the total disappearance of this culture.

They also developed certain principles of geometry and arithmetic, which they applied to their incipient economic scenarios, as well as the use of mud bricks for their constructions.

Other inventions of the Sumerians include agricultural irrigation systems, a lunar calendar, and the manufacture and use of bronze.

They also designed everyday work tools such as saws, hammers, pocket knives, swords, arrows and pieces of leather; small and medium size boats; war chariots and other items.

Architecture and other practices

Due to the natural absence of trees in the vicinity of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, the buildings erected by the Sumerians consisted solely of mud bricks.

Although it was an effective method, temples, houses, and buildings made of this material were rapidly deteriorating.

It is said that the Sumerians used to demolish some of their buildings from time to time and rebuild them in the same place, as a kind of restart to guarantee their useful and functional life.

The rubble from the collapses began to form a base that caused certain buildings to have a much higher base level than others.

Agriculture was one of the main livelihood practices for the Sumerians. Many of the vestiges studied relate the importance of this for the life of that time.

Through agriculture, the Sumerians were able to obtain and secure various resources for centuries, even millennia.

Cereals, garlic, onions, lettuce, dates, wheat, and mustard were some of the main agricultural items that the Sumerians enjoyed.

They are also credited with inventing beer, which apparently had a certain level of popularity among them. They are considered the first beer-drinking civilization.

As for hunting, the Sumerians took advantage of the presence of animals that managed to be domesticated such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

They used donkeys and oxen as their loading force, and horses as a private means of transportation.

The legacy that the Sumerians have left for the history and development of humanity is clear. Different elements are still being studied in order to make visible the inventive capacity of this original civilization.

A superficial and fleeting look at the mechanisms of this culture may be more than enough to get a notion of its importance, not only historical, but also social.

References

1. King, LW (1923). A history of Sumer and Akkad. London: Chatto & Windus.
2. Kramer, SN (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
3. McNeill, WH (1963). The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
4. Michalowski, P. (1983). History as Charter: Some Observations on the Sumerian King List. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 237-348.
5. Verderame, L. (2009). The image of the city in Sumerian literature. Rivista Studi Orientali, 21-46.