THE SUMERIANS

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

Aswan Dam Draining of the Marshes

Pre-requisites for Civilization

Agriculture developed in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 bce

Mining and use of copper around 6000 bce Growth of villages and towns Division of labor Smelting of tin and copper to make bronze

around 3000 bce > Bronze Age

Sumerian Inventions Cuneiform writing The wheel Potter’s wheel Sailing ship Pick-axe Brick mold Glass 60-based counting system: 60 minutes to an

hour, 360 degrees to a circle Number positioning Beer Epic poetry

Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur

Mesopotamian Empires

Characteristics of Mesopotamian Civilizations City states

Each city had its own king and patron god or goddess City states often warred with each other

Theocracy -- king as god’s representative Hierosgamos: ritual marriage with the goddess/priestess

Highly legalistic Law Codes Contracts Judicial proceedings and appeals processes

Extensive trading networks Architectural Marvels of Ancient Mesopotamia

Lively Spirits: From the Hymn to NinkasiYou are the one who holds with both hands the great sweet wort,

Brewing [it] with honey and wine

(You the sweet wort to the vessel) Ninkasi, (...)

(You the sweet wort to the vessel)

The filtering vat, which makes a pleasant sound,

You place appropriately on [top of] a large collector vat.

Ninkasi, the filtering vat, which makes a pleasant sound,

You place appropriately on [top of] a large collector vat.

When you pour out the filtered beer of the collector vat,

It is [like] the onrush of Tigris and Euphrates.

Ninkasi, you are the one who pours out the filtered beer of the collector vat,

It is [like] the onrush of Tigris and Euphrates.

Beer or Bread?

Tablet of pre-cuneiform scriptSouth MesopotamiaUruk III, end of 4th millenium BC.Clay (?sun-baked clay)Louvre

WritingOrigin and the Deveopment of Writing in Mesopotamia

Writing: PictogramsCylinder Seals

Cylinder Seal with Watergod, Birdman, and DeitiesMesopotamia, Akkadian Period, 2300 - 2200 B.C.

Emory University

Writing: Cuneiform

Cuneiform Cylinder of Nabopolassar Recording Repair of the City Wall of Babylon, Mesopotamia, Babylon

Neo-Babylonian Period, Reign of Nabopolassar, 625 - 605 B.CEmory University

Sumerian Schools Literacy was a highly valued skill Sumerians set up first

institutions of formal education: edubba

Education included writing and mathematics

Tuition paid for education Educated were privileged elite:

government officials, scribes, etc.

Nippur Flood Tablet

The tablet can be dated by its script to the late 17th century BC.

...a flood will sweep over the cult centers;To destroy the seed of mankind...Is the decision, the word of the assembly of the gods.By the word commanded by An and Enlil...

All the windstorms, exceedingly powerful, attacked as one,At the same time, the flood sweeps over the cult centers.

After, for seven days and seven nights,The flood had swept over the land,And the huge boat had been tossed about by the windstorms on the great waters,Utu came forth, who sheds light on heaven and earth,Ziusudra opened a window on the huge boat,The hero Utu brought his rays into the giant

boat.

Deciphering Cuneiform

1835: Henry Rawlinson, an English army officer, found some inscriptions on a cliff at Behistun in Persia. Carved in the reign of King Darius of Persia (522-486 BC), they

consisted of identical texts in three languages: Old Persian, Babylonian and Elamite.

Enheduanna, Priestess and Poetthe world’s first known writer

Original tablet

Reconstuction of alabaster disk,Philadephia

The Enheduanna Research Pages

Women in Ancient Mesopotamia

Inanna: The Opera

Enheduanna’s Inscription

Here are the first 4 lines of cuneiform:

1) en-he-du-an-na.....................En-he-du-ana,2) MUNUS.NUNUZ.ZI.............zirru priestess3) dam-nanna........................... wife of the god Nanna,4) dumu-...................................daughter

The inscription continues:

5) sarru-GI............................ of Sargon, 6) [ lugal]............................... [king] of7) KIS................................... the world (Kish),8) e-INANNA.ZA.ZA............. in the temple of the goddess9) uri.KI-ma-ka...................... Inanna- ZA.ZA in Ur,10) bara-si-ga........................ made a socle and11) bi-e-du12) bara bansur-an-na...........named it: 'dais, table of

13) mu-se bi-sa......................the god An'.

THEOCRACY:Kings: Servants of the Gods

Sumerian King List

The powerful gods communicate their desires to humanity through the medium of a powerful

priestly class or autocratic king who serves as the intermediary.

- Government of the gods/priest class - Ruler may be divine himself, or chosen by the

god/gods - Each city had its own gods

This system centralizes power in the hands of a small group of people and gives political

decisions a religious authority

The City Center

Temples served civic and religious purposes

Daily sacrifices and rituals

Storage of surplus grain and other foods

Dwelling of priests and priestesses

Locale where craftsmen and artisans could practice their trades

Ziggurats: Temples to the Gods

Standard of Urc. 2700 B.C.E. 8" x 19"

A box inlaid with shell, lapis and red limestone

Scenes of War

Scenes of Peace

Gilgamesh, the Hero-King

Ruled in Sumer c. 2700 bc Epic of Gilgamesh

chronicles his reign Evolves from selfish,

uncontrolled autocrat to benevolent ruler via: friendship rebellion loss quest recognition of mortality acceptance of responsibilty

and service to the goddess Ishtar (Inanna)

The young King Gilgamesh challenged and defeated all the young men and claimed any young woman

for himself.

The people prayed to the gods for help,

The gods decided to create a challenger-

companion for Gilgamesh.

Standing male worshiper, 2750–2600 B.C.; Early Dynastic period II; Sumerian styleAlabaster (gypsum), shel, black limestone; Height 11.9 in. MMA

~The goddess of Creation, Aruru, conceived an image in her mind, and it was of the stuff of Anu, of the firmament. She dipped her hands in water and pinched off clay, and let it fall in the wilderness, and Noble Enkidu was Created. There was Virtue in him, of the god of War, of Ninurta Himself.~

He was called ENKIDU. Enkidu lived happily with the animals of the forest ….

ENKIDU

A priestess from the Temple of Inanna was brought to Enkidu. She

made love with him

taught him to wear clothes

taught him to eat bread

taught him to drink beer

brought him to Gilgamesh

Civilizing Enkidu

Humbaba, Guardian of the Cedar Forests

Gilgamesh and Enkidu achieved many great adventures together

They decided to challenge the guardian of the great Cedar Forests, Humbaba

Ishtar and Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh scorns Ishtar To punish this insult, she sends the Bull of

Heaven against Gilgamesh and Enkidu The two heroes slay the Bull of Heaven and

fling its haunches in Ishtar’s face The gods are enraged

the death of Enkidu from Hard Crossing: the Story of Gilgamesh, The Total Theatre, NYC, May 1986

Gilgamesh is devastated

He seeks Utnapishtim to gain eternal life and loses his prize to a snake

Gilgamesh famed for

building walls and protecting

his city

The gates of Ishtar

LAWS: The Code ofHammurabi, ca. 1760 bce

Law-Codex of Hammurabi,first half of the 18th century BCE, Basalt, Louvre

Full Text of the Code of Hammurabi

2350 bce law reform by King Urukagina of Lagash to protect

exploited citizens 21st c. bce: earliest extant law code from Ur-Nammu (1000 years before

the 10 Commandments

A stele is a monolithic monument that commemorates an historical event.

The Stele of Naram Sin has a formality and rigidity similar to Egyptian art.

Compare its strong diagonal composition with the

horizontal registers of the Standard of Ur. Victory Stele of Naram Sim

c. 2300- 2200 B.C.E. 61/2' tall, sandstone

Continual warfare among Sumerian city states and against invading tribes eventually led to the downfall of Sumerian civilization. But the influence of Sumerian civilization was felt in throughout the Near East, Egypt, India, the Mediterranean civilizations: Crete, Mycenae, Greece, Rome, and in Judeo-Christian traditions.

Flood Myths

Flood myths are present on every continent Leeming: “The pattern behind the many forms that the flood

myth takes is the archetype of the productive sacrifice…. The flood myth…reminds us that life depends on death, that without death there can be no cycle, no birth.

Floods connected with cleansing, washing away of blunders or evil

Spared survivors are heroes of a new life

Ante- Diluvian Post- Diluvian

Blundered creation

Error or evil by mankind

Period of degradation

Sacrifice and thanksgiving Salvation of survivors Retreat of gods from intimate

relationship with mankindBut: new and renewed relationship

between humanity and divine consecrated

Humans must work to live: learned arts and skills for survival

Mesopotamian and Hebrew Flood Myths Gilgamesh text: ca. 2000 bce Utnapishtim or Ziusudra Enlil annoyed by human noise Ea/Enki warns Utnapishtim in

dream of oncoming flood Boat built in 7 days Contents: family, kin, animals,

craftsmen, gold 6 days and 6 nights of rain and

rising water Ishtar (Inanna) regrets divine

council’s decision Boat lands on Mt. Nisir Dove, swallow and raven released Sacrifice and libation Ishtar’s necklace set in sky as token

Genesis text: ca. 1000 bce Noah God dismayed by evil of mankind Noah chosen as righteous man Noah follows God’s directions to

build ark Contents: family, 7 of clean beasts,

2 of unclean 40 days and 40 nights of rain All mankind perishes except Noah’s

family Ark lands on Mt. Ararat Raven, dove, dove released\ Burnt offerings Rainbow sent in sky as token of new

covenant between God and mankind.