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Mesopotamia had been called the ‘cradle of civilization’. Why?
Because the Sumerians came up with many of the ideas, concepts and inventions that later civilizations used.
Do you remember one product that they Sumerians had in surplus and one that they needed to trade?
wheat, barley, dates, tools/ timber, metals, minerals
What event marks the end of Prehistory and the beginning of History?
the invention of writing
How is the Sumerian writing system called?
cuneiform
What did Sumerians write on?
clay
Only a few people-mostly boys from wealthy families- learned how to read and write cuneiform. After years of training, some students became__________, or record keepers.
scribes
What us the name of the world’s oldest known story that is from Sumer?
The Epic of Gilgamesh
What is the epic of Gilgamesh about?
The quest of the king Gilgamesh to find immortality
What are some of the other things that the Sumerians invented?
math, writing, wheel, measurement of time, plow, harp, lyre
What was the first use of the wheel?
Potter's wheel
The Sumerians were the first to make bronze out of______and ________.
copper and tin
What are some of the mathematical concepts that the Sumerians invented?
system of counting based on multiples of 6 and 10, 4 operations ,multiplication tables, decided there were 360 degrees in a circle
What does 'cuneiform' mean?
wedge-shaped
