The First Civilizations - Baby's First Year

Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Name Date Class
READING ESSENTIALS AND STUDY GUIDE 1-2 (continued)
What Were City-States? Geographic features isolated Sumerian
cities. Mudflats and desert made travel and communication
difficult. Each Sumerian city—and the lands around
it—became a separate city-state. Each city-state had its
own government and did not belong to a larger unit.
Sumerian city-states often fought with each other. They
went to war for glory and more territory. To ward off enemies,
each city-state built a wall. First they mixed river
mud with crushed reeds. Then they molded bricks and
left them to dry in the sun. The hard, waterproof bricks
were used for walls, homes, temples, and other buildings.
Gods and Rulers The Sumerians believed in many gods. Each
god was thought to have power over a natural force or
human activity, such as floods or basket weaving. The
Sumerians built a grand temple called a ziggurat for their
chief god. The word ziggurat means “mountain of god” or
“hill of heaven.” The ziggurat stood out as the centerpiece
of the city. At the top was a shrine, or special place of
worship. Only priests and priestesses could enter.
Priests and priestesses controlled much of the land.
Some even ruled. Later, the government was run by kings
who led armies and organized building projects. Eventually,
the position of king became hereditary. That is, after
a king died, his son took over.
What Was Life Like in Sumer? Sumerian kings lived in palaces.
Ordinary people lived in small mud-brick homes. Most
people farmed. Others were artisans, or skilled workers,
and made metal products, cloth, or pottery. Other Sumerians
worked as mechanics or traders. Merchants traded
tools, wheat, and barley for copper, tin, and timber.
People in Sumer were divided into classes. The upper
class included kings, priests, and government officials.
The middle class included artisans, merchants, farmers,
and fishers. The lower class included enslaved people
who worked on farms or in temples. Slaves were prisoners
of war, criminals, or those paying off debts.
In Sumer, women and men had separate roles. Men
headed the households. Only males could attend school.
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