Early Humans Unit: Sumerian Achievements - Reflections of Civilization
Assignments to hand in: Notes About Sumerian Achievements Graphic Organizer Analysis Questions (see below) Writing Prompt (see below)
essential questions, shared learning target & introduction:
Essential Question 2 - Why do people live the way they do?
Essential Question 3 - How and why do humans organize their societies the way they do?
Essential Question 4 - How does technology affect peoples' lives?
Essential Question 8 - Why do civilizations rise and decline?
Shared Learning Target:
What will I be able to do?: You will describe the significance of various Sumerian achievements, analyze the six characteristics of a civilization as they relate to Sumer, and come to a conclusion as to whether the U.S. is a civilization today.
What idea, topic, or subject is important for you to learn and understand so that I can do this?: You will learn about many Sumerian achievements. You will also learn about the six characteristics of a civilization and how they relate to Sumer and the United States.
What I will do to show that you know this?: You will complete the Sumerian Achievements Graphic Organizer, answer the comprehension questions about the Six Characteristics of a Civilization, and write a brief essay on whether the U.S. is, in fact, a civilization or whether all of the characteristics are necessary.
Introduction:
(A brief intro video for some background)
Sumer was a region located on the southern Mesopotamian plains. It was settleed around 3,500 B.C.E. by Mesopotamians who were later known as Sumerians. Sumer extended over 10,000 square miles - an area about the size of the state of Maryland - and consisted of various powerful city-states, such as Lagash, Ur, and Uruk. The Sumerian environment had a number of disadvantages - hot summers, a lack of rainfall, and rivers that flooded unpredictably. Historians believe the Sumerians' struggles with this harsh environment inspired some of their greatest achievements. Many inventions, such as writing, the plow, and the sailboat, were adapted by other civilizations, and some are still in use today. For these reasons, some historians refer to Sumer as the "cradle of civilization."
Step 1: Notes About Sumerian Achievements - Complete the handout Notes About Sumerian Achievements by looking at the pictures below and reading the corresponding information handouts. (Download the complete Achievement Information Handout here):
The Arch
A pointed arch made of stone. This arch was part of a house at Ur and dates to approximately 2160 B.C.E.
City-States/Kings
The Stele of Naram-Sin, a rounded stone slab depicting King Naram-Sin and his soldiers on the battlefield. It was found at Susa in Iran and dates to the second half of the third millennium B.C.E.
Cuneiform/Writing
A circular cuneiform tablet from Lagash in Iraq, dating to approximately 1980 B.C.E.
Devotional Statues
A devotional statue dating to 2600 B.C.E. of what scholars believe is a married couple. The gypsum statue was found buried beneath the floor of a shine at Nippur in Iraq and mesures 3.5 inches wide at the bottom. The couple originally had feet, and the figures have eyes made of shell and lapis lazuli set in bitumen, a natural cement-like substance.
Games
A Sumerian game board and playing pieces made of shell, bone, lapis lazuli, and red limestone. They were found in the Royal Cemetery at Ur and date to the twenty-fifth century B.C.E. The game board measures about 10.5 inches long and 4.5 inches wide.
Irrigation
An irrigated field on the banks of the Euphrates River in Iraq. The irrigation canal connects to the river, which can be seen in the background.
Mathematics
Two fragments of an ancient Mesopotamian clay tablet containing geometry exercises and questions written in cuneiform.
Medicine
An ancient Mesopotamian skull with three holes cut in it. Such holes are the result of a surgical procedure performed by ancient Sumerian doctors. This individual is believed to have survived the surgery, since the bone shows signs of healing.
Metalworking
Three gold cups from Ur, dating to approximately 2450 B.C.E. The cup on the right belonged to Queen Shubad and may once have containted the poison that killed her.
Music
A reconstruction of a lyre found at Ur. The original lyre was made of wood and decorated with gold and lapis lazuli, and it dates to approximately the first half of the third millenium B.C.E.
Music Track [Listen]
Organized Armies
Two groups of soldiers in formation behind their leaders. They are depicted on a fragment of The Stele of Vultures, a rounded stone slab found at Lagash in Iraq dating to the first half of the third millennium B.C.E.
Plow
A cylinder-seal impression of two Gods, one with a left hand in the shape of a scorpion and the other plowing behind a dragon and a lion. The impression was made by a seal found at Tell Asmar in Iraq.
Sailboat
An artist's rendition of one type of Sumerian sailboat. The rope indicates where the sails would have hung on the wooden mast. The body of the boat is made of bundled reeds covered with leather.
Wheel
A copper statue of a chariot being pulled by four donkeys. It depicts an early form of the wheel, which Sumerians made by pressing two pieces of wood together. The statue is 2.75 inches tall, dates to about 2700 B.C.E., and was found at Tell Agrab in Iraq.
Written Laws
A tablet and a copper statue of King Ur-Nammu, found at Nippur in Iraq, dating to approximately 2100 B.C.E.
Ziggurat
A reconstruction of the ziggurat found at Ur. The original ziggurat was built by King Ur-Nammu in the twenty-first century B.C.E. and was made of mud bricks.
Step 2: Analyzing the Evidence - Characteristics of a Civilization: Use the artifacts and information covered (above) and the Standard of Ur example below to answer the following Analysis Questions below. Cite evidence and reference the content covered in this assignment for each answer in paragraph form.
The Standard of Ur
The Standard of Ur consists of four panels inlaid with shell and lapis lazuli. The two larger panels, shown here, depict scenes of war and peace. The Standard of Ur consists of four 4,500-year-old decorated panels that archeologists found buried in royal graves located in the Sumerian city-state of Ur in modern-day Iraq. The two main panels are 18.5 inches wide and 8 inches long and are covered with shell and lapis lazuli decorations. The British archeologist Sir Edward Leonard Wooley excavated the Standard in the 1920's. He believed that a man known as the king's standard-bearer carried the Standard's two panels in royal processions. Other archealologists believe that the Standard's panels were part of a sound box on a harp. The Standard continues to attract world-wide attention as one of the richest clues to Sumerian civilization in the third millennium B.C.E.
The decorations on The Standard of Ur illustrate the six characteristics of civilization featured in this activity: government, stable food supply, social levels, specialization of labor, religion, and a culture that includes the arts and sciences. For example, the first side of the Standard, which illustrates war, shows a king being presented with prisoners captured by the king's army. The king's large size and elevated position represents his high social level and leadership in government. The large size of the king also represents the Sumerian's belief that their kings were appointed by the Gods. The soldiers driving chariots and marching reveal that Sumerian cities had strong govewrnments that could defend themselves. The second side of the Standard illustrates peace. It shows farmers bringing the king gifts of animals and crops, both of which are proof of the city's stable food supply. A royal victory banquet is also shown, with a singer and a harpist providing entertainment. These performers reflect the presence of the arts in Sumerian culture. Items connected to various specialized occupations are shown on both sides of the Standard. For example, spears represent professional soldiers and golden cups represent artisans. The Standard of Ur is a magnificent record of Sumerian civilization and achievements.
Helpful Notes & Graphics (by Mr. Howman):
How does a civilization begin?
What is a civilization? - Notes
What is a civilization - Flowchart?
Analysis Questions (Answer these on a lined piece of paper in paragraph form):
1. Where do you see evidence of a system of government?
2. How can you tell these people had a stable food supply (agriculture)?
3. Is this a hierarchical or egalitarian society, in your opinion? Why?
4. How can you tell that labor/jobs were specialized in this society?
5. Where do you see evidence of a highly developed culture?
*Modified Format - Graphic Organizer [Word Version]
Step 3: Writing Prompt - Answer the following two-part writing prompt in paragraph form on a lined piece of paper:
Writing Prompt:
1. Is the U.S. a civilization according to the six characteristics explained in class? Provide examples for each characteristic.
2. Does a civilization, in your opinion, need to have all of the characteristics mentioned? Why or why not?
The Six Characteristics of a Civilizations:
1. A system of government that directs and controls some actions of the members of society.
2. A regular food supply that is not likely to suddenly change.
3. Specialization of labor, in which members of the society perform different jobs.
4. Different social levels, in which some members of the society are given higher status than others.
5. A highly developed culture including art, architecture, music, literature, science, writing and other complex technologies..
6. A religious system, which might include priests and temples.