The History of the Ancient World: Практическое пособие по английскому языку. Часть 1. Гончарова Л.Ю. - 14 стр.

                                           14

      Chapter 4

                                The Near East

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      Origins of Sumer
       The region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is commonly called the
Fertile Crescent – because of the closeness of fresh water supplies. However, the term
Fertile Crescent is a misnomer. The region was, contrary to popular myth, never
ideal farming territory. Rainfall in this area has always been sparse, and large parts of
this region are in fact arid desert.
       In spite of this, by the year 5000 BC, first settlements were established in the
Tigris and Euphrates river basin. These settlements gradually developed into the chief
cities of the region. This territory lies in the modern day country of Iraq.
       These original inhabitants were conquered by a new tribe, the Sumerians,
around 3250 BC. These people gave their name to the region: Sumer. In the centuries
that followed, the country grew rich and powerful. Art and agriculture, crafts,
religious and ethical thought flourished.

      Sumerian Culture
       The Sumerian language became the prevailing speech of the land and their
system of writing, the Sumerian script, where pictures were used to represent objects,
set the standard for all written languages of the time.
       Although initially being very basic – a stick drawing of a fish would represent
a fish and so on – this written language laid the basis for all pictographical languages,
including the later Egyptian and Sanskrit forms. Writing was done on clay tablets
with impressions being made by wedge shaped instruments. This pictographical
writing eventually developed symbols for abstract concepts such as “love”, “go”, and
so on. The Sumerian script dominated all writing forms for at least 4000 years until
the Greek script became pre-eminent.
       From the very beginning of their settlement in the Tigris and Euphrates basin
the Sumerians possessed metal working facilities (they were particularly good at
copper working) and wheeled vehicles, a significant breakthrough of the time. It is
presumed that the wheel originally developed from the potter’s wheel, which the
Sumerians naturally also possessed.
       The most characteristic feature of Sumerian architecture is the construction of
the great step pyramids, called Ziggurats (the most famous of which is the Ziggurat at
the Sumerian city of Ur, built in 2100 BC) which served as temples and community
centers, many of which are still standing today.
       Sumerian religion had four leading deities, the creating gods called: An, the
god of heaven; Ki, the goddess of earth; Enlil, the god of air; and Enki, the god of
water. There were three sky deities: Nanna, the good of the moon; Utu, the sun god;