Government/Religion
What large stepped temples did Sumerians build to worship their gods?
Ziggurats
Who ranked highest in Sumerian society?
The King.
What system brought water to crops through dug channels?
Irrigation
Name two musical instruments Sumerian musicians played.
Lyres, Drums, and Pipes
What was the name of Sumerian writing?
Cuneiform
Why did Sumerians make offerings and perform ceremonies in temples?
To keep the gods happy
Second highest ranked class in Sumer
The Priests
Which animals pulled plows to reduce human labor?
Oxen/Horses
How did music connect to Sumerian ceremonies and storytelling?
Used songs to tell stories
What were early picture symbols called?
Pictographs
Name two roles the king performed in Sumerian government.
Maintained laws/collected taxes/built temples/commanded armies
Name four types of people considered part of the middle class in Sumer.
Merchants, artisans, farmers, and fishermen
How did plows and oxen together improve farming?
Plows allowed more land to be planted more quickly while using less energy.
Name two objects Artisans made.
Jewelry and glass objects, temples, and decorated instruments
What tool did writers press into wet clay to make writing marks?
Sharpened reeds
Explain how religion and astrology influenced decisions in Sumerian life.
People read stars (astrology) for messages believed to come from gods, and religious beliefs guided farming, disputes, and community actions.
Compare/Contrast rights and powers of slaves and gov't officials
Enslaved people had no rights or power, whereas officials and nobles had wealth, power, and large homes.
How did stable food support city-states
Reliable harvests from irrigation and plow/oxen labor provided steady food, allowing population growth and urban life with thousands of people.
List three things that can be a part of culture
Architecture, Artwork, Music, Food, Words/Phrases
Describe two uses of writing in Sumerian society
Receipts for business and stories for entertainment
Describe the two types of soldiers used by Sumerian city-states
Professional soldiers and temporary citizen-soldiers. The latter was not a soldier, but a citizen forced into military
Why did kings have viziers/governors?
Kings appointed viziers/governors to oversee districts and enforce laws because the king could not be everywhere.
Describe the sequence of farming improvements in Sumer and how each change increased food production.
Irrigation brought water to fields; plows loosened soil for planting; oxen pulled plows reducing labor—together these increased crop yields and reliability.
What is the cultural use of statues and temples in Sumerian religion.
Temples (ziggurats) served as worship centers; statues gave gods recognizable faces and were focal points for offerings and ceremonies.
How did the wheel change in purpose in Sumer?
Pottery which led to wheels for travel then warfare