Sumerian and Mesopotamian Language Groups and Early Civilizations

Semitic Language Groups

  • Groups that speak these languages include:
    • Arabs
    • Akkadians (such as the Babylonians and Assyrians)
    • Arameans
    • Canaanites (including Hebrews, Phoenicians, and Israelites)
    • Ethiopian Semitic people
  • Significance:
    • Served as the foundation for the world's first alphabet
    • Became the sacred languages of major religions like Islam, Judaism, and Christianity

Indo-European Language Groups

  • Groups:
    • Albanian
    • Armenian
    • Balto-Slavic (Baltic and Slavic languages)
    • Celtic
    • Germanic
    • Hellenic (Greek)
    • Indo-Iranian (Indo-Aryan and Iranian)
    • Italic (which gave rise to the Romance languages)
  • Key facts:
    • It appeared in the Caucasus Mountain Region about 5,000 years ago
    • Migrated to Europe and Asia and became the basis of all modern languages

Sumerian Developments

  • 1. Sedentary Agriculture — Planting and harvesting
  • 2. Special Occupation — Specific jobs in the civilization, like priests, farmers, builders, etc.
  • 3. Original Religion — Introduction of Polytheism (Worship of multiple gods)
  • 4. Organized Government — Form of government was a theocracy meaning ruled by religious leaders
    • a. Lugals — An ancient Sumerian title for a ruler or king. Translated directly to “Great Man”
    • b. Ensi — A city governor that religious, administrative head of the city-state
  • 5. Other Technology — Such as the wheel
  • 6. Monumental Construction — Ziggurat: Structure composed of step-like terraces. Were literally flat top temples
  • 7. System Of Counting — The Mesopotamian system of counting by base 60 = sexagesimal system
    • Note: The sexagesimal system uses base-60 units

SUMERIAN/MESOPOTAMIAN LECTURE NOTES

  • Location — Mesopotamia: “Land between the rivers”
    • Developed along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
    • First civilization developed in the area called the FERTILE CRESCENT
    • A powerful city-state in Sumeria was Ur
  • Origins — The origin of the Sumerian people and their language is unknown
    • Theories include movement from the Indus Valley
    • The Sumerian language is not related to Semitic or Indo-European languages

Identify the following groups

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8. 3200 BC — Development Of Cuneiform Begins

  • One of the earliest forms of writing
  • Wedge-shaped writing that is a system of pictographs
  • Symbols represent complicated thoughts

9. The Epic Of Gilgamesh

  • Written in cuneiform
  • Considered the first epic writing and was made around 2700 BC
  • Gilgamesh was the ruler of Uruk
  • The story centers on his search for eternal life
  • 1 chapter similar to the story of Noah (Utnapishtim)

10. Protoliterate Period

  • The period in which human civilization got into the early stages of learning how to read and write
  • For a culture to have a written language in its early developing stages
  • After the Sumerians other civilizations began to emerge in the Fertile Crescent region

Akkadians: Sargon The Great

  • Ruler of Akkad
  • Created the first empire known to history
  • Invaded and captured Sumer, conquering the last Sumerian king Lugal-zagesi
  • Various legends about his origins
    • One story says he was the previous king's cupbearer and the son of a gardener and that he usurped the throne
    • The other version says his mother was the priestess who gave birth in secret and floated him in a reed basket down the river
  • The Empire reached its height under his grandson: Narim-Sin
  • Then it declined after his death

Babylonians: Hammurabi

  • King Hammurabi — developed Hammurabi’s Code
  • First written code of law
  • Based on the eye for an eye principle
  • Other Accomplishments: Improved irrigation, improved army, and repaired temples
  • The empire collapsed almost immediately after his death