Sumer 1

It is the oldest language and cultre (known) to mankind. It is older even than the ancient Egyptian heiroglyphics. The pictures in stone of rockets from/to the sky, men with masks as if they were breathing appratises. They are also the first to hve an alien deity (from outter space). Large eyed depicted-like an owl-stone or clay figures. The lexicon has not entirely been decifered even after all these centuries.

When Sumer's language died out, Akkadian took its place and became the oldest written language. Sumerian has never become an international language, though it is believed that there were several dialects. There is no clear deffinition between nouns and verbs. There are 16 consonants: g h k l m p r s t z to name a few and four vowels: a i e u.

Sumer has 4 historical periods: Archaic, Old or Classical, New and Post

Archaic: Before 3100 to around 2500BC. Cuneiformtexts from business and administrations, as well as school texts. Structures and vocabulary of archaic Sumerian is still known, due to challenges with too few recourses.
Old or Classical: around 2500 until2300 BC.  Lots of sources available here. Frist  rulers of Lagash. Business, law, administration and even private inscriptions. Reconstruction of grammar and vocab of old Sumerian.
New: around 2300 until 2000BC. Akkadian gained ground. The Sumerian language became spoken only in Sumer Proper. During Dynasty of Ur, Sumerian returned as the main language of that region, when in 2000BC new people came into the region mainly as Amorites and established the powers of Mesopotamia, their language, Amorite, became the state language.
Post: This variant of Sumerian is really the dying phase of New Sumerian but it would take about 2000 years. Became a writtn language only in cuneiform writing. While their language was dying, this period is the most productive and many old texts were written down first now. Sumerian would gain an importance and status not too different for long has engjoyed in Europe. Even in the beginning of the 4thCBC Sumerian text would be transcribed by scholars in Greek letters.

High Religion

An established  axis of the society. Unique temple structures. Priest responsibilities.

Private Religion

Continued into the level of family and individual, leaving the dealings with the main gods to the religous and political elite. The ordinary men and women revered their special gods and acted out their specific rituals. The High and Private might mingle through annual ceremonies.

Consepts of Gods

There were numereous gods. A city had its own central god, different from the others though certain deities were shared, often at an elevated position, no system was ever developed for a coexistence of the city gods. Gods were revered through man-like status. To each god was attributed important powers. The highest of Sumerian gods was An, who represented Heaven. His wife Ki represented the earth. The highest god below them was Enki at Eridu, Enlil at Nippur, and Innanna at Uruk.. Other gods were Utu at Sippar and Nanna at Ur.

Concept of Man

Myths told that man was created by the gods out of clay with the purpose to serve them (the gods).
There was a clear symbiosis between man and god.. Gods controled human fate. Humans-especially leaders, were in charge of keeping the gods happy.


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