Sumerian Civilization: The Birth of Cities and Innovations

The Sumerian civilization, located in Mesopotamia, was the first empire to rise in a challenging environment. They developed irrigation, built cities with mud bricks, and invented the wheel. Sumerians established city-states with a social hierarchy and built ziggurats for their deities. They expanded through trade and invented cuneiform writing for accounting. Despite invasions, Sumerian culture influenced subsequent empires like the Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians, leaving a lasting legacy.

What was the primary building material used by the Sumerians to construct their cities?

• Stone

• Mud bricks

• Metal

• Wood

Which invention is attributed to the Sumerians that significantly impacted transportation and pottery?

• The compass

• The plow

• The wheel

• The loom

What was the role of the ziggurat in Sumerian cities?

• A temple for the city's patron deity

• A defensive structure

• A marketplace

• A royal palace

How did the Sumerians initially use their writing system?

• As a system of accounting

• To write literature

• To record laws

• For religious texts

What was the primary purpose of Sumerian schools?

• To educate future priests

• To teach military tactics

• To train scribes in writing and accounting

• To instruct in agriculture

Which epic story is associated with the Sumerian city of Uruk?

• The Odyssey

• The Epic of Gilgamesh

• The Aeneid

• The Iliad

Which of the following resources did the Sumerians import through their trade network?

• Iron

• Spices

• Cedar wood

• Silk

Who conquered the Sumerian city-states around 2300 BCE?

• Cyrus the Great

• Nebuchadnezzar

• Sargon of Akkad

• Hammurabi

Which cultures preserved and passed on Sumerian traditions after their decline?

• The Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians

• The Persians and Romans

• The Egyptians and Greeks

• The Hittites and Phoenicians

What was a significant factor in the decline of the Sumerian civilization?

• Economic collapse

• Natural disasters

• Internal rebellion

• Invasions by nomadic tribes