Sumerians the
pioneer of Fertile Crescent
The earliest known inhabitants in the cradle of civilization were the Sumerians
(black headed people) believed to have come from central Asia as early as 4,000 B.C., Biblically; the area was known as the plain of Shinar and was called Sumerian or summer.
The Sumerians were polytheistic, meaning they believed in many gods, worshipping nature. They pictured life after death as a shadowy world. It was a world without color, where their souls would just disappear. There was no heaven and no hell. They offered sacrifices to please their gods. Each Sumerian city- state had its protector god as well as other less powerful gods. A priest class grew to take care of the temples and the religions needs of the people. They practiced divination.
Sumerians were the first to use the wheeled vehicle. It made transport on land so much better and faster. They
invented a sowing machine known as plough for their agricultural activities and introduced the use of government seal.
They also developed a system of writing known as cuneiform. To preserve their writings they baked the clay tablets to harden them. They also invented the numerical system based on number 60, the mathematical operations and geometric calculations. Sumerians also drew up a calendar of 12 months based on the cycles of the moon.
For their weapons, they mixed alloy and tin. Their work were admired because their products were skillfully crafted and beautiful