Mesopotamia; Origin of Civilization
Anthony Garone
Who were the Sumerians?
The ancient Sumerians were the first civilization, and are credited for “one hundred firsts”. This list is comprised of most of the things we use today. Among those many inventions are practical, physical items such as the wheel, the plow and writing. In addition to these pragmatic inventions, they are also credited with the establishment of government, art, mathematics, and astronomy. Sumerians established their city states in an area that is known as Mesopotamia (circa 3500-3000 BC), between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Sumeria is known as the "sudden civilization" by scholars because this remarkable culture seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
Where was Sumeria?
Mesopotamia (between two rivers), in general, refers to the area of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where Iraq is today. Sumeria refers to the southern delta region, whose primary cities included Ur, Uruk, and Eridu. Ur is known as the birthplace of Abraham, and Uruk is the city in which the legendary king Gilgamesh lived. Akkad was a region north of Sumer which included the area surrounding modern Baghdad as well as the ancient sites of Babylon, Kish, and Nippur.
What is Cuneiform?
Cuneiform was an form of writing invented by Sumerian scribes. A wet slab of clay or tablet, and a stylus (one end being slightly flared), were used to create written records. By pressing the stylus onto the wet clay at various angles, scribes were able to produce alphanumeric characters. Thankfully, thousands of these clay tablets that have survived over the years, and it has enabled scholars to learn what life was like in Sumeria thousands of years ago
What is a Cylinder Seal?
In addition to cuneiform, the Sumerians used cylinder seals to record their history. This clay slab has been created using a cylinder seal. Negatives of images and text were carved onto a cylindrical stone, and then rolled onto wet clay to create scenes depicting anything from financial transactions to fascinating cosmogonies. Originally, cylinder seals were used by lawyers and professionals to "stamp" legal documents, much as a Notary uses seals today. As the use of cylinder seals became more widespread, they became much more elaborate, depicting important events in Sumerian history as well.
The object on the left is the cylindrical stone with the negative image "carved" into it. The object on the right is the clay after the cylinder of stone is rolled upon it, creating the positive image from the stone.
Yours truly standing next to the Guardian in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Ashurnasirpal II temple reconstruction. A most incredible, mind boggling place.
Sumerian Gods
The Sumerian gods enjoyed an extended lifetime - on the average of three thousand years - as compared to our brief mortal existence. This pantheon of gods was the first pantheon, and civilizations that followed (Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome etc.) simply made modifications and name changes to the original pantheon. There is scholarship which suggests there was interaction with Egypt, that would account for some of the similarities between these two great cultures.
As with younger cultures, the gods were often affiliated with cities, where special temples were constructed to honor them. For instance, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Uruk was the city of the goddess Inanna, hence her infatuation with Gilgamesh. Incidentally, Iraq gets its monicker from that ancient city of Uruk.
An artists conception as to how people in the ancient city of Uruk may have lived. People generally slept on thief roofs at night to escape the desert heat.
When you begin to look into these incredible cultures, you will find that the gods of Sumeria, Assyria and Babylon are identical with the exception of their names. For instance, the Sumerian goddess Innana is known to the later Babylonian and Akkadian cultures as Ishtar.
The Sumerians had four leading deities, known as "creating gods". Here is a brief description of these immortals:
An
An was the sky god, father and king of the Sumerian pantheon. He was the god of the kings (much like Horus was to the Pharaohs of Egypt) and was not friendly to the common people. He was the son of Anshar and Kishar who were beings who preceded the gods. According to Sumerian legend, An took over Heaven when it was separated from Earth, creating the universe as we know it. Although he was known as the "leader" of the Sumerian pantheon, he was the most obscure of all the gods, with very little information and no images or depictions in the various temples throughout Mesopotamia remaining.
Enlil
Enlil was known as the "wind/storm-god" and the god of the lands and of the earth. He was initially the leader of the pantheon, but relinquished his position to An. Enlil was the most important god of the Sumerian pantheon, however he had a short fuse and was responsible for the great flood (this is one of many similarities between the Sumerian mythology and the Bible). He was also credited with the creation of mankind. His wife was Ninlil. He was the "King of the Annunaki", and acted as their counsellor warrior.
Inanna
Inanna was a fertility goddess, but also a powerful goddess of war. She is often accompanied by a lion, and is sometimes depicted riding it. She was known to fly around in her "sky chamber" in the cedar mountains. She is a type of "black widow spider" - in that she would select a mate and then kill him after a passionate night of lovemaking. She attempted to entice Gilgamesh and was rejected by him, at which point she asked her father An to unleash the "Bull of Heaven" upon Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The Sumerian goddess Lillith, draws parallels to the woman who preceded Eve in the Bible. Lillith could also be affiliated with Inanna. She has been resurrected currently as a woman who is independent and not requiring the assistance of a man.
Here is a picture of Inanna. She was often depicted with no clothing, occasionally riding a lion.
Enki
Enki was known as the god of the subterranean waters. He was in charge of the bolt which bars the sea. He was the "Lord of Wisdom" and "Lord of Incantations". Enki's words came to life - what he spoke became reality. He was the son of An.
Other Sumerian gods included those in charge of rivers, mountains, and plains; of cities, fields, and farms; and of tools such as pickaxes, brick molds, and ploughs.
The Afterlife
The Sumerians believed a great domed roof contained the sky, the stars, the moon, and the sun which lighted the cities beneath it. They also believed that below the earth swirled the dim nether world; a fearsome abode of demons and the kingdom of the dead. Enlil and Enki were credited with creating the cattle, sheep, plants, the yoke and the plough to provide sustenance for themselves and less important deities, but these minor gods lacked the resolution to make use of this bounty. As a result, man was fashioned from clay and given breath so he might tend the sheep and cultivate the fields for the gods.
The most striking difference between the Sumerians and later cultures was in the Sumerian concept of the afterlife.
It was not a pretty one.
Sumerians believed that when people died, they went to an awful place where the spirits of men ate dust and crawled on their bellies. This place was known as the "house of dust" - and after a years time of ghostly existence, the soul of the deceased would fade away into oblivion.