Sumerian Culture and Traditions
                     SUMERIAN CULTURE 
AND TRADITIONS
INTRODUCTION
The Sumerians were one of the earliest 
civilizations. Their growth and expansion 
were dependent on rich river valley 
farmlands. 
They were not as fortunate as others in 
terms of mineral resources or strategic 
position, however, and did not enjoy the long 
reign of the Egyptians
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EARLY CULTURES
The Sumerians are considered one of the 
most important early cultures, nevertheless, 
because of the many advances attributed to 
them. 
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INNOVATIONS
 Because their location was weak in terms of 
defense and poor in terms of resources, they 
were forced to innovate. 
In many ways, they were more important to 
history because of their innovations than the 
much richer Egyptians.
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LOCATION
Sumer was in southern Mesopotamia 
(meaning “between the rivers”) where the 
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers come together 
before flowing into the Persian Gulf. 
By 5000 BCE, primitive farmers had come 
down to the valley from the Zagros 
Mountains to the east. 
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CAPITAL
As a conglomeration of city-states, there was 
no clear capital for the Sumerians because 
the center of power shifted from time to 
time. The cities of Ur, Lagash, Erech, Eridu, 
and Uruk were the most important.
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RISE TO POWER
From 5000 to 3000 BCE, the agricultural 
communities of Sumer gradually coalesced 
into city-states along the banks of the Tigris 
and Euphrates Rivers. The peak of this city-
state culture lasted from 2900 to 2400 BCE. 
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ECONOMY
The Sumerians grew wheat, barley, peas, 
onions, turnips, and dates. They raised cattle 
and sheep, fished, and hunted wildfowl along 
the river. 
Food was generally abundant, and 
populations grew accordingly. There was no 
copper in the river valleys, but copper was 
found in the mountains to the east and north. 
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TRADE
 The Sumerians learned how to obtain 
copper from ore by 4000 BCE and to make 
bronze by 3500 BCE. They traded food, cloth, 
and manufactured items for raw materials, 
such as timber, copper, and stone. 
Their merchants traveled up the Tigris and 
Euphrates to trade with the people of 
Anatolia and the Mediterranean coast. They 
also traded in the Persian Gulf for items from 
India and further east.
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RELIGION
The Sumerians worshipped hundreds of 
gods, with each city having its own patron 
deity. The principal gods were too busy to 
bother with the plight of individuals. 
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CULTURE
 The Sumerians did not believe in a heavenly 
afterlife and were realistic about the limits of 
human goodness. 
They accepted that although the gods were 
above question, they were not always kind. 
The soul and center of each city-state was its 
temple to the patron god.
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