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Sumerian Empire Facts & Worksheets

Sumer was an ancient civilization that flourished between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia, part of the Fertile Crescent. Sumerians are known for inventing language, administration, architecture, and other aspects of civilization.

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Sumer was an ancient civilization that flourished between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia, part of the Fertile Crescent. Sumerians are known for inventing language, administration, architecture, and other aspects of civilization.

See the fact file below for more information about the Sumerian Empire, or you can download our 29-page Sumerian Empire worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • The Sumerian city-states grew in prominence throughout the prehistoric Ubaid and Uruk periods. Sumerian recorded history dates back to the 27th century BCE and earlier, but the historical record is hazy until the Early Dynastic III period (2900-2334  BCE). In the 23rd century BCE, the language of written documents became more comprehensible, allowing archaeologists to study contemporary records and artifacts.
  • The Akkadian Empire (2334-2218 BCE) was the first to combine significant portions of Mesopotamia. Following the Gutian period (2218-2047 BCE), the Ur III dynasty (2047-1940 BCE) united parts of northern and southern Mesopotamia. 
  • Ubaid Period. It is distinguished by a unique style of good-quality painted pottery that expanded over Mesopotamia. The oldest evidence of occupation is from Tell el-‘Oueil. However, the circumstances in southern Mesopotamia were conducive to human occupation long before the Ubaid period.
  • Uruk Period. By the Uruk period, the volume of commercial products carried down southern canals and rivers. Sumerian cities probably began to employ enslaved labor abducted from the hill region during the Uruk period, and the earliest texts have enough evidence of captive enslaved people working. 
  • The Uruk era civilization, transported by Sumerian traders and immigrants (as seen at Tell Brak), impacted all surrounding peoples, who progressively developed their parallel, competing economies and cultures. Sumerian cities were unable to maintain remote, long-distance settlements by military power.
  • Akkadian Empire. Sargon of Akkad built the Akkadian Empire. Texts written wholly in Old Akkadian date back to c. 2500 BCE. The use of Old Akkadian peaked under Sargon the Great’s reign, but most administrative tablets were still written in Sumerian, the language of the scribes.
  • 2nd Dynasty of Lagash. Following the downfall of the Akkadian Empire by the Gutians, another native Sumerian ruler, Gudea of Lagash, ascended to local prominence and perpetuated the Sargonic claims to deity.
  • Fall and transmission. The event is usually thought to coincide with a significant population migration from southern Mesopotamia to the north. Ecologically, growing salinity was threatening Sumerian agricultural productivity. Soil salinity in this area has long been acknowledged as a significant issue. Poorly drained irrigated soils in an arid climate with rapid evaporation caused a buildup of dissolved salts in the soil, significantly reducing agricultural productivity.
  • On the other hand, the independent Amorite nations of the twentieth to eighteenth centuries are described as the “Dynasty of Isin” in the Sumerian king list, culminating with Babylonia’s ascent under Hammurabi c. 1800 BCE.

POPULATION

  • Uruk, one of Sumer’s greatest cities, is thought to have had a population of 50,000-80,000 at its peak; given Sumer’s numerous cities and massive agricultural population, a reasonable estimate of Sumer’s population could be between 0.8 million and 1.5 million. 
  • The Sumerians spoke a language isolate, although some linguists believe they can discern a substrate language of unknown classification since the names of some of Sumer’s main cities are not Sumerian, indicating impacts from earlier people.
  • Some scholars believe the earliest Sumerian speakers were farmers who traveled from northern Mesopotamia after establishing irrigation cultivation. 
  • Meanwhile, others have proposed a Sumerian continuity from indigenous hunter-fisherfolk traditions connected with bifacial assemblages found along the Arabian coast. 

CULTURE

  • Social and Family Life. Sumerian culture was male-dominated and hierarchical. The Code of Ur-Nammu, the earliest codification yet unearthed, dates from Ur III and provides insight into the social order in late Sumerian law. Women played a significant role in early Sumerian public life as priestesses.
  • They might also possess land, conduct commerce, and have their rights upheld by the courts. The status of women worsened in the centuries following 2300 BCE when their ability to dispose of their possessions was restricted, and the female goddesses lost their prior status.
  • Furthermore, inscriptions from King Urukagina of Lagash (c. 2350 BCE) state that he prohibited polyandry in his country and sentenced women who had several husbands to be stoned with rocks engraved with their crimes.
  • Language and Writing. The most noteworthy archaeological discovery in the Sumerian Empire is the numerous clay tablets written in cuneiform script. Sumerian writing is considered a watershed moment in humanity’s ability to construct literary works such as poetic epics, stories, prayers, and laws.
  • Although the writing system was initially hieroglyphic with ideograms, logosyllabic cuneiform soon emerged. Triangular or wedge-shaped reeds were used for writing on damp clay. Hundreds of thousands of Sumerian-language manuscripts have survived, comprising personal and business correspondence, receipts, vocabulary lists, legislation, hymns, prayers, stories, and daily records. 
  • Monumental inscriptions and texts on different objects are also very common. Documents exist in many versions because scribes frequently recorded them in training. Sumerian remained a form of religion and law in Mesopotamia even after Semitic speakers had gained dominance.

RELIGION AND DEITIES

  • The Sumerians entrusted their divinities with all matters concerning them and remained humble in the face of cosmic powers such as death and divine wrath. Sumerian religion appears built on two distinct cosmogenic stories. Meanwhile, Sumerians practiced anthropomorphic polytheism, believing in multiple gods who take on human form. There was no unified set of gods, with each city-state having patrons, temples, and priest-kings. Nonetheless, these were not mutually exclusive; gods from one city were sometimes honored in others.

ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE

  • The Sumerians were excellent artists. Sumerian artifacts are highly detailed and ornamented, with excellent semi-precious stones from other nations. Some of the most notable works, the Lyres of Ur, are thought to be the world’s earliest surviving stringed instruments. 
  • Sumerian structures were built using plano-convex mudbrick, not mortar or cement. The most spectacular and well-known Sumerian structures were ziggurats, which were substantial stacked platforms that supported temples. 

ECONOMY AND TRADE

  • The Tigris-Euphrates Plain lacked minerals and vegetation.
  • The Epic of Gilgamesh describes trade with distant nations for products like wood, which were rare in Mesopotamia. The discovery of resin in Queen Puabi’s tomb at Ur suggests it was sold from as far away as Mozambique. The Sumerians utilized enslaved people. However, they played a minor role in the economy. Enslaved women worked as weavers, presses, millers, and porters.

LEGACY

  • In the mid-4th millennium BCE, evidence of wheeled vehicles arose in Mesopotamia, the Northern Caucasus, and Central Europe, which resulted in wheeled vehicles and mill wheels. They invented and developed arithmetic using a variety of number systems. Meanwhile, the first true city-states emerged in Sumer, roughly concurrently with similar entities in what is now Syria and Lebanon. Several centuries after the discovery of cuneiform, writing grew beyond debt/payment certificates and inventory lists, with the first messages and postal shipment, history, legend, mathematics, astronomical records, and other interests appearing around 2600 BCE.

Sumerian Empire Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Sumerian Empire across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Sumerian Empire. Sumerians are known for inventing language, administration, architecture, and other aspects of civilization.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Sumerian Empire Facts
  2. 3 O’s: Odd One Out
  3. Sumerian Wordscapes
  4. 2 Heads, Better Than 1
  5. Where do I Belong?
  6. Famous Artworks
  7. Cities of Sumer
  8. #WomenEmpowerment
  9. Unifier or Divider?
  10. Code of Ur-Nammu
  11. Sumerian Symbols

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Sumerian Empire?

The Sumerian Empire was one of the earliest civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia, flourishing between the 4th and 3rd millennium BCE. It was characterized by advanced city-states such as Uruk, Ur, and Lagash, which were renowned for their monumental architecture, invention of writing (cuneiform script), and complex social structures.

What were the major achievements of the Sumerian Empire?

The Sumerians made significant contributions to human civilization, including the invention of the wheel, the development of irrigation systems, and the establishment of the earliest known form of writing. They also built impressive ziggurats (temple complexes), practiced advanced agriculture, and were pioneers in astronomy and mathematics.

How did the Sumerian Empire govern itself?

The Sumerian Empire was organized into independent city-states, each ruled by its own king. These city-states often engaged in conflicts and alliances, vying for dominance in the region. The kingship was typically hereditary, with the ruler serving as both the political and religious leader. Additionally, the city-states had councils and assemblies that played roles in decision-making.

What led to the decline of the Sumerian Empire?

Several factors contributed to the decline of the Sumerian Empire, including internal strife, external invasions, and environmental challenges such as droughts and floods. The constant conflicts among the city-states weakened the region, making it vulnerable to conquest by outside forces. Eventually, the empire fell to the Akkadians under Sargon the Great around 2334 BCE, marking the end of Sumerian dominance in Mesopotamia.

What is the legacy of the Sumerian Empire?

The Sumerian Empire’s legacy is profound and far-reaching. It laid the foundation for many aspects of modern civilization, including writing systems, legal codes, and urban planning. Sumerian myths and religious beliefs also influenced later civilizations in the region, such as the Babylonians and Assyrians. Additionally, their innovations in agriculture and technology set the stage for future developments in human history.

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