Sumerian Human Environment

1460 Words6 Pages
Since the first civilization formed, the physical environment that surrounds mankind has played a vital role in how well the civilization prospers. Ancient civilizations that flourished in Mesopotamia and Egypt are examples of how influential the physical environment can be. Around 10,000 BCE, the first civilization formed in Mesopotamia and was named Sumer. Sumer was located in what is now called southern Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Because Sumer was located in a region with sandy soil and high temperatures, it seemed like an improbable place for a civilization to form. The annual rainfall was only eight inches a year and there were little to no natural resources such as stone or timber located in Sumer (Backman 3).…show more content…
In order to explain natural phenomena, they spiritualized nature. The Sumerians separated existence into three divisions called Heaven, the Great Above, and the Great Below. Heaven was described as the day and night sky where Anu and a group of spirits known as the Igigi resided. The Great Above contained the area between the sky and the surface of the earth. The Annunaki resided in the Great Above. The Summerians would often make sacrifices, offer prayers, and ask help from the Annunaki, which consisted of the gods and goddesses that controlled natural phenomena. Enlil, the god of the air, Enki, the god of fresh water, Nammu, the goddess of salt water, and Ninmah, the goddess of Fertility, were all part of the Annunaki. Humans were made by Enki in order to provide food and comfort for the gods (16). In order to be blessed with favorable conditions for growing agriculture, the Sumerians would offer the gods prayers and sacrifices (17). In each city of Sumer, temples were erected for a particular god or goddess, which served as an earthly home for that god or goddess and a place where prayers, hymns, and gifts were given to the…show more content…
Similar to the Sumerian society, the ancient Egyptians built their civilization near a river. Egypt consisted of two regions, the Lower Egypt and the Upper Egypt. Both regions were centered on the Nile River and together made up approximately twelve thousand square miles of cultivable land. Every year the Nile River would flood starting in August and by April it would reach nearly twenty feet above the standard level (20). The flooding would result in “more than one hundred million tons of rich sediment to replenish the banks” (20). Other than the land near the Nile River’s edge, most of the land in Egypt was uninhabitable. The Nile was the only source of water for the Egyptians because there was no rainfall year round. The barren Sahara desert surrounded the Egyptian civilization with only one land bridge as way of entering and exiting ancient Egypt. This worked in favor of the Egyptians by acting as protection and mediated gateway from
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