sumérien

The Sumerians were an ancient civilization and cultural region that emerged in the southern part of Mesopotamia, in modern-day Iraq, during the Chalcolithic period. Their civilization is considered one of the earliest in human history. The Sumerian language, a language isolate, is known from the earliest written records of human history.

Sumerian civilization flourished between the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE. They developed a complex society with city-states such as Uruk, Ur, Lagash, and Eridu. These city-states were characterized by monumental architecture, including ziggurats, and sophisticated irrigation systems that supported agriculture. The Sumerians are credited with numerous innovations, including the invention of writing in the form of cuneiform script, which was initially used for administrative and economic purposes. They also developed advanced mathematics, astronomy, and legal systems.

Sumerian religion was polytheistic, with a pantheon of gods and goddesses who were believed to control natural forces and human destiny. Their mythology and epic poems, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, have had a lasting influence on later Mesopotamian cultures and beyond. The Sumerian civilization eventually declined and was absorbed by Akkadian and other Semitic-speaking peoples, but their cultural and technological achievements laid the foundation for subsequent civilizations in the region.