Ancient Stories Of The Sumerians - 1763 Words

The Sumerians Although, we widely attribute the ancient stories of the Sumerians to pure mythology, they went to great lengths to understand and create a way to record their history, society structure, and development; just as we do for historical events today. The most accepted view on what makes a culture civilized or having obtained civilization â€Å"is a culture which has attained a degree of complexity, usually characterized by urban life† (Guisepi). As far as the Sumerian culture is concerned, they created our foundation for what we consider today, as the standards for civilization. Even though human exploration and discoveries continue to uncover previously unknown chapters of our story here on earth, the extensive amount of archeological evidence we have for the Sumerians and time frame, allow us to accredit them for over 100 ‘firsts’ for the human civilization from their ingenuities, accomplishments, and inventions. Many of which we can still see in use, in some form, in our modern society today. According to Samuel Kramer, â€Å"For those not familiar with this remarkable, resourceful and intelligent people, who not only invented writing but also established the true mythological foundations of all main religions of the world, simply put, they taught us almost everything†. The Sumerians settled in Mesopotamia around 4000 BCE. between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which is known today, as southern Iraq. Notice the word â€Å"settled† in the previous sentence. RecentShow MoreRelatedComparing The Epic Of Gilgamesh1476 Words   |  6 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh is a Sumerian epic of the great king Gilgamesh and his deeds on Earth in ancient mesopotamia and in the city of Uruk. It is an important historical text because it is one of the oldest western epics and because it explains much about how the ancient Sumerians viewed the Gods (Mark). The epic contains the tells of Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Utnapishtim, and many Gods and Goddesses of ancient Sumeria specifically Ishtar, the Goddess of love. In the tale Gilgamesh is created by the GodsRead MoreReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1301 Words   |  6 PagesStories about quests are common tales told throughout history and in many different cultures. All quest stories follow the same pattern and have the same archetypes. The first stage in a quest is the call to adventure or the protagonist s separation from his or her daily life. The next stage is the , threshold stage. After threshold is initiation or loss and the final stages are, the ultimate boon and return. Within every quest, there is also some lesson to be learned by the protagonist. The EpicRead MoreThe Sumerians Were The Most Successful Ancient Civilization Essay1551 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The Sumerians were the most successful ancient civilization. The first reason is they created the first written language. The second reason is they achieved many things. The last reason is that they invented many things. Cuneiform The Sumerians were the most successful ancient civilization because they created the first written language. For example, without the Sumerians, we humans would not have the invention of writing. Their writing was called cuneiform. Cuneiform is whenRead MoreAncient Civilization And Modern Day Iraq And Kuwait Essay1279 Words   |  6 PagesAncient Sumerian Civilization The ancient civilization of Sumer was located in modern-day Iraq and Kuwait, and is believed to have begun around 6000 B.C. It is considered ‘The cradle of civilization’ by most historians, because it’s where the first elaborate urban societies appeared. Sumerians were polytheistic, and had a pantheon consisting of many gods and goddesses, who were anthropomorphic superhumans. The Sumerians held a unique view of creation, the afterlife, and worship. They contributedRead MoreEssay on Gilgamesh vs. Genesis1436 Words   |  6 Pagesour society, which is overwhelmingly Judeo-Christian, students often find it difficult to compare Bible stories with tales from other cultures, because our own belief system is wrapped up in the prior, and it is hard for many of us to go against our traditional faith to evaluate them objectively. But in a comparison of the Biblical book of Genesis with the ancient Sumerian text, Epic of Gilgamesh, many parallels suggest that the same type of spiritual searching inspired theRead MoreCreation Myths : The Creation Of Ulligara And Zalgarra1272 Words   |  6 Pagesboundaries for future stories, while establishing certain themes within that universe. In other words, creation myths function as an introduction to a specific universe which they belong in. Likewise, â€Å"The Creation of Ulligara and Zalgarra† is a Sumerian Myth that explains the relatively simple relationship between men and divine, while demonstrating many important themes for the Sumerian society. It defines men’s role in creation, illustrates nature’s significance, and explains the Sumerian society’s perceptionRead MoreThe Historical And Cultural Value Of The Ancient Mesopotamia1442 Words   |  6 PagesThe ancient Mesopotamia, the ancient Egyptians, the ancient Indus Valley, and the ancient China are known as the four great major ancient civilizations in human history. Each of the unique culture and society that the ancient civilization developed w ere the sources of the extensive knowledge of philosophy, science, literature, art and other aspects of today’s human civilization. The existent of the myths and the epics found in the ancient civilization sites are the sign of human primary form of cultureRead MoreThe Origins Of Our Cities1726 Words   |  7 Pageswanted to do some research on the Sumerian civilization around the fertile crescent and how the ancient Sumerian deities, the Anunnaki, played a part in influencing their way of life and their formation of their cities/communities. My interest started from my own curiosity of how people from the past all have similar stories of how human civilization began and how its early achievements were influenced by a god or gods. As a Korean American, I heard of similar stories as a young child from my visitsRead MoreThe Great Mesopotamian Temples742 Words   |  3 PagesThomas World History In 4000 B.C.E., ziggurats were located in the heart of every Mesopotamian or Persian city-state. A ziggurat is a massive stepped tower on which was built a temple dedicated to the chief god(dess) of a Sumerian city. They were inspired by the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, which is found in Genesis 11:1–9. One of the largest ziggurats is about seven-hundred feet high and uses hundred of thousands of bricks. Ziggurats can only be accessed by stairs or a type of spiral rampRead MoreThe Greatest Hero Figure Of Ancient Mesopotamia Essay977 Words   |  4 Pagesbelieved in and how it is thought of compared to today s society and culture. The best-known individual of Mesopotamia was Gilgamesh. He was in a cycle of stories called Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was the greatest hero figure of ancient Mesopotamia. Though the stories focus on the adventures of both Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu, the stories explored themes like ambition and the longing for immortality. These them es reflected the interests of the urban-based society that emerged in Mesopotamia