REVIEWER FOR STS CHAPTER 1
1.1 Early Civilizations
• Early humans have learned to use
stone tools for survival, used to
hunting fish and wild animals,
prepare food, and make shelter.
• Learned how to use fire that allowed
then to cook, provide heat and light.
• Early humans are called nomads,
because they are people who stays on
the move looking for food without a
permanent home.
1.2 Sumerian Civilization
• The first civilization began in
Mesopotamia, aka “land between the
rivers” derived from the Greek words
meso (middle) and potam (river)
since it was located between Tigris
and Euphrates rivers. Identified with
fertile crescent, it is within the
following boundaries.
• The Sumerians were the first people
to settle in Mesopotamia to create a
civilization by the development of
methods and technologies in
agriculture, language, governance,
architecture etc. around 4500 BCE
the Sumerians built cities along the
rivers in South Mesopotamia.
1.2.1 Cities and Ziggurats
There are several great cities made by
Sumerians these are the pertinent ones:
• The one that was considered first true
city in in the world is the city of uruk
• Each of the cities had corresponding
kings living in a ziggurat with temple
at the top for their high priest to serve
their patron gods and goddesses.
• Ziggurats began to appear 2200 B.C.,
these are pyramid-like, stepped
temples which is either square or
rectangular, no inner chambers with
height around 170 feet, built with
sunbaked bricks for inside structure
and fired bricks for the outside.
• Staircases led to the top of the
structure of the ziggurat for the priest
to utilize.
Major cities in Mesopotamia
Eridu
Uruk
Ur
Larsa
Isin
Adab
Kullah
Lagash
Nippur
Kish
