During this unit, I learned about many different topics.
One of those topics was the domestication of plants and animals. I learned that domestication didn't occur right after humans started settling, but it actually came later. I also learned that when plants and animals are domesticated, they adapt so that they rely on humans for their survival over a long period of time. Domestication led to farming, which led to surplus which meant that not everyone in a group or clan or village was needed for getting food, which led to people having more free time and the development of culture.
Another topic I learned was about the transition from hunter-gatherer communities to the first civilizations. This transition happened slowly over time and was very important. Humans were originally nomadic and followed their food, which was usually a herd of animals. As time went by, people started settling for long periods of time in various places and eventually lived there full-time. This is what happened in the fertile crescent.
An additional topic i learned about was early religion and beliefs. As religion evolved and became more complex, temples were built in large cities and priests were appointed. Sacrifices were also made to the gods. The priests were the original leaders of the city, but they were later replaced by kings.
If someone said to me, "Learning about the Sumerians isn't very
important since they're long gone!" I would tell them about all of the important things that they invented that we still use today, like the sail, the plow, the book and the wheel. Without these contributions to history, our life would be very different.
One of those topics was the domestication of plants and animals. I learned that domestication didn't occur right after humans started settling, but it actually came later. I also learned that when plants and animals are domesticated, they adapt so that they rely on humans for their survival over a long period of time. Domestication led to farming, which led to surplus which meant that not everyone in a group or clan or village was needed for getting food, which led to people having more free time and the development of culture.
Another topic I learned was about the transition from hunter-gatherer communities to the first civilizations. This transition happened slowly over time and was very important. Humans were originally nomadic and followed their food, which was usually a herd of animals. As time went by, people started settling for long periods of time in various places and eventually lived there full-time. This is what happened in the fertile crescent.
An additional topic i learned about was early religion and beliefs. As religion evolved and became more complex, temples were built in large cities and priests were appointed. Sacrifices were also made to the gods. The priests were the original leaders of the city, but they were later replaced by kings.
If someone said to me, "Learning about the Sumerians isn't very
important since they're long gone!" I would tell them about all of the important things that they invented that we still use today, like the sail, the plow, the book and the wheel. Without these contributions to history, our life would be very different.
This is a wheel that the Sumerians made.
This is a fragment of the first book, The Epic of Gilgamesh.
