Sumer, in southern Mesopotamia, served as the cradle of civilization where cities, writing, and agrarian society first developed from earlier Ubaid settlers.
Sumer established the model of urban kingship, law, and civilization in southern Mesopotamia, producing numerous cultural innovations and enduring through defined historical periods.
Mesopotamian city laments: a way to explain mass suffering
City laments portray urban destruction as divine decision resulting in abandonment by the city's tutelary god, suffering, and eventual restoration through the god's return.
The word for"wind": How ancient civilizations explained an invisible force
Sumerian cuneiform recorded weather terms including a word for wind, lil, with wind understood primarily through its visible effects rather than its invisible cause.
How to Write in Cuneiform, the Oldest Writing System in the World: A Short Introduction
Learning cuneiform can begin with hands-on activities, but true mastery of the syllabic Mesopotamian system requires years and access to museum tablet collections.
