History Begins at Sumer
Book description
Which civilization had the first system of law? The first formal educational system? The first tax cut? The first love song? The answers were found in excavations of ancient Sumer, a society so developed, resourceful, and enterprising that it, in a sense, created history. The book presents a cross section…
Why read it?
2 authors picked History Begins at Sumer as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
History Begins at Sumer explains lucidly how the Sumerian people, particularly the city of Uruk on the banks of the Euphrates River in what is now Iraq, the city over which Gilgamesh is said to have ruled, was responsible for many world firsts.
These included the use of the wheel, literature, organised schooling, an administrative structure, and many of those features that enable the functioning of what we now would consider a true city. An example that others were soon to follow.
From Jeffrey's list on the time of Gilgamesh.
Although this book is not strictly about mythology, fans will doubtless be enthralled by this historical and technological tour de force. Kramer shows how Sumer is truly the cradle of civilization, by focusing on the remarkable advances, discoveries, inventions, and innovations attributed to the inhabitants of ancient Sumer. In my opinion this shift in perception is critically important if we are to begin to see our ancient ancestors as intelligent rational beings rather than superstitious cultic dolts.
From Ken's list on ancient Sumerian mythology.
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