Literature

• According to "Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspectives" by Jane R. McIntosh, the world's earliest writing system began in Sumer in the late fourth century B.C. Early Sumerian writing consisted of numerical and pictorial markings on clay tablets that were mainly used to record economic exchanges. Over time, Sumerians began to write signs to represent sounds of speech and developed a complex cuneiform script that consisted of wedge-shaped strokes on clay tablets. By 2500 B.C., Sumerians had an extensive writing tradition that included historical material, literary works, epic poems, royal inscriptions and legal documents. A substantial amount of Sumerian literature consists of hymns and mythological poetry.
  
  

Temple Building

• In "The Sumerians," author Elaine Landau says that the Sumerians had a specific deity that protected each city. To honor the city's patron deity, it was customary for Sumerians to build a temple at the center of every city. Sumerians built many of their temples with huge pillars and added designs to the outside of the structures by using clay nails with colored nail heads. Ziggurats were central features to many Sumerian cities. Ziggurats, or pyramid-shaped terrace towers, consisted of three to seven levels. At the top of the ziggurat was most likely a shrine.
  
  

Marriage

• According to "Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia" by Stephen Bertman, the Sumerians' idea of love related more to business and property than to emotional connections. Marriage was a business arrangement between a prospective groom, or the groom's father, and the groom's future father-in-law. To arrange a marriage, the families of the bride and groom negotiated and signed a marriage contract that united the families. An important religious tradition in Sumer was the sacred marriage, which took place at the New Year's festival. The sacred marriage celebrated the union between the goddess Inanna and her lover, the god Dumuzi. It is believed that during the ritual, the Sumerian king, who represented Dumuzi, mated with a priestess, who symbolized the incarnation of the goddess Inanna. The sacred marriage ritual was meant to ensure the fertility of the land.
  
  

Death

• In "The Sumerians," author Elaine Landau describes the burial customs of Sumerian kings. Sumerians buried their kings with luxuries to take with them into the next world. Archaeologists have uncovered kings' tombs that contain carved wagons and chariots decorated with stones and animals. Kings were also buried with servants, court attendants and musicians who would serve them in the next life. Everyday Sumerians buried their family members beneath their homes, since under the house foundations lay the family crypts. The dead were buried with personal possessions. Some Sumerians were laid to rest in cemeteries on the outskirts of cities.