Sumerian Contributions

Sumerian ContributionsBefore about 4500 B.C., lower Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigrisand Euphrates rivers just north of the Persian Gulf, was much less denselypopulated than other inhabited regions of the Near and Middle East. Its marshysoil, subject to annual inundations (floods) from the rivers, was not suited tothe primitive hoe culture of early agriculture, in which land was cultivatedwithout domestic animals or beasts. Moreover, the land was virtually treelessand lacked building stone and mineral resources. During the next thousandyears, however, this unpromising area became the seat of Sumer, the firstgreat civilization known to history, with large concentrations of people, bustlingcities, monumental architecture, and a wealth of religious, artistic, and literarytraditions that influenced other ancient civilizations for thousands of years. Theexact sequence of events that led to this culmination is unknown, but it is clearthat the economic basis of this first civilization lay in its highly productiveagriculture.The word “unpromising” in the passage is closest in meaning toA.unfavorableB.underdevelopedC.distantD.expansiveAccording to paragraph 1, which of the following was NOT true of lowerMesopotamia before 4500 B.C.?A.It was flooded every year by rivers.B.Its soil was unsuitable for Stone Age hoe culture agriculture.C.It was comparatively dense in population.D.It had few treesThe natural fertility of the rich black soil was renewed annually by the silt leftfrom the spring floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Harnessing its fullproductive power, however, required an elaborate system of drainage andirrigation, which in turn required a large and well-disciplined workforce as wellas skilled management and supervision. The latter were supplied by a class ofpriests and warriors who ruled a large population of peasants and artisans.Through taxation and other means the rulers extracted wealth from thepopulation and then used it to construct temples and other public buildings andto create works of art. That gave them (or some of them) the leisure to perfectthe other refinements of civilization.According to paragraph 2, which of the following was true of the soil in lowerMesopotamia?A.It was relatively unfertile until humans added other, richer types of soilto it.B.It reached full productivity only when elaborate drainage and irrigationsystems were added.C.Its most valuable nutrients were washed away by the spring floods ofthe Tigris and Euphrates rivers.D.Its silt was removed by a large, well-disciplined workforce.According to paragraph 2, which of the following was true of priests andwarriors in Sumerian society?A.Their technical expertise was essential in the development of newirrigation and drainage systems.B.They encouraged peasants and artisans to perfect the refinements ofcivilization.C.They were responsible for managing an...