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Period: 10,000 BCE to 9000 BCE
Development of agriculture in Mesopotamia
Area in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and northern Mesopotamia develop optimal conditions for agricultural revolution:
1) Even landscape with low, rolling foothills and valleys
2) Extremely fertile soil
3) Frequent rainfall -
Period: 10,000 BCE to 6000 BCE
Permanent settlements appear and grow
Presence of stable, dependable food production led to the development of permanent settlements that would grow slowly into villages (bands of families that collaborate to achieve growing goals. -
Period: 6000 BCE to 5000 BCE
Gulf waters recede (go away from shore)
At this time, all of Mesopotamia's farming settlements were in the north. Due to climatic changes, Persian Gulf waters receded, allowing for gradual southward migration into the region soon to be Sumer. -
Period: 4000 BCE to 3500 BCE
Decrease of settlements in North/Increase in South
Increased population density (more people in a smaller area) contributes to further migration. -
3800 BCE
Bigger area revealed by continued geographic changes
An even greater amount of water recedes from the coastline, unearthing the most attractive land for new settlements -- a "paradise" that produced many high-yield harvests a year. By this time, major southern city-states are being built, such as Ur in 3800 BCE. Neighboring villages, which have shared in the prosperity of the region for some time, form these city-states that contribute a new level of complexity:
1) Larger social structure
2) Degree of specialization
3) Sense of identity -
2900 BCE
The Mythical "Great Flood"
According to Sumerian myth, a great flood destroys much of southern Mesopotamia, which forces the remaining city-states to unite under Etana of Kish ("lugal" or king). At this point, the balance of power shifts away from the ensi (priest-kings) and toward the aristocratic, land-owning "big men". -
2334 BCE
Sargon the Great becomes king
In a series of military campaigns, Sargon the Great captures Sumer, uniting it with the many city states to the north. By the end, he had created an empire that connected the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea. -
2300 BCE
Enheduanna writes and distributes her hymns
Enheduanna, high priestess of Ur, writes and distributes her temple hymns. They are the oldest literary compositions in human history to have a credited author. -
2154 BCE
The Akkadian Empire collapses
The once-mighty empire falls to Guitian invaders from the east, leading to an extended period of instability in the region. -
1800 BCE
The "Epic of Gilgamesh" is transcribed
The story of Gilgamesh, a mythical king believed to rule the city of Uruk from 2800 to 2500 BCE, is chronicled in an epic tale that would solidify a sense of reverence for the old Sumerian civilization.
