Page 163 - A Historical Lie: The Stone Age
P. 163
From 3,000 BCE onward, the Sumerians brought large areas under their control by con-
stantly founding large city-states.
Akkadians enabled civilization to preserve in Mesopotamia.
In their time, the Sumerians made significant developments in
all fields, from technology to art and from law to literature. They had
well-developed trade and a powerful economy. Bronze work,
wheeled vehicles, sailing boats, statues and monumental structures
are some of the evidence of their rapid progress that has survived to
the present day. In addition, the Sumerians are known to have pos-
sessed many handcrafts that have not survived. The weaving and
dyeing of wool—an important export commodity for Mesopotamian
cities—can be cited as one of their developed lesser arts. 64
The Sumerians also had a developed social structure. Their
state was a monarchical one, with the priest-king ruling with the
help of a series of officials. After the harvest, these would share the
produce among the people, and visit and inspect the fields.
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