The first civilization rose in Mesopotamia, the area between two rivers, Tigris and the Euphrates, in what would be Iraq today. Contributions to the advancement of economic, technological, political, religious, class factors all allowed for the establishment of the Sumerian civilization. The earliest cities, found by the Ubaid people around 5900 B.C.E., shared a common culture, language, and set of beliefs. Although they had a common religion, it did not produce peace. The residents had a conventional village life, spending their time on construction, weaving, pottery making, metalwork and trade. Agriculture was one of the new technologies that allowed the Sumerians to master the environment of Mesopotamia. The land was full of fertile soil and marshland; The surrounding violent rivers were also prone to seasonal flooding. Farmers quickly learned how to make simple channels into more sophisticated canals, as well as make collection pools more efficient by lining them with stone. To control the flooding, residents also learned to construct dikes and levees, directing the excess water into irrigation canals. It will be these complex irrigation systems that would make the Sumerian and future civilizations possible. …show more content…
Buildings that started out as shrines, soon became impressive temples. Built of dried mud bricks and dedicated to god individual gods, temples were in every Sumerian city and helped to make worship a central role in civil life. One example a temple is the White Temple at Urak, built around 3400 B.C.E., it is said to be designed to provide the regions god with a mountaintop home. These structures also lead to the development of writing, as well as the melding of political and religious