Harriet Crawford - Sumer and the Sumerians

SUMER AND THE SUMERIANS
by Harriet Crawford

Mesopotamia produced one of the best-known ancient civilisations, with a literate, urban culture and highly developed political institutions. Writing primarily for a non-specialist audience but drawing on the most up-to-date historical and archaeological sources, Harriet Crawford reviews the extraordinary social and technological developments in the region over a period of two millennia, from 3800 to 2000 B.C. She describes the physical environment and discusses architecture, trade and industry, the development of writing and changes in social and political structures. The final chapter examines the shift in power during this period from the ‘temple’ to the ‘palace’.

Contents:

1. The rediscovery of the ancient Near East the physical environment
2. History chronology and social organisation
3. Patterns of settlement and agriculture
4. Town planning and temple architecture
5. Public buildings and private housing
6. Life, death and the meaning of the universe
7. Manufacturing industry and trade
8. Writing and the arts
9. Conclusions the development of Sumerian society