Sumerian Civilization: The Discovery of Time and Destiny

Shariq Ali
Valueversity

In human history, the Sumerian civilization holds a unique and distinguished place. It flourished between approximately 4100 BCE and 1750 BCE in the fertile plains between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Sumer is often called the “land of civilized kings,” and rightly so, because it was here that humanity first established the concepts of organized urban life, law, writing, and the state.

One of the most astonishing intellectual achievements of the Sumerians was the measurement of time. They introduced a base-60 numerical system, on which the modern division of time is still based: one hour consists of sixty minutes, and one minute of sixty seconds. In this way, the modern clock is, in fact, an inheritance of ancient Sumerian thought.

Religion was at the center of Sumerian life. They believed in a powerful group of deities known as the Anunnaki.

According to their beliefs, these gods were the offspring of heaven and earth and determined human destiny, life, and death. In Sumerian mythology, these deities are portrayed as passing judgment on human actions, reflecting the moral awareness, fears, and hopes of people of that era.

Although today these narratives are regarded as myths, it remains true that the Sumerians were the first to teach humanity that the universe is not merely a coincidence, but an intelligible system.

Writing, law, time, and religion—these are the foundational bricks of Sumer upon which all later civilizations were built.

Sumer is, in essence, the place where humanity began to think for the first time in recorded history.