How did the Sumerian civilization begin?

The
Sumerian civilization is the first civilization to develop on Earth. To understand how the
Sumerian civilization developed, it is first important to take a look at how humans existed
before the development of Sumer. For much of human history, people were nomadic
hunter-gatherers. This meant that they roamed from place to place to hunt animals and forage for
food. Eventually, humans discovered farming in what would become known as the Agricultural
Revolution or Neolithic Revolution.

When humans discovered farming, a few
significant changes occurred. First, in order to farm, people had to remain in one place to tend
to the crops they hoped to grow. This helped lead to the development of civilization in Sumer,
because people were able to build more permanent structures. Another big impact that came about
from the Neolithic Revolution was the fact that more food could be produced with less effort
from all of the individuals within the society. This meant that instead of focusing all human
efforts on hunting and foraging for food, a few people could farm, while others focused on other
productive activities. This led to the development of new jobs, responsibilities, and technology
that would change how humans existed. Finally, farming allowed for population growth, which
meant more people available to make efforts to advance society.

Another
factor we must take into account when considering the rise of Sumer is its location. Located in
modern day Iraq, Sumer was founded in the Fertile Crescent, near the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers. Much like many other ancient civilizations, the location of Sumer near rivers helped to
ensure its survival. The rivers provided water for crops to grow and allowed for the effects of
the Neolithic Revolution to take hold for the Sumerians.