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1、SumerianCivilization Itisanastonishingfactthathumancivilizationshouldhaveemergedintothelightofhistoryintwoseparateplacesatjustaboutthesametime.Between3500and3000B.C.whenEgyptwasbeingunitedunderpharaonicruleothergreatcivilizationaroseinMesopotamiathe“land
2、betweentherivers.”Andforclosetothreethousandyears,thetworivalcentersretainedtheirdistinctcharacters,eventhoughtheyhadcontactwitheachotherfromtheirearliestbeginnings,andtheirdestinieswereinterwoveninmanyways.Thepressurethatforcedtheinhabitantsofbothregion
3、stoabandonthepatternofNeolithicvillagelifemaywellhavebeenthesame.ButthevalleyoftheTigrisandEuphratesrivers,unlikethatoftheNile,isnotanarrowfertilestripprotectedbydesertoneitherside.Itresemblesawide,shallowtroughwithfewnaturaldefenses,crisscrossedbytwogre
4、atriversandtheirtributaries,andiseasilyencroacheduponfromanydirection.ThusthefactsofgeographytendedtodiscouragetheideaofunitingtheentireMesopotamianareaunderasinglehead.Rulerswhohadthisambitiondidnotappear,sofarasweknow,untilaboutonethousandyearsafterthe
5、beginningofMesopotamiancivilization,andtheysucceededincarryingitoutonlyforbriefperiodsandatthecostofalmostcontinuouswarfare.Asaconsequence,thepoliticalhistoryofancientMesopotamiahasnounderlyingthemeofthesortthatdivinekingshipprovidesforEgypt.Localrivalri
6、esforeignincursions,thesuddenupsurgeandequallysuddencollapseofmilitarypower–thoseareitssubstance.Againstsuchadisturbedbackground,thecontinuityofculturalandartistictraditionsseemsallthemoreremarkable.Thiscommonheritageisverylargelythecreationofthefounders
7、ofMesopotamianCivilization,whomwecallSumeriansaftertheregionofSumer,whichtheyinhabited,neartheconfluenceoftheTigrisandEuphrates.TheoriginoftheSumeriansremainsobscure.Theirlanguageisunrelatedtoanyotherknowntongue.Sometimesbefore4,000B.C.theycametosouthern
8、Mesopotamia,fromPersia,andthere,withinthenextthousandyears,theyfoundedanumberofcity-statesanddevelopedtheirdistinctiveformofwritingincuneiform(wedge-shaped)charactersonclaytablets.nUnfortunately,thetangibleremainsofSumeria
