Mesopotamia
The Daily Life of the Sumerian People
Appearance:
The men of Sumer usually had long hair and beards, and wore skirts and coats made of felt. The women wore their hair in long braids which were wrapped around their heads. They also wore skirts and had long shawls that were draped across their left shoulders. The right shoulder and arm was left bare.
Housing:
Regular Sumerian houses were made of reeds and mud bricks, (stone buildings were nonexistent). They had only one floor and a court in the center. Surrounding this were several rooms. However, the houses of wealthy people were different than these. These houses were two stories high and had twelve rooms, including quarters for the servants. The walls were sometimes whitewashed on both the inside and the outside, and often had private mausoleums or chapels.
Rights:
Men were always superior to women, even though women had the rights to take part in business and to own property. Children, however, had few rights. Their parents had absolute authority over them. If a child disobeyed his father, he could be disinherited or could become a slave.
Economy and Society:
Typically, the jobs of Sumerians were in the farming business, where 90% of the population worked. 7% were known for their metalwork, and the remaining 3% were nobles. There were three classes of the Sumerians: nobles, commoners, and slaves. Nobles were classified as friends of the god-king, preists, or generals of the army. Almost everybody was a commoner, and slaves were most often criminals.
The men of Sumer usually had long hair and beards, and wore skirts and coats made of felt. The women wore their hair in long braids which were wrapped around their heads. They also wore skirts and had long shawls that were draped across their left shoulders. The right shoulder and arm was left bare.
Housing:
Regular Sumerian houses were made of reeds and mud bricks, (stone buildings were nonexistent). They had only one floor and a court in the center. Surrounding this were several rooms. However, the houses of wealthy people were different than these. These houses were two stories high and had twelve rooms, including quarters for the servants. The walls were sometimes whitewashed on both the inside and the outside, and often had private mausoleums or chapels.
Rights:
Men were always superior to women, even though women had the rights to take part in business and to own property. Children, however, had few rights. Their parents had absolute authority over them. If a child disobeyed his father, he could be disinherited or could become a slave.
Economy and Society:
Typically, the jobs of Sumerians were in the farming business, where 90% of the population worked. 7% were known for their metalwork, and the remaining 3% were nobles. There were three classes of the Sumerians: nobles, commoners, and slaves. Nobles were classified as friends of the god-king, preists, or generals of the army. Almost everybody was a commoner, and slaves were most often criminals.
Sumerian City
The Remains of a Sumerian City Today
