Week 2: Ancient Sumer 2,000 BC

For our second week, we traveled back in time to 2,000 BC ... to Sumer in Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers. We learned that this was the first place where people settled and built permanent cities. And, our smart junior archaeologists figured out why ... these were the first people to learn how to farm! We even got to taste one of the first foods that these people cultivated - the pomegranate. 

 We explored one of the most famous archaeological sites: the city-state of Ur, and got to see some of the treasures found in the royal tombs including the very cool (and fancy) headdress of Queen Puabi. It included 24 feet of gold ribbon!

Queen Puabi's gold headdress, found in Ur.

The Sumerians were the first to do a lot of important things. They invented the wheel, the sailboat, and written language (called cuneiform). But, they didn't invent paper so they kept all their records on clay tablets. Since only scribes knew how to write, regular people had personal cylinder seals so they could "sign" their name. The kids made their own cylinder seals and got to take home air-dry clay to make tablets just like the Sumerians. Who knows, in 5,000 years someone may find them and be curious about us!

Next week we are heading to Ancient Egypt to explore the mysteries of King Tut's tomb.