Sumerian King List

The Sumerian King List is a big list of all the kings and rulers of ancient Sumer, which is an old civilization that existed thousands of years ago. It is written on a big clay tablet and has been found by scientists who study history.

Imagine you have some toy cars and you love to play with them. One day, you decide to make a list of all your toy cars, from the oldest to the newest. That's what the Sumerians did, but instead of toy cars, they made a list of their kings and rulers.

So, this list tells us who was in charge of Sumer at different times, from the very beginning when humans first started to organize themselves into cities, to when the Babylonians conquered them. It is like a family tree of all the powerful people who ruled over the area known as Sumer.

It's important because it helps us understand how the people of Sumer lived and how they organized themselves. The list also tells us about different events that happened during each king's reign, like when they built temples or went to war.

The Sumerian King List is also interesting because it shows us how the Sumerians thought about history. They believed that their civilization was very ancient and had been ruled by gods before humans took over. Some of the king's names even include the names of gods, like Dumuzid, who was both a god and a king.

Overall, the Sumerian King List is a big, old list of all the rulers of Sumer, ranging from the beginning of civilization to when they were conquered by the Babylonians. It helps us understand how the people of Sumer lived and how they organized themselves, as well as how they thought about their history.