Sumerians Quiz: Places, People and Key Facts

This Sumerians quiz covers Ur, Uruk, Gilgamesh, cuneiform writing, ziggurats, the wheel and Sumerian city-states. Ten questions on places, people and key facts from the world's first civilization in southern Mesopotamia.

Start Sumerians Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Region
Where did the Sumerians live?
Writing
What writing system did Sumerians develop?
Cities
Which Sumerian city may have been the world's first true city?
Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was king of which city?
Temples
What were Sumerian temple towers called?
Ur
Which archaeologist excavated the Royal Tombs of Ur?
Inventions
Which invention is credited to the Sumerians?
Time
Sumerian counting in base 60 gave us what?
Beer
Which goddess was associated with Sumerian beer?
Government
How was Sumer organized?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Where did the Sumerians live?
Answer: Southern Mesopotamia
Their land is in modern southern Iraq.
Q2: What writing system did Sumerians develop?
Answer: Cuneiform
It began around 3200 BC for record keeping.
Q3: Which Sumerian city may have been the world's first true city?
Answer: Uruk
It may have had 40,000 people around 3000 BC.
Q4: Gilgamesh was king of which city?
Answer: Uruk
His epic is among the oldest literature.
Q5: What were Sumerian temple towers called?
Answer: Ziggurats
They were dedicated to city gods.
Q6: Which archaeologist excavated the Royal Tombs of Ur?
Answer: Leonard Woolley
He found gold helmets and lyres in the 1920s.
Q7: Which invention is credited to the Sumerians?
Answer: The wheel
Early wheels date to about 3500 BC.
Q8: Sumerian counting in base 60 gave us what?
Answer: 60-minute hours
It also gave 360 degrees.
Q9: Which goddess was associated with Sumerian beer?
Answer: Ninkasi
A hymn to her includes a recipe.
Q10: How was Sumer organized?
Answer: Independent city-states
Cities like Ur and Lagash were rivals.

Sumerians Quiz – The First Civilization

The Sumerians lived in southern Mesopotamia more than 5,000 years ago and are credited with creating the first civilization. Their city-states, such as Uruk, Ur, Lagash and Eridu, were built around temples and irrigation canals.

They invented cuneiform writing, the wheel, the plow and a base-60 number system. They studied the stars, wrote laws and literature and built ziggurats to honor their gods.

Sumer was later absorbed by the Akkadians and Babylonians, but its achievements lived on. Much of what we know comes from clay tablets preserved for thousands of years.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is for history fans exploring the Sumerians.

Where Sumer was
What writing they invented
Which city was first
Who Gilgamesh was
Why we have 60 minutes

Did You Know?

The Standard of Ur shows war and peace.
Sumerians used cylinder seals.
Schools were called tablet houses.
The Sumerian King List mixes history and legend.
Sumerian is a language isolate.