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1、SumerianCivilization（经典加试全英版）Itisanastonishingfactthathumancivilizationshouldhaveemergedintothelightofhistoryintwoseparateplacesatjustaboutthesametime.Between3500and3000B.C.whenEgyptwasbeingunitedunderpharaonicrule,othergreatcivilizationaroseinMesopotamiathe“land
2、betweentherivers.”Andforclosetothreethousandyears,thetworivalcentersretainedtheirdistinctcharacters,eventhoughtheyhadcontactwitheachotherfromtheirearliestbeginnings,andtheirdestinieswereinterwoveninmanyways.Thepressurethatforcedtheinhabitantsofbothregionstoabando
3、nthepatternofNeolithicvillagelifemaywellhavebeenthesame.ButthevalleyoftheTigrisandEuphratesrivers,unlikethatoftheNile,isnotanarrowfertilestripprotectedbydesertoneitherside.Itresemblesawide,shallowtroughwithfewnaturaldefenses,crisscrossedbytwogreatriversandtheirtr
4、ibutaries,andiseasilyencroacheduponfromanydirection.ThusthefactsofgeographytendedtodiscouragetheideaofunitingtheentireMesopotamianareaunderasinglehead.Rulerswhohadthisambitiondidnotappear,sofarasweknow,untilaboutonethousandyearsafterthebeginningofMesopotamiancivi
5、lization,andtheysucceededincarryingitoutonlyforbriefperiodsandatthecostofalmostcontinuouswarfare.Asaconsequence,thepoliticalhistoryofancientMesopotamiahasnounderlyingthemeofthesortthatdivinekingshipprovidesforEgypt.Localrivalries,foreignincursions,thesuddenupsurg
6、eandequallysuddencollapseofmilitarypower–thoseareitssubstance.Againstsuchadisturbedbackground,thecontinuityofculturalandartistictraditionsseemsallthemoreremarkable.ThiscommonheritageisverylargelythecreationofthefoundersofMesopotamianCivilization,whomwecallSumeria
7、nsaftertheregionofSumer,whichtheyinhabited,neartheconfluenceoftheTigrisandEuphrates.TheoriginoftheSumeriansremainsobscure.Theirlanguageisunrelatedtoanyotherknowntongue.Sometimesbefore4,000B.C.theycametosouthernMesopotamia,fromPersia,andthere,withinthenextthousand
8、years,theyfoundedanumberofcity-statesanddevelopedtheirdistinctiveformofwritingincuneiform(wedge-shaped)charactersonclaytablets.unfortunately,thetangibleremains
