The Language of Sumer
The Sumerian's most important cultural contribution was probably their invention of writing and the Sumerian language. This language was rarely spoken after about 2000 B.C. The Sumerian script, which is called Cuneiform, had wedge-shaped marks in clay, made with a reed pen(stylus). These symbols were originally used for record-keeping. Most of the records were used for running a buisness running of a city-state. Archaeologists have recovered many clay tablets from Sumer. Most of those clay tablets are records of temple buisness transactions, palace archives. Many works of Sumerian literature has survived to this day. Some of them are Royal Hymns and famous poems that were well-known at the time. The most famous piece of sumerian literature was probably the poem that features Gilgamesh, a legendary ruler of Uruk. The earliest tales and poems about this ruler was probably about around 2100 B.C. There is a version of the poem about Gilgamesh written in the Akkadian language. The written word was the sumerians most important invention.