The Sumerian World (Routledge Worlds)

being intensified in the surrounding areas such as Syria to the north and west (Cooper,
McMahon and Pinnock) and Iran (Lamberg-Karlovsky). As a result, we can now
present the Sumerian world in its historical context more accurately than previously
and can assess its achievements in the light of those of its neighbours. It is becoming
clear that its influence in the first half of the millennium was perhaps less important
than was previously thought. There are surprisingly few traces of Sumerian influence
at sites such as Mari and Brak (Margueron, McMahon).

PART VI

Tenuous links also existed with countries even further away from Sumer, countries
which may have seemed semi-mythical to its inhabitants. Dilmun in the Arabian Gulf
was one of these, and its relations are discussed by Carter, while those of the Indus
valley, which was perhaps as sophisticated as Sumer itself, is described by Thornton.
The complex question of the possible relations between Egypt and Mesopotamia is
explored by Stevenson.

POSTSCRIPT

It has often been suggested that the life of the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq must
resemble that of the first inhabitants of the region. There is no direct link between the
past and the present, but describing the life of the traditional Marsh Arabs, and
especially their technology, gives us a new perspective on the lives of their early
forebears. The postscript is written by a man who has done more than anyone else to
return the marshes to their original state and to allow the Sumerian homeland to be
reborn (Alwash).
The Sumerians have never had the high public profile which the Egyptians enjoy
and it is interesting to speculate on why this should be so. Perhaps it is connected to
the durability and high visibility of such magnificent monuments as the pyramids and
the Sphinx; perhaps it relates to a public fascination with mummies; perhaps it is
fuelled by the lively paintings in many of the tombs. Mesopotamia has none of these
things, but it has many less striking remains which paint a fascinating picture of one
of the most interesting periods in the history of man, a time when innovations which
would shape the future of the world can be identified for the first time. It is hoped
that this book will help to restore the Sumerians to their rightful place and make their
achievements more accessible to a wide range of people.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all my authors for allowing themselves to be bullied into writing
such excellent chapters for this book and the team at Routledge, especially Matt
Gibbons, Amy Davis-Poynter and Janice Baiton, for making it happen.

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