KS2 Ancient Sumer | What was Mesopotamia's Civilisation

History Quiz - Ancient Sumer (Questions)

Travel back to Ancient Sumer and discover how early cities, farmers, and scribes helped shape history in this KS2 History quiz on the world’s first civilisation.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Sumerians invented cuneiform, one of the earliest writing systems, by pressing reed sticks into soft clay tablets.

In KS2 History, you learn how Ancient Sumer grew along the rivers of Mesopotamia. Pupils explore farming, trade, early cities, and how writing helped people record stories, laws, and payments.

Key Terms

Cuneiform: An early form of writing that used wedge shaped marks pressed into clay.
City state: A city and the land around it that ruled itself, with its own gods and leaders.
Ziggurat: A tall stepped temple building where Sumerians believed they were closer to their gods.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is Ancient Sumer in KS2 History?

Ancient Sumer was an early civilisation in Mesopotamia, in parts of modern Iraq and Kuwait. It is studied in KS2 because it shows how some of the first cities and laws developed.

Why is cuneiform writing important to historians?

Cuneiform is important because it lets historians read records made by Sumerians themselves. These clay tablets tell us about trade, farming, stories, school work, and even arguments from long ago.

Where was Ancient Sumer located on a map?

Ancient Sumer was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in an area called Mesopotamia. On a modern map this region lies mostly in southern Iraq near the Persian Gulf.

Try These Related Quizzes

Where did the Ancient Sumerians live?

[ ]	Mesopotamia
[ ]	Egypt
[ ]	Greece
[ ]	Mexico

What was a ziggurat?

[ ]	A stepped platform with a temple built on top
[ ]	A house
[ ]	A meeting place
[ ]	A stepped platform with an amphitheatre on top

What was the name of the city excavated by the British archaeologist Woolley?

[ ]	Babylon
[ ]	Eridu
[ ]	Enki
[ ]	Ur

What did the Sumerians first use to make records?

[ ]	Pictograms
[ ]	Hieroglyphs
[ ]	Letters
[ ]	Runes

What was the name of the Sumerian writing?

[ ]	Hieroglyphs
[ ]	Runes
[ ]	Alphabet
[ ]	Cuneiform

What were the people who could write called?

[ ]	Teachers
[ ]	Clerks
[ ]	Scribes
[ ]	Priests

What was the story that the Sumerians wrote down?

[ ]	The Story of the Minotaur
[ ]	The Epic of Gilgamesh
[ ]	The Story of Beowulf
[ ]	The Trojan War

What were Sumerian homes built of?

[ ]	Wood
[ ]	Mud bricks
[ ]	Wattle and daub
[ ]	Stone

Who did Sumerians believe were controlling their lives?

[ ]	King
[ ]	Themselves
[ ]	Gods
[ ]	Fate

10.

What type of game was found at Ur?

[ ]	Ball game
[ ]	Card game
[ ]	Quiz game
[ ]	Board game

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Ancient Sumer

History Quiz - Ancient Sumer (Answers)

Where did the Ancient Sumerians live?

[x]	Mesopotamia
[ ]	Egypt
[ ]	Greece
[ ]	Mexico

Mesopotamia was in modern day Iraq

What was a ziggurat?

[x]	A stepped platform with a temple built on top
[ ]	A house
[ ]	A meeting place
[ ]	A stepped platform with an amphitheatre on top

The ziggurat was usually built in the centre of the city

What was the name of the city excavated by the British archaeologist Woolley?

[ ]	Babylon
[ ]	Eridu
[ ]	Enki
[x]	Ur

Woolley excavated the site of Ur from 1922 to1934. The city was founded in 3800 BC and abandoned 3,300 years later

What did the Sumerians first use to make records?

[ ]	Pictograms
[x]	Hieroglyphs
[ ]	Letters
[ ]	Runes

These hieroglyphs evolved into writing over time

What was the name of the Sumerian writing?

[ ]	Hieroglyphs
[ ]	Runes
[ ]	Alphabet
[x]	Cuneiform

Cuneiform was first used around 3000 BC. It is one of the oldest systems of writing

What were the people who could write called?

[ ]	Teachers
[ ]	Clerks
[x]	Scribes
[ ]	Priests

Scribes were first used for keeping records. They then went on to write down stories

What was the story that the Sumerians wrote down?

[ ]	The Story of the Minotaur
[x]	The Epic of Gilgamesh
[ ]	The Story of Beowulf
[ ]	The Trojan War

Gilgameshwas a legendary king of Uruk in Mesopotamia, who lived sometime between 2800 and 2500 BC

What were Sumerian homes built of?

[ ]	Wood
[x]	Mud bricks
[ ]	Wattle and daub
[ ]	Stone

The houses were two or three storeys high with flat roofs