Sumerian Calendar

Sumerian Calendar explores the origins of timekeeping with the first recorded calendar system developed in Mesopotamia. This world history book reveals how profoundly the Sumerian calendar, with its lunar cycles and adjustments for the solar year, influenced agriculture, religious festivals, and administration within Sumerian society. Intriguingly, this early system laid the groundwork for calendars still in use today, highlighting the Sumerians' deep understanding of astronomy. The book examines the calendar's structure, its societal integration, and its lasting legacy, drawing on cuneiform texts and archaeological findings. Furthermore, it traces the calendar's influence on later civilizations like the Babylonians and Assyrians, and its connections to Hebrew and Greek calendars. This approach combines detailed calendar analysis with its social and cultural significance.

Organized to guide readers, the book first introduces the basics, then explores its use in Sumerian life, and finally, traces its influence on subsequent cultures.