Sumerians

The Sumerians, from 4000 BCE to 2000 BCE, were one of the earliest known civilizations, located in southern Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). They are credited with the invention of writing (cuneiform), building city-states like Uruk and Ur, and developing a complex pantheon of gods that shaped their culture. Sumerian mythology included gods like Enlil and Inanna, and mythical creatures such as the Anzu bird. These stories laid the foundation for later Mesopotamian cultures.