Question

not much rain falls during the year in mesopotamia. sumerian farmers created an irrigation system to water their crops, especially during the dry season. the farmers dug ditches to bring water from the rivers to the fields. the flow of water was regulated by dams and gates.
the sumerians invented the first system of writing. called cuneiform, it consisted of wedge - shaped marks. the marks were pressed into clay tablets with a stylus, or pointed stick. the sumerian written language contained more than 700 symbols. each symbol stood for a name of something, an idea, or a sound. the cuneiform system of writing was later used by other peoples of mesopotamia.
a list of fields, or farms, in sumer. cuneiform dated about 2400 b.c.
21
global studies
decoder of cuneiform
the sumerians invented cuneiform, the first system of writing. in modern times, no one could read cuneiform until the secret of its meaning was unlocked, or decoded. this was done by sir henry rawlinson, a 19th - century british army officer and scholar.
in 1833, major rawlinson was sent to iran. when not occupied with his military duties, he pursued his interest in irans ancient past. he became determined to translate the cuneiform writings carved on the wall of a 1,700 - foot cliff at bisitun. the only way rawlinson could do this was by dangling from a rope 500 feet above the ground. after two years of work, he was able to decode the first two paragraphs of the writings.
in 1846, after more than 10 years of work, rawlinson succeeded in translating the persian and mesopotamian forms of cuneiform. historians had gained a valuable tool for investigating ancient middle east civilizations.
● why do you think historians regard sir henry rawlinson as a pioneer?
the sumerians were the first people to use wheeled vehicles for transportation. they also invented the arch, a curved structure built to support weight over an opening in a building. the temples in which the sumerians worshiped their gods were the largest and tallest buildings in the city - states. these ziggurats, as the temples were called, were towers with many levels.
religion played a very important part in the life of the sumerians. they believed that everything that happened was the will of the gods and could not be changed. much sumerian literature describes their religious beliefs. other literary works, such as the poem gilgamesh, tell about the adventures of heroic individuals. part of gilgamesh is the story of a great flood that nearly destroyed the world. (it is similar to the account of noah and his ark in the old testament of the bible.)
throughout most of their history, the sumerian city - states fought against one another. about 2360 b.c., a strong leader named sargon forced the city - states to unite under his rule. sargons rule lasted for about 55 years. after his death, foreign invasions and new wars among the city - states caused the downfall of sumerian civilization.

Explanation:

Sir Henry Rawlinson decoded cuneiform, the first - ever writing system. Before him, no one in modern times could read it. His work gave historians a crucial tool for studying ancient Middle - East civilizations.

Answer:

Historians regard Sir Henry Rawlinson as a pioneer because he decoded cuneiform, the first system of writing. Before his work, cuneiform was unreadable in modern times, and his achievement provided historians with a valuable means to investigate ancient Middle - East civilizations.