The Sumerians were a non-Semitic caucasoid people, and spoke a language isolate; a number of linguists believed they could detect a substrate language beneath Sumerian, because names of some of Sumer's major cities are not Sumerian, revealing influences of earlier inhabitants. However, the archaeological record shows clear uninterrupted cultural continuity from the time of the early Ubaid period (5300 – 4700 BC C-14) settlements in southern Mesopotamia. The Sumerian people who settled here farmed the lands in this region that were made fertile by silt deposited by the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. COUNT 5
QSN1 Who were a non-Semitic caucasoid people? ANS1 The Sumerians QSN2 What influences did the Sumerian language seem to retain? ANS2 earlier inhabitants QSN3 What do archaeological records clearly show about the Sumerian culture? ANS3 uninterrupted cultural continuity QSN4 When were settlements started in southern Mesopotamia? ANS4 early Ubaid period QSN5 Why were the lands in the region the Sumerian people settled fertile? ANS5 silt deposited by the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers