History Begins at Sumer Author:Samuel Noah Kramer The very beginnings of man's history are recorded in the strange wedge-shaped marks inscribed upon the tablets of Sumer. Unearthed about a century ago from the mounds in Mesopotamia where they had lain for more than 3,000 years,... the tablets tell the story of a civilization long forgotten, where culture as we know it was born. ... [the author]... more » describes 27 "firsts" in human history ...[and constructs a] vivid picture of everyday life 5,000 years ago.« less