= Economy = (11)

Explore the Sumerian economy in Age of Empires IV, detailing their food production, resource acquisition (copper by 4000 B.C.), and extensive trade networks.

The Sumerians cultivated a variety of crops, including wheat, barley, peas, onions, turnips, and dates. They also raised cattle and sheep, and supplemented their diet through fishing and hunting wildfowl along the river, which generally led to abundant food supplies and population growth.

While the river valleys lacked copper, the Sumerians obtained it from ore found in the eastern and northern mountains. They mastered copper extraction by 4000 B.C. and began producing bronze by 3500 B.C.

Sumerian merchants engaged in trade, exchanging food, cloth, and manufactured goods for essential raw materials like timber, copper, and stone. These materials were then used to create items for daily use, weapons, and valuable trade goods. Their trade expeditions traveled up the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to connect with peoples in Anatolia and along the Mediterranean coast. Additionally, they traded through the Persian Gulf to acquire goods from India and regions further east.