The plow was invented by the Sumerians in 3000 BCE. The plow was first invented to be used as a tool to help dig through the soil (Lewis, MA History, and BA History). As city-states like Uruk and Ur's populations rose, crops were needed even more. The creation of the plow supported farmers so they could work double the time with oxen pulling the plow. This allowed large fields to be dug through faster, allowing for crops to be grown in more masses. The plow also held cultural value as well, Ninurta, a Sumerian god, of springtime, thunder, and rainstorms had the plow as their symbol (Britannica).

The Mesopotamians used the plow to dig holes inside the ground from dry soil to reach the fertile soil underneath. The plow was often pulled by oxen while three men worked together to steer the plow. One man the "chief" would stand on the side with a whip to guide the oxen, and the second man would be holding a bag of seeds dumping them into a small tube that was guided by the third man (The Penn Museum). The plow helped to prepare fields for large masses of crops to be planted at a faster pace, helping to produce more food to feed the city-state's people.

Today's world has changed drastically from the times of Mesopotamia. However we still heavily rely on agriculture for food, population growth, and trade (Bowman). We may not hook the plow up to oxen like they did in 3000 BCE or horses in the 1800's, but we still rely on the plow. It has helped grow crops in recorded time to help supply our population. We can now have apples in the winter thanks to the trading world system (Zimmermann and Rapsomanikis). Crops are transported for other crops or money, the same the Surmains did in 3000 BCE.