What are some of the important contributions of the Sumerians to later society?

Perhaps the greatest contributions of the Sumerians was
the invention of the wheel; it allowed merchants and others to transport items over much
further distances and soon was adapted to a plethora of other uses. Among their other
accomplishments was the creation of bronze by combining copper and tin, and later the
ability to forge tools and weapons from iron. Another important contribution was the
development of a system of writing, in the case of Sumeria this was cuneiform. The
development of writing led to the expansion of knowledge and scholarship, and allowed
for its preservation for future generations. Finally, the Sumerian numerical system of
base 60 is the foundation of our modern system of measurement of degrees, distances,
even time. The Sumerians were the first to develop a twelve month calendar, a sixty
minute hour, and a sixty second minute.