Does any known civilization predate the ancient Sumerians?

The great African empire of Wewuz, of which only the fragment known as Egypt survived into surviving written recordings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natufian_culture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6bekli_Tepe

>>1963395
KEK

>>1963397
I wouldn't say neolithic cultures count as civilizations.

>>1963389
Cuciteni had settlements with 40,000 inhabitants in them and proto writing

File: GobekliTepe.jpg (224KB, 800x1277px) Image search: [Google]

224KB, 800x1277px

>>1963497
>Has tools to carve with
>Create large stone reliefs with pretty advanced animal indentations

I mean, what's your marker for civilization then? States?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucuteni-Trypillian_culture

http://www.ancient-wisdom.com/serbiavinca.htm

>>1963389
China

>>1963599
States? So first civs have risen between 1700 and 1800 a D?

>>1963599
According to V. Gordon Chile, that would be cities, full-time specialist occupations, surplus of goods directed to deities or aristocracy, monumental architecture and art, ruling class exempt from manual labor, writing, development of sciences, foreign trade, interdependence of classes, state ideology and persistent state structures.

Not every civilisation has to have all those, but if it has at least most of them then we can call it that.

>>1963389
Gobekli Tepe is the only one I can remember off the top of my head, they were pretty impressive for their day. Can't remember if they were actually pre-Sumerian, though.