Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization

Geography of the Fertile Crescent The Valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates river`s were the site of the world's first civilizations. 0 The rivers of Southwest Asia supported the growth of civilizations 0 The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the most important physical features of the region known as Mesopotamia 0 Farm settlements in Mesopotamia eventually developed into civilizations

Geography of the Fertile Crescent 0 The Land Between Two Rivers 0 Mesopotamia means “between the rivers” in Greek 0 Mesopotamia is part of a large area of rich farmland called the Fertile Crescent

Geography of the Fertile Crescent 0 Rise of Civilizations 0 Annual floods on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers brought silt that made the land ideal for farming 0 Silt is a mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks 0 Plentiful food led to population growth and the formation of villages 0 Villages later developed into the world’s first civilizations

Geography of the Fertile Crescent 0 New farming techniques led to the growth of cities 0 Farmers used irrigation and canals as a way to control river flow 0 Increased amounts of food led to surpluses, which meant that fewer people needed to farm 0 As a result, new occupations developed

Geography of the Fertile Crescent 0 Controlling Water 0 The water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates would rise or fall, depending on the amount of rainfall. Irrigation and canals helped solve flooding and drought problems 0 Irrigation: a way of supplying water to an area of land 0 Canals: human-made waterways 0 Farmers also built up the banks of rivers to hold back the floodwaters

Irrigation and Canals

Geography of the Fertile Crescent 0 Food Surpluses and Effects 0 Irrigation increased the amount of food farmers produced 0 This created a food surplus, or more food than they needed 0 Fewer people needed to farm, so they took on other roles and jobs

0 When workers specialized in a particular task, a division of labour is created 0 Large projects were undertaken, which led to the need for structure and rules 0 Settlements grew in size creating cities between 4000 and 3000 B.C.