1. Mesopotamia: The Geography of Ancient Mesopotamia
c – 1200 BC/BCE
Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, social, and religious structures of the civilizations of Mesopotamia.

2. Historical Map of Mesopotamia

3. Fertile Crescent
Identify the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and Persian Gulf.
Identify Caspian Sea and Black Sea, Dead Sea, and Sea of Galilee.

4. Vocabulary Mesopotamia floodplain silt arid drought irrigation surplus
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded and the Mesopotamian farmers learned how to irrigate to become successful farmers.

5. The region of Mesopotamia is known as the “fertile crescent
The region of Mesopotamia is known as the “fertile crescent.” The rivers provided water and a means of travel.
*the floods were unpredictable * the source of the rivers was in the mountains of what is today Turkey and Kurdistan.
In ancient times, it was easier to travel by boat than to travel on land. There were few roads and boats could carry heavy loads and be moved downstream by river currents.

6. Farmers learned how to take steps to control the water
supply of early Mesopotamia. The silt left from the flooding
of the rivers was deposited on the land and made the
land fertile. In this arid land, the farmers were able to
grow a surplus of crops. Irrigation allowed the early
people of Mesopotamia to survive and trade for other
Items that they needed and wanted.
Mesopotamia was a land of few
resources. Homes were built out
of reeds and dried mud and straw
bricks. Mesopotamians had to use
their surplus farm products to trade
for items they needed and wanted.

7. Walled Cities Because of few natural barriers, the Mesopotamians were often conquered of attacked by other groups of people. So they built brick walls around their towns and villages.
The walls were sometimes as much as
25 feet thick. The walls had guard
towers and were often surrounded by
an open ditch or a water-filled moat.

8. Because of their SURPLUS of crops, the Mesopotamians were
able to specialize their jobs. Not everyone had to be a farmer!
Mesopotamians traded for:
Gold
Ivory
Ebony
Precious Stones
Wood
Stone
Copper
Tin
In return they traded:
Grain
Dates
Other farm products

9. Explain the importance of:
Mesopotamia
silt
arid
Drought
The rivers of Mesopotamia were important because….
Mesopotamians watered their crops by …..
Because of the lack of resources….

10. What did the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers provide for ancient
Mesopotamians?
How did the Mesopotamian farmers obtain the right amount
of water for their crops? By building an irrigation system to
carry water from the rivers to the fields.
How did the lack of natural resources affect Mesopotamians?
Through trade, they were able to trade for stone, wood, and metal
With their surplus of grain they grew.