Social Studies 2011

Geography of The Fertile Crescent

• Fertile Crescent was developing around the same time of Egyptian development.

• Present day countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel

THE LAND

• Much of the land was rocky mountains or desert.

• HOWEVER, the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers made life in these areas possible!

• Where does this remind you of?

• A plateau is an area of elevated flatland.

• Rivers begin in the snow capped Taurus Mountains.

• Rivers rush down narrow canyons to the valleys below until they reach the plateau of Northern Iraq.

• WHAT IS A PLATEAU?

“Land Between the Rivers”

Southern Iraq

• In Southern Iraq, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers continue to flow to lower land until they empty into the Persian Gulf.

FLOOD!!!!!!•Silt, silt, and more silt!

Mesopotamia’s Yearly Floods• Did not come as regularly

as the Nile floods.• Often came at just the

WRONG time!• Did not flood during

planting season, when dry fields needed to be softened and prepared for growth.

• Flooded just as crops were about to be harvested!

• DEADLY FLOODS– Cost farmers crops– Cost homes’– Cost lives

Contrast between Southern and Northern Mesopotamia and the

potential for farming

• Southern– Rarely received more

than a few sprinkles of rain each year

– Droughts were a constant threat

• Northern– Had enough rain to

make some farming possible

– Rocky earth had only pockets of fertile soil

– Flooding rivers did not leave behind as much silt as in the south

WHERE SHOULD WE FARM?????

In the fall, farmers needed to plant crops:BUTThis is when the rivers were the lowest!!Spring (Harvest Time)-FLOODS

WHAT DO WE DO??

• Build water-control and irrigation systems!

• See the board!

FARMING• Wheat –most

important• Barley-most important• Beans• Onions• Lettuce• Cucumbers• Spice Plants• Date, Palm, and

Pomegranate Trees

• On the edges of the farmland:

• Shepherds caring for goats and sheep

• Shepherds also had to ward off attacks from lions and jackals

• Sheep-wool and milk• Cattle- milk, meat,

leather, work