The Geography of the Fertile Crescent

What does What does Mesopotamia mean?Mesopotamia mean?

The “land The “land between the between the

rivers” in Greekrivers” in Greek

On what rivers did Mesopotamia

develop?

The Tigris and The Tigris and Euphrates Euphrates

RiversRivers

What is the What is the Fertile Crescent?Fertile Crescent?

A large arc of A large arc of FertileFertile farmland extending farmland extending

from the from the Persian GulfPersian Gulf to the to the Mediterranean Mediterranean

SeaSea..

When and how were When and how were farming settlements farming settlements

established in established in Mesopotamia?Mesopotamia?

By By 7000BC7000BC people were people were growing crops along the growing crops along the TigrisTigris and and EuphratesEuphrates Rivers and had Rivers and had formed small formed small villagesvillages there. there.

Ways to help Ways to help farmingfarming……

Irrigation- a way of supplying Irrigation- a way of supplying water to an area of land.water to an area of land.

Silt- a mixture of rich soil and Silt- a mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks. tiny rocks.

Canals- human-made Canals- human-made waterwayswaterways

Surplus!More than is needed of a specific More than is needed of a specific

itemitem

*Farming allowed Early Farming allowed Early Mesopotamians to Mesopotamians to

develop a surplus, develop a surplus, or a or a storage of food to survive storage of food to survive

off of. off of.

What is a division What is a division of labor?of labor?

Workers Workers specialize in a specialize in a specific task or specific task or

job. job.

How might big construction How might big construction projects like the building of projects like the building of canals and large buildings canals and large buildings

lead to laws and lead to laws and government?government?

You need to have You need to have organization of some sort organization of some sort

to complete such large to complete such large tasks.tasks.