Transcript P.O.D.

Mesopotamia and
the Fertile Crescent
Geography of the
Fertile Crescent
Word Wall Words
Fertile Crescent
 irrigation
 surplus
 division of labor
 civilization

silt
 Tigris
 Euphrates
 Mesopotamia

Rivers Support the Growth of
Civilization
People settle where crops grow – land around
rivers
 Mesopotamia – “between two rivers”

– In Southwest Asia
– Between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
– Part of the Fertile Crescent, an area that is fertile
land extending from the Persian Gulf to the
Mediterranean Sea

First settlements appeared c. 7000 BCE
– Grew barley, wheat and other grains
– Had livestock, birds and fish
Farming and Cities

Farming in Mesopotamia wasn’t easy
– Little rain
– Flooding due to heavy rains in Asia Minor

Created irrigation to control water
– Storage basins and canals
Experienced food surpluses which led to
division of labor
 As population and diversity of jobs grew,
Mesopotamians developed cities.
 Cities were the political, religious, cultural,
and economic centers of civilization.

Cause and Effect
Water levels
get too
high.
Mesopotamians enjoy
many foods.