Transcript The Geography of Ancient Mesopotamia

The Geography of
Ancient Mesopotamia
Chapter 3: Lesson 1
The Land Between Two Rivers
 The
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers;
Southwest Asia
 Start in the mountains of Turkey and
Kurdistan.
 Flow through what is now Iraq, southeast
to the Persian Gulf
Mesopotamia
 Mesopotamia

Flat
Small, scrubby plants
 Advantages



the land between the rivers.
of the Rivers (HEI)
Traveling by boat was easier than by land.
Currents (flow of river) helped move boats
down river.
Few roads existed
Fertile Soil
 Mountains:
rains and melting snow cause
rivers to swell. Currents pick up soil
(erosion).
 Floodplain:
flatlands that border the banks
of a river where rivers flood.
 Silt
soil left behind by flooding rivers.
Silt was fertile, good soil for growing crops.
Melting snows and rains form
streams and small rivers that
erode the soils and carry it down
stream
The Flood Plain
River
Source
When the excess water from the
rains and melting snows reach the
flat plains, the rivers flood their banks
leaving behind the fertile soil known
as silt.
Streams combine to form
larger streams and rivers as
they flow towards the sea
Rivers flow toward the sea or the
mouth of the river.
Controlling Water by Irrigation
 Crops
need right amount of water to thrive.
Floods in Mesopotamia usually meant
farmers had too much or too little water.
Floods and Droughts
 Yearly
floods were very unpredictable.
 Farmers could not predict when to plant
their crops.
 Drought- Period when not enough rain and
snow fall.
 Drought is a constant danger in semi-arid
climates, like Mesopotamia.
Irrigation
 About
6000 B.C., farmers built canals to
carry water from rivers to the fields.
 This type of system is called irrigation.
 Irrigation helps keep crops watered and
growing.
Finding Resources
 Mesopotamia
had no forests to provide
wood.
 The region also lacked stone and minerals;
metals.
 Mesopotamians had few building
materials.
Mud Houses and Walls





Mesopotamians had few building materials.
Most homes were built from brick and plaster;
made from mud.
Mud huts needed to be repaired often and
crumbled easily.
Mesopotamia did not have mountain regions,
easily invaded, goods often stolen.
Built mud walls around their villages.
Finding Resources
 Obtained
some stone and wood outside of
their lands.
 Traded for these things because of surplus
in grain.
 Surplus- having more of a resource than is
needed.
 These systems eventually led to the
creation of a society; people working
together at the right times.