Geographic and Environmental Factors

The first civilizations and the rise of empires began with small groups or villages existing with the use of hunting, fishing, and foraging. (William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel, World History, vol. 1, 1) Within a few thousand years, people learned how to cultivate food crops and this led to an increase in population. Increased food production resulted in larger communities. The cities began to expand their cultural and religious developments leading to the beginnings of civilization. (Duiker, World History, 1) The first civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia and Egypt during the fourth and third millennia B.C.E and had various components in common. Each of these civilizations was established in a river valley so they were able to provide and produce the agricultural resources needed to survive and uphold the population. (Duiker, World History, 1) Mesopotamia developed in the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates River known as “the land between the rivers.” These rivers provided irregular and catastrophic flooding for the city-state. They created an intensive irrigation system to improve their agriculture. The first people to create Mesopotamian civilization were known as the Sumerians. These people were the first city builders and created the major city’s named Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Umma, and Lagash. These cities were built with surrounding walls and defense towers. A six-mile-long wall enclosed the city of Uruk. Mesopotamia lacked

Time after time throughout history we see civilizations succeeding by rivers such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley and the Yellow River. One of the things the rivers provided in Mesopotamia was the “ground is extremely fertile”. The Mesopotamians used the river for irrigation and the rich soil to produce and abundance of resources to support a large population.

Both the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers gave way to the first Mesopotamian cities and temples due to the rich and fertile land. The Tigris River, which is located to the East, created very harsh conditions which challenged the farmers and made life very difficult. The flood came in the early spring time which was the time when grain was ready for harvest. This forced the farmers to act quickly to stop the ripened grain from growing bad. Besides destroying the grain, the floods helped restore previously dried land and helped lead way to the preparation of the smaller crops. On the western side, the Euphrates River had very calm floods which let the farmers develop an irrigation system, making it a more efficient way of farming. At the unity of these two rivers, there were lush and rich marshes and lagoons which lead to plant life, which attracted animal life. At this conjoined spot, the first civilization and temple were located.  From the development of the

Topic: How did economic, geographic, and social factors encourage the growth of slavery as an important part of the economy of the southern colonies between 1607 and 1775?

The historical land of Mesopotamia significantly contributed to early civilization in relation to its close proximity to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and rich fertile land it provided. The rivers offered the people of Mesopotamia fertile soil, irrigation water for crops and fishing, and also supplied an abundance of wild barley and wheat for food or could stored as a food supply.

Both the Egyptian and the Mesopotamian civilizations were shaped by their environments and in return, impacted their environments in positive and negative ways. These civilizations flourished in river valleys in North Africa and in what is now day Middle East. Without rivers, these peoples living in dry, hot areas would not have survived. However, the Mesopotamian Tigris and Euphrates rivers were more destructive when rising than the Egyptian Nile River. Geographically, Mesopotamia did not have as many natural blocks like deserts, a sea, mountains, or cataracts to protect it from invasions like Egypt did. Furthermore, the people living in Mesopotamia did not create a sustainable irrigation system like Egypt did. In Sumer, poor irrigation caused the soil to turn white with salt, which led to a 65 percent crop decrease for Mesopotamian peoples (Strayer 103-106, 116-118, 121-122).

Mesopotamia- the land between the rivers- was a region of land in the Middle East between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that has been dubbed as the “cradle of civilization.” But why does Mesopotamia get the title of a civilization? From the invention of the wheel to the invention of writing, Mesopotamia is responsible for many 'firsts' in human history. As people began to settle down permanently, due to a decrease in the need for farmers, people began to specialize in occupations. The more people that moved into Mesopotamia, the more traditions and beliefs spread throughout the area and soon a state religion became evident. Therefore, Mesopotamia is a civilization because it made major contributions in the fields of Writing and

Five thousand years ago there was a place the greeks would later name Mesopotamia. Literally translated as “land between two rivers”. These two rivers were the Tigris and the Euphrates. It was also called the fertile crescent or the cradle of civilization. It is very convenient for early civilizations to have access to clean water, as they obviously could not ship it in from elsewhere until the advent of aqueducts. So this land between two rivers was one of the most prosperous and active back in the time period. At different times, it was ruled by the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Persians. They lived close to the natural world, and so their depictions

Mesopotamia is commonly attributed with being the first place where civilized societies began. “The first civilization settled between the mouth of the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers. In 800 BCE, Mesopotamians began to grasp the concept of agriculture [2].” Once they learned how to farm, they began to domesticate their animals for food and farming. By doing this, the Mesopotamians began to create the first civilization. “They prospered in

It is undeniable that the natural environment of ancient Mesopotamia had a profound effect on the earliest civilizations known to the world. Humankind’s ability to control irrigation waters directly correlates with the rise of mass agriculture. With this mastery of their river environment, early farmers were capable of supporting large urban populations. However, in Mesopotamia the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were both a source of life as well as destruction for early societies. In many ways, the geography of ancient Mesopotamia fostered a sense of catastrophic determinism within the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians. The scarcity of resources as well as the untamable nature of their deluge environment led these early people to believe their futures veered on a harsh predetermined course. This essay will demonstrate that many prominent sources in ancient literature, law codes, and archaic Sumerian religion reflect the rigorous geographic and natural conditions which caused this deterministic mindset.

The Early Dynastic Mesopotamian society existed during 4900-4334 B.P. in the ‘fertile crescent’ region formed by the lower Tigris, Euphrates, and Diyala river valleys. This region is currently part of the country of Iraq. The Mesopotamian people of this time were mostly urban, living in individual

Moving away from Paleolithic and the Neolithic age of hunter gathering and farming, humans then entered a period called civilization. Civilization is an advance stage of human society where a higher form of government, culture, and lifestyle has been attained. Civilization came about when there was an adequate amount of food, so people could concentrate on different things other than farming. Mesopotamia and Egypt are two nations that formed the basis of civilization. In addition, rivers played a very important role in ancient civilization, and they furnished the prosperity of these nations. The three great rivers that will be looked at in this paper are the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates. The sophistication that came about by taking advantage

It is undeniable that the natural environment of ancient Mesopotamia had a profound effect on the earliest civilizations known to the world. Humankind’s ability to control irrigation waters directly correlates with the rise of mass agriculture. With this mastery of their river environment, early farmers were capable of supporting large urban populations. However, in Mesopotamia the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were both a source of life as well as destruction for early societies. In many ways, the geography of ancient Mesopotamia fostered a sense of catastrophic determinism within the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians. The scarcity of resources as well as the untamable nature of their deluge environment led these early people to

Mesopotamia was a successful farming community early on. Utilizing the Tigris and Euphrates rivers this community was able to create a successful way of farming through the use of irrigation and drainage ditches (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2010). Once the use of irrigation became large scale and widely used it was possible to support a larger community base and thus encouraged expansion throughout the civilization.

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers heavily influenced the Mesopotamian peoples, due to its distinct geography and flooding patterns. These aspects influenced Mesopotamia’s organization, societal structure, and even the cosmic attitudes and religion of the Mesopotamians. The Tigris River is very rough, turbulent, and had relatively high banks in comparison to the Euphrates River. The Euphrates, however, flowed in a much calmer manner, and had lower banks. This makes the Euphrates River more suitable for irrigated farming.