Geography

 = = = Geography By: Andrea Schofield  = Mesopotamia is known as the Fertile Crescent and it is marked as the Cradle of Civilization since this is the location of the first civilizations. Mesopotamia lies between two rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, which significantly helped this geographically dense area grow and flourish into a complex society. The two rivers played an important role in in many areas, including agriculture and irrigation which lead to the domestication of animals and the technological advancements, as well as innovations, throughout time.

A. Leo Oppenheim describes this fertile area perfectly: “Along the rivers we find fertile, oasis-like stretches such as those that appear here and there on the Tigris, and it’s tributaries, and especially on the Euphrates, wherever the formation of the river banks makes the agriculture by irrigation possible The flat lands and the narrow valleys, between the parallel of chains of hills which ascend in ever higher ranges from the piedmont plains along the Tigris to the alpine tops of the Zagros Mountains, enjoy sufficient rainfall to assure annual cereal crops and to produce an abundance of friet trees ” (qtd. in Nardo 14).



The rivers in Mesopotamia are very important to the survival of the ancient world. They both have yearly floods which create a fertile ground, which is important to farmers as well as the population as a whole. In addition to fertile ground, man has been attracted to these rivers for navigation purposes which in-turn put forth trade routes so less fortunate areas could get the resources needed to succeed. Even though both rivers were extremely important, they were both extremely different in what they provided. The Tigris river was rough and fast flowing, which made navigation difficult. Since the river cuts deep near the land the water flow can hardly be used for irrigation. As far as the Euphrates, this is considered the “lifeline” of Mesopotamia. The river consists of lower banks so irrigation can thrive. With the lower banks it is easier to build the trenches and dig the canals so the water flows when needed more rapidly and consistently.

 Northern Mesopotamia is made up of hills and plains and overall is very fertile for crops since there is plenty of rainfall in this area. Southern Mesopotamia, however, has a much drier atmosphere and unfortunately does not have the same rainfall as northern Mesopotamia. Due to this climatic difference, early settlers were forced to think creatively in order to grow agriculturally and to prosper as a society. It was quickly learned that an irrigation system was necessary to ensure an abundance of food supply and since there were not many natural resources in this area, contact with neighboring lands was important.

The irrigation system in Southern Mesopotamia was nothing less than grand, it was sophistically formed to ensure the successful growth of crops and it later lead to a more advanced farming and agricultural system. The Encyclopedia states that, “the hydrological pattern in Southern Mesopotamia comprised a network of channels of the Euphrates and Tigris interspersed with swamps and slightly dry areas. It provided sites for settlement near water sources that could be utilized by the irrigation techniques, including canal construction”. The irrigation system basically controlled where the water was going by digging canals and ditches to redirect the water so the farmers could use the water source in their area and not have to rely on rainfall. With the implication of the irrigation system, civilizations were able to create and sustain a greater food supply, which lead to a more permanent residence along the rivers.

With civilizations growing around Southern Mesopotamia more agriculture techniques were introduced and the domestication of animals was highly important in their advancement within the society. The domestication of animals and the growth of agriculture is known because of the representative art that is found in the surrounding area.

A. Leo Oppenheim states “In the plain between the two great rivers are widely scattered areas where the local topography and nature of the soil allow man....to raise cereals, although the crops vary considerably in yield and quality with the amount of rain and care given to the fields. Large tracts of land between the sown fields and the barren desert offer grazing grounds for flocks of sheep and goats, even for cattle, depending on the season and region” (qtd. in Nardo 14

The University of Chicago states that stone bowl “illustrates a theme often portrayed in Mesopotamian art- cows, which have been out grazing all day, are shown returning to the cattle fold at night, where they are greeted by calves, eager to be fed”. This piece of art proves the domestication of animals and how these societies were agriculturally advanced. The use of animals was very important to the early civilizations as well as the domestication of plants. Animals were used to tend to the soil and plow the vegetative grounds. Mesopotamia had an abundance of cows, sheep, and crops to sustain over a long period of time, which the earlier settlers succeed in and made this area agriculturally prosperous. The University of Oklahoma scholar Daniel C. Snell “learned that after a few years grains increased in size when human beings planted, tended, and harvested them. Animals too changed some of their characteristics when they were domesticated, and both animals and plants were more convenient for people and more reliable than they had been before people were planting and managing them” (qtd. in Nardo 16). This evidence shows that the ancient civilization was able to evolve and move forward and could sustain a well working environment. “Agriculture and herding provided more food, which in turn stimulated population growth and increased the size and complexity of human settlements” (Nardo 16).

In addition to the vast agriculture and irrigation system, as well as the domestication of plants and animals, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers also played a key role in other areas which helped these civilizations flourish. “A great deal of travel, transport and communication was waterborne, and indeed some scholars consider the facilitation of trade and transport by Mesopotamia’s canals to have been as important a role as irrigation” (Potts 123). It is believed that the invention of the sailboat was made by Sumerians, as well as many other items still used to this day. The Sumerians were highly innovative people who used their local resources creatively. They mastered agriculture and irrigation and they used their main source of water to trade within their surrounding areas. They were a very adaptive culture that used their resources to the full extent.

Throughout the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia we have seen the land grow and flourish. The geographically dense area as sustained millions of years of or civilizations with the growth of many complex societies. With the location along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, people were able to gain access to well preserved land which in turn granted them with thriving communities. Without the access of the two rivers, as well as the fertile grounds, many of these ancient civilizations would not have stood a chance during trying times. With the Sumerians, and others the predated them, many civilizations were able to prosper and advance in there irrigation systems as well as the technology that went along with it. Without the technological advancements, whether it be the domestication of the plants and animals or the invention of the sailboat, many would not have survived. In order to fully use the land as it was intended, individuals were required to think creatively in order to sustain a healthy life and a sustainable food source, which in the end is the basis of life. In conclusion, the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia were able to flourish because of their geographical location along the Fertile Crescent, also known as the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The two rivers played an important role in in many areas, including agriculture and irrigation which lead to the domestication of animals and the technological advancements, as well as innovations, throughout time.

__Bibliography__

Nardo, Don. __Lost Civilizations: Empires of Mesopotamia__. San Diago: Lucent Books, Inc, 2001

The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago: Teacher Resource Center, Ancient Mesopotamia: The First Farmers. [|Ancient Mesopotamia]

Potts, D.T. __Mesopotamian Civilization: The Material Foundations__. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997

Metz, Helen Chapin. __Mesopotamia; Iraq: A Country Study__. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, 1988. [|Mesopotamia]

Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. 18, M. Danbury: Grolier; 2000