Chapter 3
Rivers Support the Growth of
Civilization
Early people settled where crops
would grow
Usually near rivers
One region Southwest Asia – lay
between two rivers
Land Between Two Rivers
Mesopotamia means “between the
rivers” in Greek.
Mesopotamia is part of a larger area
of rich farmland called the Fertile
Crescent.
Land Between Two Rivers
Continued
Mesopotamia lies between the Asia
Minor and the Persian Gulf
Two land features gave Mesopotamia
its name
Tigris River and the Euphrates
River
The Rise of Civilization
Annual floods on the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers brought silt - a
mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks
that made the land ideal for farming.
Farmers grew wheat barley, and
other types of grain
The Rise of Civilization
Continued
Livestock, birds, and fish – good
sources of food.
Plentiful food led to population
growth and the formation of villages.
Villages later developed into the
world’s first civilizations.
Farming and Cities
Mesopotamia – fertile soil – but not easy
because of lack of rainfall
Controlling Water
Solve the water problems
Irrigation – a way of supplying water
to an area of land – to irrigate – dug
out large storage basins to hold
water supply – dug canals – human
made waterways that connected
these basins to a network of ditches
– ditches brought water to the fields
Controlling Water Continued
To protect the fields from flooding –
farmers built up the banks of the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Food Surpluses
Irrigation increased the amount of food
Farmers could produce a food surplus –
or more than they needed
Irrigation made farmers more productive
so fewer people needed to farm.
Food Surpluses Continued
People could be crafters, religious leaders,
and government workers.
Type of arrangement in which each
worker specializes in a particular task or
job is called division of labor
The Appearance of Cities
Mesopotamian settlements grew in
size and complexity
Mesopotamia – based in agriculture
Cities – political, religious, cultural,
and economic centers of civilization