Key Geographic Features

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1 Name: Lesson One: Mesopotamian Geography 6.8 On a historical map, locate and describe the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Zagros and Caucuses Mountains, Persian Gulf, Caspian and Black Sea, Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee and explain why the region is referred to as the Fertile Crescent Trace the development of agricultural techniques that permitted economic surplus and the emergence of cities as centers of culture and power. Engage You will listen to two different raps about ancient Mesopotamia that contain key insights to this civilization. As you listen, fill in the following chart in order to build background knowledge on our upcoming unit on Mesopotamia. Key Vocabulary Key People and their contributions Key Geographic Features Key innovations or inventions Key places, citystates, or empires Why is it important to study ancient Mesopotamia? Why is geography an important aspect of a civilization? Explore and Explain Directions: Read the following articles and answer the questions as they guide you in understanding the geography and development of ancient Mesopotamia!

2 2 Locating Mesopotamia Where Was Ancient Mesopotamia? (1) Many families can trace their histories back to foreign countries or ancient lands. Do you know anyone who can trace his or her roots all the way back to Mesopotamia? The most likely answer is no. That is because Mesopotamia was one of the earliest centers of human civilization. Some of the first cities in the world were found there. It would be nearly impossible for most people to trace their origins back to Mesopotamia. (2) Mesopotamia was established in ancient Iraq around 3500 BCE, about 5,500 years ago. Nomadic peoples migrated from place to place in search of food. Eventually, some of these nomads settled in the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, where modern Iraq and part of eastern Syria are now located. Historians and archaeologists call this region Mesopotamia, which means the land between the rivers. Several ancient civilizations sprang up in this region. 1. According to the text, what is Mesopotamia? 2. When was Mesopotamia established? 3. What does Mesopotamia mean? (3) Mesopotamia was not a country in the same way that the United States and other modern nations are. It did not have the same kind of political borders that we have today. Instead, it was a civilization made of separate settlements or cities, sometimes referred to as city-states. City-states consisted of large cities and the surrounding areas. Each city-state was usually controlled by a strong ruler. At different points in history, different empires ruled these cities. 4. How was Mesopotamia s civilization structured? Geography Video Where Was Ancient Mesopotamia?

3 3 Big Cities Where were Mesopotamia's major cities located? (1)How do we know about cities that existed thousands of years ago? In the early 1900s, several archaeological excavations uncovered Eridu, Ur, and Uruk three major cities of ancient Mesopotamia. These important finds have taught historians much about art, architecture, religion, and daily life in Mesopotamia. (2)Eridu is Mesopotamia's oldest settlement. It was part of the Sumer region. Sumer was in the southwestern part of Mesopotamia. According to Sumerian legends, the god Enki founded Eridu. Historians in ancient Mesopotamia described Eridu as the first city in the world. Today, all that remains of this ancient city are ruins near Tell Abu Shahrain in Iraq. (3)Just northeast of Eridu, the city of Ur was another important settlement. The ruins of Ur lie about halfway between the modern city of Baghdad and the opening of the Persian Gulf in the Arabian Sea. Because of its location near the Persian Gulf, Ur controlled the flow of trade across the sea. 1. What are three major cities from ancient Mesopotamia? 2. List two facts about Eridu from the text. 3. Why was Ur an important city? (4)Uruk was a third major Mesopotamian city. It was about halfway between what are now the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Basrah. It is impossible to know the exact number of people that lived in ancient Uruk, but some experts believe that by 2800 BCE, around 80,000 people lived in the city. This population would have made it much larger than any other city in Mesopotamia at the time. Uruk is famous for the large wall that surrounded the city to protect it from outsiders. According to stories, King Gilgamesh had the wall built. He was the fabled hero in the Sumerian tale, The Epic of Gilgamesh. Whether or not this character was real is debatable, but many historians think he was based on a Sumerian king who ruled Uruk around 2700 BCE. 4. List two facts about Uruk from the text. Big Cities Video Where were Mesopotamia's major cities located?

4 4 Resources and Geography What was the physical geography of Mesopotamia like? (1)The area where Mesopotamia was established is called the Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent is a large plain. It begins near the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea and curves around to the Persian Gulf. When the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded this plain, as they did every spring, they brought rich soil to the valley. 1. Describe the Fertile Crescent (2)The Taurus and Zagros Mountains bordered Mesopotamia to the north and east. A northern Mesopotamian civilization developed in the foothills of these mountain ranges. This area was predominantly the high, flat land known as a plateau. The seasonal rains, winter snow, and rivers flowing down the mountainsides to the foothills made the land very fertile. Parts of this area are still fertile enough to support agriculture today. (3)The major cities of Mesopotamia were located in the southern part of the country. In this region, the rivers had deposited large amounts of silt. Silt is a mixture of rock and soil that is carried by water. Over time, the silt built up and left the land in this region mostly flat and even. (4)Each spring, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers would fill with water from melted snow in the mountains. As a result, the rivers would overflow. The flooding brought fertile soil to the region. However, the climate in the area was very hot and dry. Droughts, or extended periods with little or no rainfall, were common. To farm the land, the Mesopotamians had to find a way to control the flooding and capture river water to use year round. The answer to their problem was irrigation, a method of controlling water and using it to water crops. 2. Describe the geography of northern Mesopotamia. 3. Describe the geography of southern Mesopotamia. 4. What geographic problems did the Mesopotamians face? What was their solution? Rivers Resources and Geography Video What was the physical geography of Mesopotamia like? Other Bodies of Water Mountains

5 5 Controlling the Floods How did the Mesopotamians control river floods? (1)Think about the area where you live. Are there mountains or rivers? Is there an ocean? How do you use the water, trees, or other natural resources there? When the Mesopotamians first settled in the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, they were unable to farm successfully. Without consistent water, it was impossible to grow enough crops to feed large cities. They needed to harness the water that was in the rivers, and they did it through irrigation systems. (2)The flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers every spring brought both benefits and drawbacks. The floodwaters brought fertile silt to the land. But even with this rich soil, it was still difficult to farm. Mesopotamians could not predict when the floods would occur or how high the floodwaters would reach. The flow was so unpredictable that it sometimes washed away crops or caused the river to change course. 1.) What did irrigation systems enable Mesopotamians to do? 2.) How did flooding benefit the Mesopotamians? How was it a drawback? 3.) Why were levees invented? (3)The Mesopotamians developed new technologies to control the flooding rivers and bring water to crops. They built tall embankments, called levees or dikes. These walls of earth prevented the water from flooding over the banks of the rivers. The Mesopotamians also built a system of canals and ditches that would drain off the high water, helping to prevent flooding. These innovations helped to protect both crop fields and villages from flood damage. (4)The Mesopotamians also used canals and ditches as the sources for the irrigation systems that watered their crops. They constructed dams, gates that allowed them to raise or lower the water levels in the canals and ditches. The use of dams enabled Mesopotamians to provide more water for the crops when it was needed and keep water out when it was not needed. These innovations, combined with the rich soils deposited by the floodwaters, meant that the Mesopotamians were able to grow an abundance of food and expand their settlements without the threat of flood 4.) Why were canals invented? 5.) Why were dams invented? 6.) Why were these innovations important? Controlling the Floods Video How did the Mesopotamians control river floods?

6 6 Agricultural Innovations What agricultural innovations came from Mesopotamia? (1)Mesopotamians used their irrigation systems of canals and ditches to both control the floods on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and to bring water to their crops. With widespread irrigation, they were able to produce very high crop yields enough to feed an entire city and then some! The Mesopotamians grew crops such as wheat, barley, melons, apples, figs, dates, and grapes. Irrigation was an important innovation that allowed these crops to flourish. 1. Why was irrigation important? (2)The farmers of Mesopotamia also raised goats, sheep, and other livestock. Domestication of animals, the process of breeding animals so they can be used by people, was part of the transition that Mesopotamians made from roaming hunter-gatherers to living in farming settlements. (3)One of Mesopotamia's agricultural innovations was the seeder plow. The plow blade dug a furrow, or small ditch, where farmers would plant the seeds. At the same time, seeds dropped down a funnel in the center of the plow and fell into the furrowed ground. The Mesopotamians made their plows out of metal, which made them stronger and longer lasting than tools made of wood. Domesticated livestock would pull the plow through the fields. (4)The ancient Mesopotamians did not believe that they invented the seeder plow. According to legends, the plow was a gift from the god Enil. The Mesopotamians believed that an image of a seeder plow could be seen in the stars. Like the rivers that brought life to the fields, the plow had an important place in Mesopotamian culture. 2. What is the domestication of animals? 3. List two facts about the seeder plow? 4. Why was the seeder plow important to the Mesopotamians? Agricultural Innovations Video What agricultural innovations came from Mesopotamia?

7 7 Farming and Other Jobs How did farming advances make room for other jobs in Mesopotamia? (1)Have you ever had to work on a group project? To efficiently complete a complex project, the group has to divide the work and each group member must use his or her skills to get the job done. Ancient Mesopotamians used a similar division of labor to build and maintain their large irrigation systems. Some archaeologists even believe that the first Mesopotamian cities were formed by groups of farmers banding together to build irrigation systems. 1. How did the Mesopotamians use the division of labor? (2)With irrigation systems in place and advanced farming techniques in use, Mesopotamia became a very rich farming area. Tools like the seeder plow meant farmers could get more work done with fewer people and in less time. Soon farmers began to produce a surplus of food. This meant that there was enough food and time for some workers to focus on other jobs. As the cities grew, different members of Mesopotamian society continued to developed specialized skills that met the needs of people living in the cities. (3)Some people worked as potters, making pottery and utensils. Others worked as weavers, making cloth. Scribes were employed to write texts and keep track of trading. Traders bought and sold goods, and musicians played music for people. Still, most people had jobs dealing with agricultural production, such as working as farmers and grain grinders. (4)Thanks to the farmers, cities were supported with surplus food, and other jobs were allowed to thrive. With plenty of food to feed everyone, the cities continued to grow. Ancient Mesopotamians developed city-states that covered several hundred square miles. Farmers outside city limits could provide food to cities in exchange for goods from the cities and protection from the leaders. These city-states often fought over territory and access to water. The stronger states developed into even larger empires. Kings, judges, and religious figures arose as authoritative leaders of these societies. 2. Why is a food surplus important? 3.) What were some of the jobs people performed in ancient Mesopotamia? 4.) How were cities able to grow? Farming and Other Jobs Video How did farming advances make room for other jobs in Mesopotamia?

8 8 Trade and Barter How did trade become important in Mesopotamia? (1)As the people of Mesopotamia began to specialize and learn trades, the culture became more interdependent. People could not do everything for themselves, but they were able to trade food or other goods and services to get what they needed. 1. What did Mesopotamians do to acquire the things they needed? (2)The people of Mesopotamia began to learn and work in special trades. Because of this, they had to rely more on each other. People could not do everything for themselves. However, they were able to trade food, or other goods and services, to get what they needed. Work was divided, and goods were exchanged in a tradition-oriented economy, also called a traditional economy. In this system, cultural and social relationships play an important role in deciding how goods are produced. Jobs might be passed down from parent to child, and farm plots might be shared communally by neighbors. (3)At first, Mesopotamians only traded crops and goods with other people who lived in their city-state. Then, people from different cities began to trade with one another. They traded wheat, barley, and wood. Eventually, traders traveled across the desert and by rivers and the Persian Gulf to trade goods with other societies such as Greece. They even traded with civilizations as far away as India and Egypt. As trade grew, more people came to the cities. Ur and Nippur were both major centers of trade and commerce. Commerce is the act of buying and selling goods and services. (4)Initially, Mesopotamians used a barter system to handle their trades. In a barter system, people trade one object or service for another. For example, wood is traded for wheat. Scribes kept records of business transactions by writing them down on clay tablets. Historians have learned much about the economy of Mesopotamia by examining these business records. 2. Who did they trade with? 3. What were two major cities of trade and commerce? 4. Describe the Mesopotamian s barter system. Trade and Barter Video How did trade become important in Mesopotamia?

9 9 Overseas and Land Travel How did Mesopotamians transport their goods to and from trade centers? 1. What was exported from Mesopotamia? Imported? (1)Oils, grains, and woven textiles were taken out of Mesopotamia and traded for goods such as wine, precious metals, jewels, and timber. Merchants from other lands also came to Mesopotamian cities to trade their goods. Merchants used several methods to transport their goods. Heavy products, such as large amounts of grain and mud bricks, were easier to transport by boat. On the other hand, precious gems were small and relatively light. They could easily be transported over land on foot or by using donkeys and other pack animals. Overseas Transport (2)The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers made transporting goods to and from Mesopotamia easier. Traders often used boats to transport goods for trade. Lightweight boats, called guffas or riverboats, were used to transport goods downstream. They were made of reeds or canvas and a natural tar, called bitumen, that made them waterproof. Strong currents helped move the boats downstream but coming upstream was another story! When traveling upstream, people or animals were used to tow boats. When traveling by boat, merchants sometimes had to navigate down the Euphrates River and then through the Persian Gulf. The waters of the Euphrates were calm, but the Persian Gulf waters were not. Pirates also traveled the gulf, looking for goods to steal from a merchant ship when it was on the water or docked at night. For safety reasons, seagoing traffic was strictly controlled by a series of laws established by the governments of the city-states. These laws regulated the ways traffic moved in and out of ports and set fair wages for sailors and workers. Travel by Land (3)Not all goods in Mesopotamia were produced along waterways, and not all markets were easily accessible by boat. By 3000 BCE, the Mesopotamians had already begun to develop a system of roads linking cities to waterways and to each other. Some of the roads in Mesopotamia were even paved! Mesopotamians used stone and bitumen to create an asphalt-like pavement. One of the earliest known long-distance roads was a 1,500-mile "highway" between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea, essentially connecting Mesopotamia with waterways that could take traders to even more distant lands. 2. Write two facts about overseas transportation. 3. What did Mesopotamians build to help with travel on land? (4)Over time, more roads were constructed around the region and trade became even more common. The Babylonian Empire ruled Mesopotamia approximately from 2000 BCE to 1600 BCE. During this period, merchants traveled a network of roads from southern Mesopotamia across the Fertile Crescent to bring goods to and from trading centers. (5)Some local traders carried their goods in packs on their backs as they walked the roads. For longer distances, merchants used donkeys and carts to transport their goods. Donkeys carried goods to far-away trading centers, including Kanesh, which was about 600 miles to the northwest of northern Mesopotamia, in ancient Turkey. Such a trip could take a month or longer. Some traders traveled overland as far as India and Egypt. Trade with distant lands helped Mesopotamia to grow and thrive. Mesopotamians used their natural resources and innovations in agriculture and transportation to build a flourishing civilization. 4. Why would trade with distant lands help Mesopotamia grow and thrive? (6)Thousands of years later, our societies are still influenced by the geography around us. Like the people of ancient Mesopotamia, we are constantly inventing technologies that help us harness and use natural resources.

10 10 Overseas and Land Travel Video How did Mesopotamians transport their goods to and from trade centers? Evaluate Answer the following questions using the knowledge you have gained through completing your lesson on the Geography of Mesopotamia. 1. Which statement best explains why historians chose the name Mesopotamia for the region where Iraq and eastern Syria are now located? A. The region had highly fertile soil. B. The region was bordered by rivers on two sides. C. The region contained the world s first unified nation. D. The region was occupied by a diverse group of peoples. 2. Which of these present-day countries is located where ancient Mesopotamia once existed? A. China B. Egypt C. India D. Iraq 3. The success of ancient Mesopotamia shows the importance of which of these factors for the development of civilization? A. military power B. food production C. mineral resources D. architectural knowledge 4. What was the main benefit provided by the floods in ancient Mesopotamia? A. highly fertile soil B. strong natural defenses C. removal of waste-generated pollution D. a steady supply of fresh drinking water 5. What resource was brought to ancient Mesopotamian city-states by the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers? A. clay for bricks B. nutrient-rich silt C. clean drinking water D. an abundant supply of fish 6. Which statement best explains why flood control was important to ancient Mesopotamia? A. Flooded rivers were an important power source. B. The rivers were the main source of transportation. C. Important trade routes cut across the flood plains.

11 11 D. Annual flooding often damaged crops and settlements. 7. The technology that helped to create irrigation canals proved to have the greatest impact on the development of the division of labor in ancient Mesopotamia. Which statement provides the strongest support for this conclusion? A. Irrigation canals brought water to the crops. B. The widespread irrigation produced high crop yields. C. Irrigation canals helped prevent flooding of villages. D. The water levels in irrigation canals could be raised or lowered. 8. Developments in metalworking in ancient Mesopotamia provided which of these for farmers? A. lighter wagons B. stronger plows C. sturdier farm fences D. better irrigation pipes 9. Which statement best explains why ancient Mesopotamians had a surplus food supply? A. Farmers used metal tools and advanced irrigation systems to increase crop yields. B. Scientists developed hybrid crop strains that were resistant to common plant diseases. C. Trade networks brought a variety of grain and animal products from other civilizations. D. Every citizen was required to perform some kind of agricultural labor during part of the year. 10. Mesopotamian traders were able to ship goods to other civilizations by sending them A. in the small satchels of passing nomads B. along unused irrigation canals C. on river boats to the Persian Gulf D. by donkey caravans over the Zagros Mountains