Mesopotamia Urbanization Essay - 1389 Words

In ancient times, Mesopotamia was known as the â€Å"Land between rivers†. The two main rivers that ran parallel to each other in Mesopotamia were called the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The Tigris River was the more unpredictable river to the East of the Euphrates River and the second largest river in the region. The Euphrates River is the larger of the two rivers and is located to the West of the Tigris river. Both rivers flowed from Eastern Turkey all the way to the Persian Gulf (Tigris-Euphrates river system) .The two rivers provided everything the earliest civilizations needed in order to survive. The Sumerians, who were considered the greatest of the earliest civilizations, depended on the two rivers for food supply, water†¦show more content†¦After the heavy rainfall in the winter and the melting snow from spring an extremely fertile silt would cover the land between the two rivers (Guisepi). The Sumerians were solely responsible for the world’s earliest irrigation system. Due to the habitual flooding of the two rivers, the people of the civilizations had to find other ways to control the rivers from unpredictable floods and overflowing. There fore, on the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, the Sumerians dug canals and ditches to preserve water, limit the flooding and water their crops. The canals and ditches allowed the Sumerians to supply water to their crops during the droughts. Farming was the way of life in Mesopotamia and a necessity for the well-being of the earliest civilizations. Agriculture was extremely important to nourish their growing societies and to survive. The earliest civilizations were always thinking of ways to make their land run more efficiently and â€Å"farming was further simplified by the introduction of the plow† (The History Guide). Due to the advancement of technology, the crops in Mesopotamia prospered and it gave the earliest civilizations a surplus of food. On the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the farmers of the area cultivated and produced a vast amount of vegetables, fruits and grains. Dates, grapes, figs, melons and apples were some of the most popularShow MoreRelatedUrbanization Of Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt And The Indus Valley1785 Words   |  8 Pages Urbanization can be defined as a rapid shift in population of a group living in a specific area. This typically happens when the society decides that it is more advantageous to settle, rather than migrate. Throughout ancient history, we have seen various groups of civilization to adept different forms of urbanization near river valleys. These cities include the regions near Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus valley. 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