How were the early Mesopotamians able to farm successfully in a dry climate?
1. agriculture – growing crops and raising animals as a source of food.
2. city-state – a single city and its surrounding farm land that is ruled by a king.
3. fertile– land that is good for growing crops because it is rich in minerals and nutrients. This is the root word for fertilizer.
4. Fertile Crescent- a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East where agriculture began in the region. This region is nicknamed the Fertile Crescent because the area of farmable land forms a crescent shape. The modern-day countries found in this region are Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. Dotted area shows the Fertile Crescent.
- irrigation– the process of supplying water to crops where there is not an adequate source of water. An irrigation system typically has four parts:
- canal– a trench or ditch dug to allow water to flow from a river toward fields of crops.
An irrigation canal in Iraq.
- dam– a wall built across a river to block or redirect the flow of water.
A modern-day dam in Iran.
- levee– a wall built along a riverbank to prevent a river from flooding.
A levee along the Mississippi River.
- reservoir– an artificial lake used to save extra water from a flood or rain. Hint: think of the word “reserve” which means to save something for later.
Satellite photo of the Maple Leaf Reservoir.
10. Mesopotamia – This is the central region of modern-day Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The word “Mesopotamia” is a Greek word that translates as “the land between the rivers.” Mesopotamia is also known as “the cradle of civilization.” People from Mesopotamia are Mesopotamians.
11. plow – a tool for turning over soil to prepare it for planting, usually dragged by oxen.
12. silt – a fine soil carried by a river that is rich in nutrients. It is beneficial when a flood deposits silt in a field because it will help the plants grow. However, silt is harmful when it builds up behind a dam because it can clog up the irrigation system.
13. Sumer – the area in southern Mesopotamia where the first city-states appeared. Some examples are Ur, Uruk, and Akkad. People from Sumer are Sumerians.