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Lesson 1: The Land Between the Rivers
Mesopotamia
was an ancient civilization located in an area of the world we now
know as the Middle
East. It was bordered by two riversthe Tigris in the east
and the Euphrates in the west. In fact, the name Mesopotamia means
"the land between the rivers".
The Tigris and Euphrates begin in the mountains near the Black Sea.
As they wind their way south towards the Persian Gulf, they deposit
silt (fine sand and earth) onto the surrounding lands. This makes
the soil in Mesopotamia very fertile. Blessed with good farmland, the
Mesopotamians were able to grow enough food to support a large population.
An advanced civilization gradually emerged.
Mesopotamia was part of a region known as the Fertile
Crescent. The Fertile Crescent stretched like an arc (crescent)
from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Persian Gulf in the
east. This whole region was excellent for farming.
Mesopotamia was ruled by four different empires. You will learn about
each of these empires in the next several lessons.
Send In Activity 1
The Science of Archaeology
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