Tigris+River+&+Euphrates+River

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the home to the first civilization. This civilization, developed completely from scratch, formed in Mesopotamia (means //between the rivers//). The perfect geography of the Fertile Crescent gave the people in this area a head start to settle in one spot and become farmers instead of hunters and gatherers. Because they could settle, the people in this area were able to develop political, economic, and social structures, further their religious beliefs and intellectual abilities.

Geography The Tigris and Euphrates rivers provided the perfect amount of natural resources needed to farm. The land was lush and fertile, and there was a "Mediterranean Climate." This climate was perfect for farming because it provided perfect weather for the crops to be seasonal. This area was also a flood plain, so the land was naturally re-fertilized. As farming became more common, people began to settle into citie-states. The need for new tools in the fields led to new technologies. There were not any natural boundaries, though. This allowed for easier spread of the civilization and easier trade and communication outside of the civilization. This also affected warfare in that is provided easier circumstances for invaders.

Political, Economic, and Social Structures The Tigris-Euphrates civilization was a patriarchal society arranged in city-states. One main city-state was Ur. The government was a monarchy, and the divine kings posessed the most power. The society was highly stratified. The elites consisted of the King, nobles, and priests. The merchants and common people were next in line, and the slaves last. The legal system was centered around Hammurabi's code once written. The government regulated religion and used it to collect taxes. The army often provided the slaves from the prisoners of war. The civilization bean under the Sumerians, then fell into the hands of the Akkadians, and finally was conquered by the Babylonians. The civilization was agriculturally based, and centered around trade and commerce. Silver was used for money. The people also used copper and bronze to make other tools. Pottery was manufactured because of its need in the farming industry.

Religious and Intellectual Beliefs The people in the Tigris-Euphrates civilization were polytheistic, and they performed rituals, offerings, and sacrifices. Ziggurats were used as temples. They provved the civilization to have an advanced geometry system. The priest class was large and the kings were divine, or //god-like//. Education was resrticted to the elites, and priests sometimes acted as scribes and wrote in cuneiform. The Epic of Gilgamesh was the first flood epic ever written. Statues and frescoes were inside the temples. They also had an astronomy and number system.

River-Valley Civilizations Other river Valler Civilizations included the Nile, the Indus, and the Yellow River Valley. Clearly, these areas were early centers of civilizations because of the geographic advantages the land offered.

http://www.earthhistory.org.uk/wp-content/FertileCrescent.jpg http://www.learn.londonmet.ac.uk/packages/clear/thermal/climate/diversity/images/riv_vall.gif
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Created by:** Alexa DeAntonio 9/2/08