Chapter 3 Lesson 1

Objectives Locate the major river systems where the earliest civilizations developed Describe the physical settings that supported permanent settlements and early civilizations

Vocabulary Tributary – rivers that flow into larger rivers Plateau – a high, flat area of land Alluvial Plain – a low, flat land formed from fine soil left behind by streams Silt – soil and tiny rocks carried or deposited on the land by floodwaters

Importance of Major River Systems Many early civilizations formed in the valleys of major river systems People used the river water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and fishing The land in river valleys was good for farming and raising livestock See page 95 in textbook for early river valley civilizations

The Tigris and Euphrates One of the earliest civilizations formed in Sumer in an area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers called Mesopotamia Sumer arose in southern Mesopotamia

The Need for Irrigation The hot dry climate of Mesopotamia made farming a challenge, and rainfall was unreliable Farmers in southern Mesopotamia solved this problem by developing increasingly sophisticated systems of irrigation Access to water from the Tigris and Euphrates allowed permanent settlements to thrive in the south

Ubaid Culture Ubaid culture was based on farming Formed in 5000 BC in southern Mesopotamia They built irrigation systems, larger homes and temples; produced surpluses; had leaders; created pottery, and traded

Summary Like some other major rivers systems, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers gave rise to an early civilization Between these rivers in southern Mesopotamia, the Sumerians developed new ideas for more complex cultures there This led to one of the world’s first civilizations in Sumer