Think back to the last meal you ate. Was it lasagna? Pizza? Steamed veggies? Perhaps you had savory salmon and rice, or a spicy chili relleno, or you just grabbed a quick bite at a fast food restaurant. Whatever it was, chances are very good that you didn't fish for the salmon yourself, or grow the veggies, or pick the chilies. It's much more likely that someone else found or harvested the food for you, leaving you with more time for more important things--like going to school!
If you enjoy having some time in your day for activities other than finding food, you can thank the people who created civilization. Before civilization, human beings were hunter/gatherers who wandered from place to place scrounging for food in an unforgiving and dangerous environment. Then, about 10,000 years ago, a few of these nomadic groups figured out that if they stayed in one place and worked together, some people could focus on farming while others worked on building houses, practicing medicine, or creating new tools. Civilization was born.
Some of the earliest and most important civilizations were based in Mesopotamia, an area in the Fertile Crescent that gave rise to most things civilized, from farming to law and philosophy to writing. As you view this slideshow, ask yourself what made the settlement of Mesopotamia a turning point in world history.
The Cradle of Civilization
Often called the "Cradle of Civilization" in the West, Mesopotamia lies between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in the location of modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. This part of the world was settled over 10,000 years ago, and is the birthplace of some of history's most revolutionary inventions and technologies.
Farming Is Born
People first settled in Mesopotamia to take advantage of the new science of agriculture. These early farmers irrigated their fields by building channels and dams to allow water to flow to their crops. The rich surplus of food supplied by agriculture kept tribes from wandering and encouraged them to settle down and build cities.
Laws and Writing
Mesopotamia was also the first place in the world to invent writing. In about 3,500 BCE, the writing system, cuneiform, was used to keep track of trades, record history, and establish the first laws. Before Mesopotamia, laws were informal and hard to enforce. After the Law Code of Hammurabi, the rules of the land became much clearer.
Brand New Wheels
If you've ever enjoyed riding in a car, on a bike, or in any other vehicle with wheels, you can thank ancient Mesopotamia. The invention of the wheel opened up trade and revolutionized farming, travel, and warfare.
The Bronze Age
Mesopotamians were also the first people to use bronze, building stronger weapons and more efficient tools. During the Bronze Age, Mesopotamian civilizations made enormous advances in medicine, art, mathematics, and astronomy.
Question
Why was the development of Mesopotamian civilization a turning point in human history?
