MATH 1550 Chapter : 1
Document Summary
Mesopotamia (greek)- land between the rivers (tigris and euphrates: neolithic civilization, sumer, akkadian, babylonian. These first civilizations were deserts, history starts from a civilization. Mesopotamia- (modern day iraq/baghdad) average temp 104 degrees, almost no rain. Mountains are good natural defenses, and this area had very few so they are invaded frequently: the tigris and euphrates flooded every year, which is why crops were able to grow. However the two did not always flood at the same time, so sometimes agriculture was messed up: 8500 bce is the first civilization that took root. The first grain the planted was emer equivalent to wheat (to make bread and feed animals) And the gods and goddesses controlled the water. The lunar year and a solar year are not the same, different number of days: lunar is good for measuring the months, but shorted the solar year by 11 days.
