What was the most important invention

in Mesopotamia?

 

 

 

 What were the benefits

of the flooding of the T & E?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explain the mechanics

of the complex Mes. irr. system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What were two drawbacks to flooding?

 

 

 

 

 How did M farmer’s solve

the salt problem?

 

 

 

 

 

 Explain four positive consequences of irr.

 

 

*Irr. one of oldest inventions in M about 5K BC

 

* & E flood – swelled from snow melt

 

 

*fertile silt left behind from floods

 

*Engineers send W from E to T irrigating entire alluvial plain (very flat)

 

*Great farming = large surplus

 

*Large surplus lead to rise of civilizations

 

Floods of T & E unpredictable in length & strength unlike Nile

 

Engineers design canals & basins for H20

 

shuduff or shadoff= primitive device used to lift  water from a well or stream for irrigation purposes

 

workers for fields also build ziggurats during off-season

          

 

horrible floods like Noah’s Ark flood plagued region

 

too much salt biggest issue

 

 

            *flush fields with water

 

*salt resistant barley better than wheat

 

*crop  rotation helped

 

            *however, fields eventually infertile

        

irr & flooding led to production of ready supply food led to specialization of labor and tech. advances & rise of civilization