The 1st Civilization in Mesopotamia

• Sumerians (Sumer) was the 1st Civ. in Meso.

• Located in Southern Meso.

• Adapted to and changed the their environment to solve many of their farming challenges.

Farming Challenges for the Sumerians

• Flooding Rivers

• Poor Farm Tools

• Manual Labor (Work)

How do the Sumerians overcome those challenges?

What would you do?

Challenge 1: Flooding Rivers

• Farmers' fields of wheat & barely could not be too close to rivers & inconsistent rainfall

• Sumerians dug small canals to bring water to their crops. The canals carried water from the rivers to their farmland. 

• This is called Irrigation

Challenge #2: Poor Farm Tools

• Early Sumerian farmers used clay & copper farm tools that broke easily

• Sumerians began to experiment

• Mixed copper & tin to make bronze, a much stronger & durable (metallurgy)

Challenge #2: Poor Farm Tools

• Sumerians cont'd to make stronger farming tools

• Would eventually make the plow

• Plow allowed farmers to harvest even more crops

Challenge #3: Manual Labor

• Sumerians domesticated animals , sheep, cows, donkeys & pigs for wool, milk, cheese & meat

• Also used animals to move goods from place to place

Challenge #3: Manual Labor

• Sumerians also invented the wheel

• Over time, would make wagons, carts and harnesses for animals to move goods to sell at local markets