Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent

Roughly 100 kilometres from its source, the Tigris River is already an important river for agriculture just outside Diyarbakir,Turkey. Photo by: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, from Wikipedia

The Fertile Crescent is in the region of the Middle East and part of the Mediterranean. Today itis the countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian areas andEgypt. Even parts of Turkey and Iran were in the Fertile Crescent.

Farming began there seven thousand years ago. Back then this area was not as dry as it istoday. It was blessed with land that was good for farming. It had two great rivers, theEuphrates and the Tigris. Hills and mountains were to the north.

By Ancient History Encyclopedia, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.02.17 Word Count 616 Level 700L

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Geography

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The region produced many different crops. In very good years, up to 100 times more grain washarvested than in an average year. Many harvests were destroyed when there was toolittle rain. Flooding also destroyed many harvests. Some farmers used irrigation systems.These systems brought water from far away to their farms. But most people allowed rain fromthe hills to spread through their farms evenly.

In the drier regions, farming was more difficult. Canals, which were waterways that were dugto bring water from the more rainy regions, were built. The Urartians were the people of Urartu.They were the masters of building these canals. Many of their irrigation systems still exist. Themain canals were generally built by the government. The farmers or the communitiesthemselves built small ones. But irrigation sometimes hurt the land. It could make the groundtoo salty for plants to grow.

When farmers use irrigated water, salt comes along for the ride. That can stay behind whenthe water evaporates. Salt can then build up to high levels. That makes it more difficult forplants to get water from the soil. It may even kill the crops.

The land often dried up, hardened and cracked. This problem was greatest in the flood plainsof Babylonia and Assyria. Using the plow kept the ground healthy for plants to grow. By 3000B.C. plows were widely used. Many Assyrian kings boasted of having invented a new,improved type of plow.

Crops

The main types of grain that were used for farming were wheat, barley and millet. InBabylonia, Assyria and the Hittite lands, barley was the main grain for human use. It was alsoused to buy other goods. Flat bread was made from barley. The smallest unit of weight wasequal to one grain of barley. Beer and foods were made from wheat.

Other products were farmed as well. These included sesame, which was grown and used tomake oil. Olive oil made from the fruit of the olive tree was produced in the mountains. A plantcalled flax was used to make cloth. Peas were farmed in Mesopotamia. In Palestine, lentilbeans were preferred. Figs, apple and pistachio groves were found in many places within theFertile Crescent. In villages and cities of southern Mesopotamia, groves of date palms werecommon. The dates were eaten either fresh or dried. Palm wood was also used in crafts, butnot for building.

Harvest and storage

Many workers were needed at harvest time. They worked hard to complete the harvest beforewinter began. Grain was cut with a tool with a curved blade called a sickle. It was then dried inshacks and threshed by animals who walked over the grain. This removed the husk from thegrain. Some grain was stored in granaries. Other grain was sent elsewhere along thewaterways. Sometimes it was even traded with other countries. Cats and mongooses wereused to protect the grain in the granaries from mice.

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Quiz

1 Read the section "Geography."

Select the paragraph from the section that explains HOW flooding and drying could affect the land.

2 Which sentence from the article helps the reader understand that water was important for theentire community in the Fertile Crescent?

(A) Many harvests were destroyed when there was too little rain.

(B) The main canals were generally built by the government.

(C) Olive oil made from the fruit of the olive tree was produced in the mountains.

(D) It was then dried in shacks and threshed by animals who walked over the grain.

3 Read the following sentence from the section "Geography."

When farmers use irrigated water, salt comes along for the ride.

What does "irrigated" refer to?

(A) saltwater

(B) from the rain

(C) fed to the fields

(D) taken from another source

4 Read the selection from the section "Harvest and storage."

It was then dried in shacks and threshed by animals who walked overthe grain. This removed the husk from the grain.

What is the BEST definition of "husk" based on the context clues?

(A) the leaves of the grain

(B) the dry outer part of the grain

(C) a part of the grain that was eaten

(D) a part of the grain that was stored

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