ABSTRACT
It seems fitting to use the Middle East’s ancient civilizations to discuss the vital role of agriculture, as it was the first area to host permanent farming communities. Mesopotamia and its surrounding region have witnessed the rise and fall of many complex societies, as well as the world’s earliest empires, cities, and writing. The key to this region’s success was agriculture, specifically a canalfed system that raised crop yields and supported dense urban populations. That same irrigation system, which produced so much food, also salted the fields and destabilized social organization and trade, making the local cities vulnerable to environmental changes. It was the choice of the societies themselves that contributed to their collapse. Before discussing agriculture and its downfall, however, I will lay out the local geography, environment, history, and social organization of Mesopotamia.
