ABSTRACT
The dynamics of Mesopotamian history only make sense in view of the ecological and geographical conditions of the area. As the Greek name suggests, the lateral boundaries of the land known as Mesopotamia (‘land between the rivers’) more or less coincide with the main rivers, the western Euphrates and the eastern Tigris. The extensive marshland around the confluence of the rivers into the Persian Gulf forms a natural southern border. The northern frontier of greater Mesopotamia is constituted by the ridge of mountains which extends all along the south of the Anatolian plateau. Within this area there are two climatic zones: the northern part, known as Assyria, and Babylonia in the south. The main difference between them is the annual rainfall. The mountains to the north and east of Assyria ensure precipitation above a minimum of 200-300 mm per year, the amount necessary for a rain-fed agriculture. The rivers are wide apart and below the ranges of the Jebel Sinjar extends a semi-arid plateau known as the ‘island’ (Jezirah in Arabic) which could be utilised for seasonal herding of sheep and goats but was unsuitable for permanent settlements. This meant that the region was naturally divided between a western part, dominated by the Euphrates and its tributaries, and the eastern part along the Tigris and its side-arms from the mountains on the edge of the Iranian plateau. Culturally the Euphrates side was more closely associated with Greater Syria and orientated towards the Mediterranean, while the east looked towards Anatolia and Iran. The great Assyrian cities were all located in the east.
