For this essay I considered the question of what factors contributed to the emergence of city-states in Lower Mesopotamia and the influence the landscape played in the formation of the civilization which emerged. Through my research on this topic I found that there is much evidence to support the claim that landscape was a very large influence on the emergence of civilization and that most of the contributing factors were, in some way, linked to geography.

In order to fully understand the topic, I first explored what the definition of civilization is. The first criterion for civilization, that I could think of, is domestication and an agricultural economy capable of producing a stored surplus. From this, I felt the need to examine the origins of Mesopotamian agriculture.

With the glacial retreat after the last ice-age (roughly 10000 BC) the Mesopotamian climate improved and many modern plants and animals began to become concentrated in specific areas. Around 9000 BC the vast majority of Mesopotamian peoples were hunter-gatherers. With the concentrations o

Since there was vast domestication and agricultural advancement in Mesopotamia permanent housing soon evolved and with that came the need for a governing body. As the population grew and more people began to reside in specific areas there became a necessity for laws and rules of conduct that would be fair and impartial to all. All of these factors I associate with civilization are inter-linked and stem from domestication.

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Approximate Word count = 894
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)