Page 75 - Key to Social Studies 4

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The Development of Civilization in the Middle East

The Middle East has a great history and development of

civilization. Land bridges and sea paths could be used

through the year. They allowed people to explore and

settle in di erent places. Travel also allowed people to

develop trade for goods. Water supported agriculture

throughout the area.

Physical map of the Middle East

Starting around 4500 B.C.E., there were settlements of

people on the banks of the Tigris and the Euphrates

Rivers. Mesopotamia, the area between these two

rivers, had one of the two oldest civilizations in the

world, the other being the Egyptian civilization. Both

civilizations were built up before 3100 B.C.E.

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