Rise

Mesopotamia is known as the oldest civilization in the world. It began more than 5,000 years ago in the land we now call Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These rivers gave life to the land, but they also caused trouble — when they flooded too quickly, they could wash away crops, homes, and animals. To survive, people learned to build canals and irrigation systems, turning wild floods into fields full of wheat, barley, and dates.

Because farming was so successful, not everyone needed to work in the fields. Some became builders, merchants, potters, and priests. Cities grew, each with its own ruler and its own god. The people who built them — the Sumerians — created many of the first things we still use today: writing, laws, and even the idea of schools and government.