CLEP Western Civ I

Answer: C - The agricultural development of Mesopotamia was facilitated by Sumer’s creation of an irrigation system consisting of canals and dams, which allowed the Sumerians to hydrate and drain their fields regularly. It was a pivotal moment in human history because the high volume of ongoing agricultural production allowed the Sumerians to start living in settlements rather than migrating as hunter-gatherers. As the agricultural success increased, their population density also grew. With more people living together in a community, labor could be divided among the collective workforce, which allowed for the development of specialized crafts. The Mesopotamian civilization was situated in the Tigris and Euphrates river systems, which flooded irregularly. The flat lands also did not naturally drain water in an effective manner, creating problems with standing water in the fields and high concentrations of salinity. However, with adequate irrigation, the land in that region is the most fertile in the world.