Mesopotamian civilization: Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys (Southwest Asia)

River valleys were the “cradles of civilization.” Early civilizations made major contributions to social, political, and economic development.

· Cuneiform: Sumer

· Alphabet: Phoenicia

· Use of metal (e.g., bronze, iron) tools and weapons

· Increasing agricultural surplus: Better tools, plows, irrigation

· Increasing trade along rivers and by the sea (Phoenicians)

· Development of the world’s first cities

· Development of the practice of slavery within most cultures in the ancient world, taking various forms