Mesopotamia Nicknames: The Land Between Two Rivers Cradle of Western Civilization   Why would anyone wish to build a civilization in the middle of the desert in what is now lower Iraq? The answer: Because it was a wonderful place to live. Many thousands of years ago, early settlers began to build cities along the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. Natural wildlife and vegetation kept these early people fed while they began to build their new world.  It did not rain much, but the early settlers soon learned that if you irrigated the land, crops grew quickly. These early people built canals to bring water to the land from the rivers. They planted wheat, barley, dates, and vegetables including cucumbers, onions, apples, and spices.  They raised sheep, goats, and cows. They hunted wild game birds and other animals, and enjoyed fish, cheese, eggs, roasted duck, pork, and deer.  They wove sturdy baskets from the weeds that grew along the riverbanks and made pottery from the wet clay.  Be a farmer in Ancient Mesopotamia  Free presentations in PowerPoint format  To learn more about Ancient Mesopotamia, click on Gilgamesh