05.The_Mesopotamian_Civilization_6500_BC__539_BC)

Period: 6,500 B.C. – 539 B.C.

Original Location: Northeast by the Zagros Mountains, southeast by the Arabian Plateau

Current Location: Iraq, Syria, and Turkey

Major Highlights: First civilization in the world

Meaning the “Land Between Rivers” in ancient Greek, Mesopotamia was a region — not a single civilization — and several cultures benefited from the fertile lands that today include southwest Asia and swathes along the eastern Mediterranean ocean.

The first lucky people arrived in 14,000 B.C. and flourished between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. For thousands of years, Mesopotamia was prime real estate, and every surrounding culture and group wanted it.