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Emergence of the Ubeyad culture and the first civilization
The environment in which the Ubeyad culture emerged and the first civilization developed was characterized by fluctuating sea levels, intricate landscapes of marshes, rivers, and drylands. Villages were built on little spits of dry land called turtle backs, interconnected by boats. Villagers utilized the fertile zones extending from rivers, cultivating palm gardens and grains nearest to the river, followed by fields of grains and pulses further away, and pasturing animals in scrubby lands. The villages were close to water bodies for fishing. The diet of the people in this period was heavily reliant on fish for protein. This environment at the fringes of wetlands allowed for the emergence of the Ubeyad culture and subsequently, the first civilization, enabling settled life and new scales of human endeavor.