Agricultural villages surround the Euphrates River in the Abu Kamal district of Syria.
This area is part of the “Fertile Crescent” — a large region spanning parts of present-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt — where settled farming first emerged more than 10,000 years ago.
In addition to plants like figs, peas, lentils, and chickpeas, this region also domesticated animals including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, cats, and geese.