This document provides an overview of the origins and key developments of early civilization in the Middle East around 4000 BC. It notes that while agriculture had taken hold earlier, more time was needed for populations to grow sufficiently to support specialization and surplus production. By 4000 BC, widespread agriculture across the region along with new inventions and social organizations came together to provide the necessary conditions for civilization to emerge, centered initially in localized areas but pulling an expanding region into their economic orbit. Key factors that enabled this transition included improved agricultural productivity and the formation of regional population centers.