These countries on a map together have a shape that is similar to a crescent , so archaeologist James Henry Breasted spoke of the `` Fertile Crescent '' because he wanted to show the similarities of the cultures of this region in ancient times . The term `` Fertile Crescent '' was first used by University of Chicago archaeologist James Henry Breasted in his Ancient Records of Egypt , published in 1906 . The region was so named due to its rich soil and crescent shape .