The Historical and Cultural Memory of the Babylonian World
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Book Series
ARATTA, vol. 3
Sumer and the Sea
Deltas, Shoreline, and Urban Water Management in 3rd Millennium Mesopotamia. Proceedings of the 1st ARWA International Research Workshop (Rome, 2-4 June 2021)
Licia Romano (ed)
- Pages: approx. 172 p.
- Size:216 x 280 mm
- Illustrations:63 col., 2 tables b/w., 18 maps b/w
- Language(s):English
- Publication Year:2025
- € 95,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
- ISBN: 978-2-503-61468-7
- Paperback
- Forthcoming (May/25)
- € 95,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
- ISBN: 978-2-503-61469-4
- E-book
- Forthcoming
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This volume compiles contributions from a dozen scholars and examines geomorphology, hydrology, and urban water management in lower Mesopotamia, with new insights from cuneiform sources, palaeo-climate studies, and advanced geophysical methods.
Summary
From the Chalcolithic onwards, the culture and society of Sumer flourished along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, with communities living close to the ancient shoreline in an environment that was closely linked to the exploitation of fluvial systems, the sea, and the unique marshlands of the area. This volume gathers together research first presented as part of a workshop, entitled Sumer and the Sea: Deltas, Shoreline, and Urban Water Management in 3rd Millennium Mesopotamia, to explore the interaction between Sumerians and their water-dominated environment. The chapters gathered here offer updates on methodologies and the most recent research from the field to provide new understanding and fresh insights into how the Sumerians adapted to the world in which they lived.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Illustrations
Introduction
Licia Romano
1. From the Marshes to the Sea. The Waterscape of Ancient Sumer
Lorenzo Verderame
2. Dry and Dusty Periods in the Mesopotamia Region from 2560-2450 BC and 2310-2020 BC Inferred from Stalagmite Chemistry
Stacy A. Carolin
3. Avulsion Styles, Flooding, Sedimentation and Settlement Patterns in Ancient Mesopotamia
Galina S. Morozova
4. The Deltaic Origins of a Mesopotamian City-State
Reed Goodman and Liviu Giosan
5. Eridu and the Sea. A Long-Standing Issue
Philippe Quenet and Anne-Caroline Rendu Loisel
6. Drilling is not Boring. Geoarchaeological Research at Abu Tbeirah
Licia Romano, Luca Forti, Franco D’Agostino, Salvatore Milli, and Jaafar Jotheri
7. Archaeological Geophysics in the Marshy Area of Southern Mesopotamia. Insights and Details of Water Management in Uruk-Warka, Ur, and Fara-Šuruppak
Jörg W.E. Fassbinder, Sandra E. Hahn, Mandana Parsi
8. Harbours, Water Gates, and Canals in Šuruppak and Ur. New Results from Old Sites
Berthold Einwag, Adelheid Otto, and Jörg W.E. Fassbinder
9. The Waterscape of Ancient Girsu. The Geomorphology of a City Channel
Ella Egberts, Jaafar Jotheri, Dita Auzina, Angelo Di Michele, and Sébastien Rey
Works Cited
