The Waterscape of Ancient Girsu. The Geomorphology of a City Channel
Resource type
Book chapter
Creator (person)
Date published
2025
Abstract
This chapter presents the first reconstruction of the waterscape of Girsu, southern Mesopotamia, based on remote sensing, geoarchaeological fieldwork, and 14C dating. It demonstrates that a dynamic and complex waterscape existed around this important urban centre of the Lagash city-state, consisting of multiple, shifting channels, which were used and reused at different times. The 14C dates of shell and charcoal samples obtained from the main channels range between 5000–2000 bc. These dates correspond with the main occupational phases at Girsu and with the relative chronology of channel activity deducted from the satellite imagery. Some shell 14C samples predate the associated archaeological evidence, highlighting the impact of the hard-water effect from the Euphrates and/or Tigris Rivers, which is estimated to be 350–1000 years at Girsu. Besides providing the first detailed picture of the waterscape of Girsu, our approach, applicable to tell sites throughout southern Mesopotamia, also offers a geomorphological model explaining channel visibility and preservation.
Project(s)
The Gir
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
The Meditor Trust | |
Book title
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)
Editor
Romano, Licia
Pagination
101-112
Publisher
Brepols Publishers NV
Place of publication
Turnhout
Official URL