Water and power in past societies / edited by Emily Holt.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Holt, Emily, 1980- editor.

Series:

SUNY series, The Institute for European and Mediterranean Archaeology distinguished monograph series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Water and civilization.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (336 pages).

Place of Publication:

Albany, NY : State University of New York Press, [2018]

Summary:

Water, an essential resource in all cultures, is at the heart of human power structures. Utilizing a diverse range of theoretical perspectives, the contributors to Water and Power in Past Societies provide a broad introduction to the archaeology of water-related power structures. The studies herein explore the long history of water politics in human society, offering new insights into the power structures and inequalities surrounding irrigation systems, the collection of rainwater as a component of ancient industrial production, and sea water as a facilitator of communication, trade, and aggression. In addition to examining the role of different types of water in creating power relationships, the volume presents case studies from a variety of climatic regions, ranging from the very dry to the tropical. This geographical breadth facilitates cross-cultural comparison, making Water and Power in Past Societies an essential resource for instructors and students of the archaeology of water. Finally, in addition to reaching conclusions with significant implications for archaeologists and anthropologists, the volume has real contemporary relevance, often drawing explicit parallels with issues of current and future water management.

Contents:

The political ecology of Chinampa landscapes in the basin of Mexico / Christopher T. Morehart

Irrigation and social organization: a Longue Durée perspective from the Jordan Valley / Eva Kaptijn

Water management by mobile pastoralists in the Middle East / Emily Hammer

Water and workshops: inequality among mining sites in ancient Laurion (Greece) / Kim Van Liefferinge

From elite villas to public spaces: the first decorative fountains in Ancient Rome / Brenda Longfellow

From urban oasis to desert hinterland: the decline of Petra's water system: the case of the Petra garden and pool complex / Leigh-Ann Bedal

Spatial archaeology, hydrology and the historical dynamics of water in ancient Southern Arabia (Yemen and Oman) / Michael Harrower

The sea and Bronze Age transformations / Christopher Prescott, Anette Sand-Eriksen and Knut Ivar Austvoll

Southeast Asian maritime power, 17th century spice wars, and Tiworo's neglected fortifications / Jennifer L. Gaynor

The power of coastal resources: assessing maritime economic opportunity in the Roman Mediterranean / Justin Leidwanger

Rivers as material infrastructure: a legacy from the past to the future / Matt Edgeworth

Geologies of belonging: the political ecology of water in Central Anatolia / Ö̈mür Harmansah

Some perspectives on the frequency of significant, historically forcing, drought and subsistence crises in Anatolia and region / Sturt W. Manning

A framework for facing the past / Vernon L Scarborough.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Water and power in past societies.

ISBN:

9781438468778

1438468776