Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer.
Economic mechanisms behind the emergence of ancient Sumer remain unavoidably speculative and should benefit from a better understanding of their environmental context. Abundance sustaining increased social complexity during the Uruk period (c. 6,000-5,200 y BP) has been traditionally ascribed to pas...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0329084 |
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| author | Liviu Giosan Reed Goodman |
| author_facet | Liviu Giosan Reed Goodman |
| author_sort | Liviu Giosan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Economic mechanisms behind the emergence of ancient Sumer remain unavoidably speculative and should benefit from a better understanding of their environmental context. Abundance sustaining increased social complexity during the Uruk period (c. 6,000-5,200 y BP) has been traditionally ascribed to pastoralism, trade, and/or resource diversity. However, contemporary agricultural surpluses are hard to explain before adoption of large-scale irrigation systems. Here we use high-resolution satellite-based topography and paleoenvironmental proxies from a new drill core at Lagash/Tell Al Hiba, together with previous geological and archaeological data, to reconstruct the morphodynamic evolution of coastal Sumer. We propose that tidal irrigation offers a plausible jumpstarting mechanism for high-yield, diversified agriculture providing an impetus for urbanization. As access to sea was restricted by delta build-up and tides shifted with the advancing deltaic coast, intensified reliance on mercurial river regimes eventually led to the expansive fluvial irrigation network of Early Dynastic city-states. By positioning coastal morphodynamics as a pivotal factor in urbanization and political ecology, we underscore the intricate interconnections between naturally evolving systems and collective human agency. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bce2a024cf334e1091139ad93eb14319 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-bce2a024cf334e1091139ad93eb143192025-08-23T05:32:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01208e032908410.1371/journal.pone.0329084Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer. Liviu GiosanReed GoodmanEconomic mechanisms behind the emergence of ancient Sumer remain unavoidably speculative and should benefit from a better understanding of their environmental context. Abundance sustaining increased social complexity during the Uruk period (c. 6,000-5,200 y BP) has been traditionally ascribed to pastoralism, trade, and/or resource diversity. However, contemporary agricultural surpluses are hard to explain before adoption of large-scale irrigation systems. Here we use high-resolution satellite-based topography and paleoenvironmental proxies from a new drill core at Lagash/Tell Al Hiba, together with previous geological and archaeological data, to reconstruct the morphodynamic evolution of coastal Sumer. We propose that tidal irrigation offers a plausible jumpstarting mechanism for high-yield, diversified agriculture providing an impetus for urbanization. As access to sea was restricted by delta build-up and tides shifted with the advancing deltaic coast, intensified reliance on mercurial river regimes eventually led to the expansive fluvial irrigation network of Early Dynastic city-states. By positioning coastal morphodynamics as a pivotal factor in urbanization and political ecology, we underscore the intricate interconnections between naturally evolving systems and collective human agency.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0329084 |
| spellingShingle | Liviu Giosan Reed Goodman Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer. PLoS ONE |
| title | Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer. |
| title_full | Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer. |
| title_fullStr | Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer. |
| title_short | Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer. |
| title_sort | morphodynamic foundations of sumer |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0329084 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT liviugiosan morphodynamicfoundationsofsumer AT reedgoodman morphodynamicfoundationsofsumer |