eprintid: 1412087
rev_number: 36
eprint_status: archive
userid: 608
dir: disk0/01/41/20/87
datestamp: 2013-10-30 21:32:01
lastmod: 2020-02-12 22:22:20
status_changed: 2013-10-30 21:32:01
type: book_section
metadata_visibility: show
item_issues_count: 0
creators_name: Altaweel, M
title: Simulating the effects of salinization on irrigation agriculture in southern Mesopotamia
ispublished: pub
divisions: UCL
divisions: A01
divisions: B03
divisions: C03
divisions: F31
divisions: K74
keywords: Salinization, Environment, Social-ecological modeling, Agriculture, Climate, Mesopotamia
note: © Archaeopress and the individual authors 2013
abstract: A model of irrigation agriculture is applied to southern Mesopotamian for the areas around Nippur and
Uruk. Field systems around late third millennium BC (Ur III period) cities are modeled in order to
understand the effects of salinization and what strategies might limit progressive salinization that
hinders agricultural yields. Scholars have long suspected that progressive salinization may constrain
irrigation agriculture in southern Mesopotamia. This is not only demonstrated by modeling, but
methods to mitigate the effects of salinization and promote the resilience of agricultural systems are
presented. Strategies that incorporate fallowing regimes and which promote natural and/or engineered
leaching create resilient agricultural systems in which ancient farmers could have made decisions about
when to crop and irrigate based on the effects of salinization. Simulation results not only demonstrate
to what extent and under what conditions salinization could be limited, but also model results indicate
that irrigation-induced salinity could have ultimately become a major constraint to settlements and
agriculture in southern Mesopotamia.
date: 2013
publisher: Archaeopress
vfaculties: VSHS
oa_status: green
full_text_type: other
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_source: Manually entered
elements_id: 912756
isbn_13: 978140731173 9
lyricists_name: Altaweel, Mark
lyricists_id: MALTA62
full_text_status: public
place_of_pub: Oxford, UK
pagerange: 219-239
book_title: Models of Mesopotamian Landscapes How small-scale processes contributed to the growth of early civilizations
editors_name: Wilkinson, TJ
editors_name: Gibson, M
editors_name: Christiansen, J
editors_name: Widell, M
citation:        Altaweel, M;      (2013)    Simulating the effects of salinization on irrigation agriculture in southern Mesopotamia.                    In: Wilkinson, TJ and Gibson, M and Christiansen, J and Widell, M, (eds.) Models of Mesopotamian Landscapes How small-scale processes contributed to the growth of early civilizations. (pp. 219-239).   Archaeopress: Oxford, UK.       Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1412087/2/Altaweel_Simulating_the_effects_of_salinization_on_irrigation_agriculture_in_southern_Mesopotamia.pdf