Overview

Examines the many ways water has contributed to power structures in the past, with insights for contemporary water management. 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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Emily Holt
Publisher:   State University of New York Press
Imprint:   State University of New York Press
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   0.599kg
ISBN:  

9781438468761

ISBN 10:   1438468768
Pages:   334
Publication Date:   02 January 2019
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Illustrations 1. Water and Power in Past Societies: An Introduction Emily Holt Part I. Productive Power and the Ecological History of Waterscapes 2. The Political Ecology of Chinampa Landscapes in the Basin of Mexico Christopher T. Morehart 3. Irrigation and Social Organization: A Longue Durée Perspective from the Jordan Valley Eva Kaptijn 4. Water Management by Mobile Pastoralists in the Middle East Emily Hammer 5. Water and Workshops: Inequality among Mining Sites in Ancient Laurion (Greece) Kim Van Liefferinge Part II. Waterscapes, Power Plays, and Display 6. From Elite Villas to Public Spaces: The First Decorative Fountains in Ancient Rome Brenda Longfellow 7. 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 8. Spatial Archaeology, Hydrology, and the Historical Dynamics of Water in Ancient Southern Arabia (Yemen and Oman) Michael J. Harrower Part III. Coastal Water 9. The Sea and Bronze Age Transformations Christopher Prescott, Anette Sand-Eriksen, and Knut Ivar Austvoll 10. Southeast Asian Maritime Power, Seventeenth-Century Spice Wars, and Tiworo’s Neglected Fortifications Jennifer L. Gaynor 11. The Power of Coastal Resources: Assessing Maritime Economic Opportunity in the Roman Mediterranean Justin Leidwanger Part IV. Water Archaeology: Pasts, Presents, Futures 12. Rivers as Material Infrastructure: A Legacy from the Past to the Future Matt Edgeworth 13. Geologies of Belonging: The Political Ecology of Water in Central Anatolia Ömür Harmanşah 14. Some Perspectives on the Frequency of Significant, Historically Forcing Drought and Subsistence Crises in Anatolia and Region Sturt W. Manning 15. A Framework for Facing the Past Vernon L. Scarborough Contributors Index

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Author Information

Emily Holt is Research Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

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