Upcoming publication: The Archaeology of Water

The study of water-management and its relationship to the state has undergone significant changes over the last few decades. Semi-arid environments have received particular attention in response to traditional models that have singled out state controlled irrigation (and the concomitant agricultural surplus) as one of the key factors in the development of complex societies in these areas. These have drawn heavily on Wittfogel’s idea that Asia's predominantly semi-arid environment, watered by several large river systems, created a situation whereby agricultural surplus was dependent on large scale, centrally-administered irrigation systems. Recent research, however, has put greater emphasis on the role of devolved systems of water management, often with significant input from religious institutions or village-based organisations. Others have highlighted the level of diversity in the design and function of water-resource structures within a single region, as well as in the administration systems behind their construction, management and upkeep.

Archaeologically-orientated papers which introduce new light on these debates are invited here. Although the semi-arid regions covered by Wittfogelian models of ‘Asiatic hydraulic civilisations’ are of major interest, other relevant case-studies from non-Asian regions are welcomed. This volume will focus as much on the cultural, economic, ritual and symbolic aspects of water-harvesting, water-control, and irrigation systems, as on more practical considerations such as hydrology and engineering.