493567-FS2025-0

01.04.2025

07/14

Hydrography of Mesopotamia:

Assyria and Babylonia

Sebastian Borkowski M.A.
Prof. Dr. Mirko Novák
Dr. Susanne Rutishauser
Dr. Eveline C. Zbinden
Prof. Dr. Andreas Zischg

Seminar Paper

  • 9000–12000 characters including spaces and bibliography
  • on a specific topic not directly related to the presentation
  • This counts for 50% of the final grade
  • The paper may be written in either German or English
  • Deadlines:
    • Determining the topic: April 30
    • Submission: July 31

example: 27'000 characters including spaces

Topics (selection)

  • Climate change in upper regions (Turkey)
  • Sea level changes
  • Changes delta progression
  • Marsh formation in antiquity
  • Iraqi marshlands
  • Modern hydraulic projects in Iraq (and Turkey)
  • Organisation of irrigation and water management in the early Old Babylonian period
  • Impact of salinization in agriculture and coping strategies
  • human labour & hydraulic technologies in the 3rd millenium BCE
  • compilation of an German-English-Arabic Glossary of modern hydrographic and hydraulic terminology

Presentation and Handout

  • Prepare and give an interdisciplinary presentation (40 min) on a topic in a group, including a handout (2000–5000 characters with spaces and bibliography).
  • A draft of the handout must be submitted to all lecturers one week before the presentation.
  • The final version of the handout must be uploaded to Ilias into the folder "handout" until Sunday evening before the presentation, a PDF (and pptx) of the presentation on the day of the presentation.
  • Handout and presentation count for 40% of the final grade (group assessment). 

Quotations

Marshes on wall panel

Marshes on wall panel

Marshes on wall panel

Marshes on wall panel

Marshes on wall panel

Main Paleochannels

Jotheri, J. (2016): Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Mesopotamian floodplain. PhD thesis, Durham, Fig. 5.13

Main Paleochannels

Jotheri, J. (2016): Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Mesopotamian floodplain. PhD thesis, Durham, Fig. 5.3.

Main Paleochannels

Jotheri, J. (2016): Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Mesopotamian floodplain. PhD thesis, Durham, Fig. 5.2.

Purattum, Arahtum and Sura Course

Jotheri, J./Allen, M.B./Wilkinson, T.J. (2016): Holocene Avulsions of the Euphrates River in the Najaf Area of Western Mesopotamia. Impacts on Human Settlement Patterns, Geoarchaeology 31: 3, 175–193, Fig. 6 A-C.

Hilla and Hindiya Course

Jotheri, J./Allen, M.B./Wilkinson, T.J. (2016): Holocene Avulsions of the Euphrates River in the Najaf Area of Western Mesopotamia. Impacts on Human Settlement Patterns, Geoarchaeology 31: 3, 175–193, Fig. 6 D-F.

Purattum 

  • 4.-1. mill. BCE

Jotheri, J. (2016): Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Mesopotamian floodplain. PhD thesis, Durham, Fig. 3.2.

Arahtum 

  • 1. mill. BCE
  • Banitu Channel

Jotheri, J. (2016): Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Mesopotamian floodplain. PhD thesis, Durham, Fig. 3.3.

Sura

  • 1. mill. BCE - 13. cent. CE

Jotheri, J. (2016): Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Mesopotamian floodplain. PhD thesis, Durham, Fig. 3.4.

Hilla

  • 13. -19. cent. CE

Jotheri, J. (2016): Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Mesopotamian floodplain. PhD thesis, Durham, Fig. 3.5.

Hindiya

  • 20. cent. CE

Jotheri, J. (2016): Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Mesopotamian floodplain. PhD thesis, Durham, Fig. 3.7.

Assyrian Kinglist

Neobabylonian KL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_kings_of_Babylon

Homework

Wilkinson, T.J. (2013): Hydraulic Landscapes and Irrigation Systems of Sumer, in: Crawford, H.E.W. (ed.), The Sumerian world, Milton Park, Abingdon, 33–54.

Hydrography 07

By zastrugis

Hydrography 07

  • 130