Are Water and Power Still on the Agenda? the Role of the Water Resources in the Murghab (Turkmenistan) and the Paleochannel System of Togolok and Ojakly Areas During the Bronze Age

Publish Year: 1399
نوع سند: مقاله کنفرانسی
زبان: English
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VARNR01_028

تاریخ نمایه سازی: 19 مهر 1399

Abstract:

The 1957 publication of the famous Wittfogels’ book “Oriental Despotism” immediately raised significant debates concerning civilization, social complexity and water resources. Although Wittfogel theories are largely dismissed today, they are still triggering debates about the relation between water and power. Indeed, as already pointed out by otherscholars, the management of a water and irrigation systems might be potentially hierarchical in nature. The inequality derives from the nature of the water. Irrigation and natural hydrological systems necessitate an input and output in order to work, as well as an upstream and downstream to flow. This system might generate an inevitable hierarchical relationship between who receives the water first and who receives it last. However, this top-down system might be reliant on different factors, such as the impact of social and political negotiation between agents. Modern Turkmenistan hosts one of the larger inner deltas of Central Asia that during the Bronze Age has been the cradle of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC - also known as Oxus Civilization). The extensive excavation of Gonur Depe revealed several water-related objects (e.g. water pipes) under the main citadel, as well as the existence of an artificial canal able to divert and bringing water to the settlements and possibly to external fields. Although related to Gonur as such, these evidence might suggest a degree of complexity related to the water resources. Likewise, the water management of the Murghab communities provoked, in the last decades, debates on the role of the water resources and to what extend the possible water shortage would have led to conflicts. However, regardless of the extension of the possible system(s), water management not necessarily always lead to conflict, neither cooperation, as long as water demands can be satisfied for all. Likewise, it has been proved already that large irrigation systems do not necessitate any State sponsorships to be efficient. Although a complex channels system occurred in the region as far as back to the 3rd millennium BC, and it has been partially investigated by the AMMD project, yet different research questions remain. This paper aims to present the results of the paleochannels analysis around the area of Togolok and Ojakly in the Murghab alluvial fan. The local areas have been analyzed employing remote sensing analysis and integrated by walking survey. Moreover, the use of modelling suite over one paleochannel has been carried out in order to further explore the relationships between water, power and social complexity. The project aims to investigate the ancient channel system of Togolok and Ojakly area and to what extent water resources contributed to shape the social complexity and settlements patterns of the BMAC communities.

Authors

Roberto Arciero

Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Netherlands