Geoarchaeology
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Alexander the Great and the Campaign of Gaugamela
New Research on Topography and Chronology IAMNI 1 (Italian Archaeological Mission to Northern Iraq)
The Battle of Gaugamela in which Alexander the Great’s army faced the Persian army of King Darius III in 331 bce remains a famous date in history the last battle that led to Alexander’s conquest of the Achaemenid Empire. However the topography and chronology of the campaign have up to now remained little studied. Taking these two elements as its starting point this volume draws both on the latest archaeological research in the region and on recent advances in science (in particular GIS) to offer a completely new reconstruction of the Gaugamela campaign arguing for a much shorter campaign than has hitherto been understood. By turning the spotlight for the first time onto the geographical and topographical context of the campaign the author here also provides a new understanding of both the scale of Alexander’s military achievement and the long-term effects of the military reforms introduced by his father Philip II.
Settlement, Mobility, and Land Use in the Birecik-Carchemish Region
(Fifth–Third Millennium bce)
This volume investigates settlement trajectories and systems of movement in the Birecik-Carchemish sector of the Euphrates River Valley from the fifth to the third millennium BCE. Integrating remote sensing analyses published data of individual surveys and excavations and the original results of the ‘Land of Carchemish Project’ this multi-scalar study shows the significant longevity of settlement choices and the role of small sites in shaping the cultural landscape of the region both along the Euphrates and in the uplands. Attention is paid to the dynamics behind settlement creation and continuity while the author also provides a reassessment of the radiocarbon dates from sites in the area of study.
Water Management in Gerasa and its Hinterland
From the Romans to ad 750
The Decapolis city of Gerasa has seen occupation since the Bronze Age but reached its zenith in the Roman to early Islamic period as a population centre and trading hub. Located in a fertile valley in the limestone foothills of the Ajlun mountains the city benefitted from a benign climate and an excellent local water supply from karstic springs and perennial streams. By the Roman-Early Byzantine period these water sources were harnessed and managed by extensive aqueduct and distribution networks that satisfied the broad range of water needs of both urban and rural dwellers.
This volume offers an up-to-date comprehensive and multidisciplinary analysis of the water management system employed in both Gerasa and its hinterland from the time of Roman occupation to the devastating earthquakes that struck the city at the end of the Umayyad period. Drawing on archaeological evidence from the author’s field research together with a critical and detailed analysis of the evidence of water installations and the results of a radiocarbon dating study this insightful book offers the first diachronic interpretation of Gerasa’s water distribution setting the city in its geoarchaeological historical and landscape contexts and contributing to the broader understanding of its archaeological history.
Environmental Studies, Remote Sensing, and Modelling
Final Publications from the Danish-German Jerash Northwest Quarter Project I
The Decapolis city of Jerash has long attracted attention from travellers and scholars due both to the longevity of the site and the remarkable finds uncovered during successive phases of excavation that have taken place from 1902 onwards. Between 2011 and 2016 a Danish-German team led by the universities of Aarhus and Münster focused their attention on the Northwest Quarter of Jerash - the highest point within the walled city - and this volume is the first in a series of books presenting the team’s final results.
Covering different themes and categories of finds this volume focuses on the geophysical survey and other remote-sensing work undertaken in and around the Northwest Quarter and also presents an in-depth discussion of the environmental studies performed at the site. This includes the geoscientific analysis carried out in various contexts as well as radiocarbon dating studies of both human and animal bones and conclusions drawn from the archaeobotanical research.