11th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East
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Workshop Wellbrock/Charbonnier/Ertsen

Water Studies within Archaeology: Towards a Synthesis in Archaeohydrology?

Organizers: Kai Wellbrock (Fachhochschule Lübeck) / Julien Charbonnier (CEPAM Nice) / Maurits W. Ertsen (Delft University of Technology)

Abstract

In recent years, with particular importance for studies on Near Eastern (arid) environments, its ancient
cities and civilizations, archaeological studies on water in many forms have grown in number and thematic richness. Many of these studies have been published in Water History, journal of the International Water History Association. Within Germany, successful cooperation within Research Cluster 2 of the German Archaeological Institute has built further understanding on archaeological approaches to hydrological and hydraulic features. This growing attention and growing number of publications enables and provokes a closer study of methodological issues related to water studies in archaeology. For example, how to relate archaeological work on cultures existing in arid or irrigated lands with hydroengineering and hydrological disciplines? On the other hand, how to ensure that experts from these backgrounds understand the cultural backgrounds of archaeological projects and sites? The main aim of the workshop is to explore how water studies within archaeology could be developed along similar or different lines as vegetation or animal studies. What does a disciplinary concept of archaeohydrology mean when comparing it with archaeobotany or zooarchaeology? The workshop discusses methodological characteristics of the subject and aims to identify the basics for an applied archaeohydrology in terms of using its results for a present-day sustainable use of water and heritage education and protection.

Participants

Julien Charbonnier (CEPAM-CNRS Nice)
Maurits W. Ertsen (Delft University of Technology)
Hans Georg K. Gebel (Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Vorderasiatische Archäologie)
Christoph Külls (Fachhochschule Lübeck, Labor für Siedlungswasserwirtschaft)
Martin Strauss (Fachhochschule Lübeck, Fachbereich Bauwesen, Labor für Siedlungswasserwirtschaft)
Monika Trümper (Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Klassische Archäologie)
Kai Wellbrock (Fachhochschule Lübeck, Fachbereich Bauwesen, Labor für Siedlungswasserwirtschaft)

Programme

09:00 Maurits W. Ertsen: Welcome
09:10 Maurits W. Ertsen: Introducing Archaeohydrology
09:30 Hans Georg K. Gebel: Early human water ethology and commodification as fields of archaeohydrology, explained by early-mid Holocene findings from the Near East
10:15 Julien Charbonnier (Maël Crépy/Sophie Costa/Emmanuelle Régagnon/Carine Calastrenc/ Thomas Sagory/Ian Bailiff/Lisa Snape-Kennedy/Louise Purdue): Long term evolution of water supply in the oasis of Masafi (UAE): An archaeohydrological approach
11:00 Coffee break
11:30 Christoph Külls/Kai Wellbrock: Combining hydrology and archaeology – research perspectives
12:15 Monika Trümper: Archaeohydrology and Ancient Cities: State of Research and Perspectives
13:00 Lunch break
14:00 Martin Strauss: Tayma Oasis (KSA): Analysis of used methods to answer archaeohydrological key questions and their prospects for future projects
14:45 Maurits Ertsen: Theories and methods in water and archaeology. Introduction for the discussion
15:30 Julien Charbonnier: Introduction for the discussion
16:00 Coffee break
16:30 Discussion