Fwd: Water supply at Harappa

[Guest guest]

IndiaArchaeology , " Carlos Aramayo "

<cararam50 wrote:

 

Dear friends,

 

Antiquity's Journal March 2008 edition presents an study from the

ancient course of Beas river near Harappa. The study was made by

Rita P. Wright, Reid A.Bryson and Joseph Schuldenrein. One of the

conclusions is that rivers in the proximity of ancient city of

Harappa had a strong flow between 3500 and 2100 BC. I think this

comes to re-validate the archaeoclimatological study of Singh in the

70's wich proposed Harappan civilization flourished in such good wet

conditions.

On the other hand a paper was published in 2006 by Madella and

Fuller refuting the climatic perspective of other studies. I think

the new article by Wright et al. contributes to the debate also to

Saraswati river conditions during Harappan Civilization.

 

Regards,

 

Carlos

 

http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/082/ant0820037.htm

 

Antiquity Vol 82:315, March 2008, pp 37-48. Rita Wright et al. Water

supply and history: Harappa and the Beas regional survey

 

Rita P. Wright, Reid A.Bryson and Joseph Schuldenrein

 

1 Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place,

New York 10003, USA (Email: rita.wright)

2 Center for Climatic Research, University of Wisconsin, 1225 W.

Dayton St., Madison, WI 53706-1695, USA (Email: rabryson)

3 Geoarchaeology Research Associates, 5912 Spencer Avenue,

Riverdale, New York 10471, USA (Email: geoarch)

 

Introducing the methods of archaeoclimatology, the authors measure

the relative locus of the monsoons, the intensity of winter rains

and the volume of water in the rivers in the Upper Indus, in the

region of Harappa. They also note the adoption of a multi-cropping

agricultural system as a possible strategy designed to adjust to

changing conditions over time. They find that around 3500 BC the

volume of water in the rivers increases, and the rivers flood,

implying annual soil refreshment and the consequent development of

agriculture. By contrast, from around 2100 BC the river flow begins

to fall while the winter rains increase. This time-bracket

correlates nicely with the brief flourishing of Harappa. The locally

derived evidence from Harappa combined with the Beas survey data

provide a model for understanding the abandonment of settlements in

the Upper Indus and possibly the wider civilisation.

 

Keywords: Indus, Harappa, agriculture, climate, river flow

 

Copyright 2008 Antiquity Publications

 

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