A late Holocene molluscan-based palaeoenvironmental reconstruction from southern Mesopotamia: Implications for the palaeogeographic evolution of the Arabo-Persian Gulf

Abstract

This study provides important tie-point sequences that allow better constraint on the timing and position of the marine transgression of the Arabo-Persian Gulf in southern Mesopotamia east of the ancient site of Ur in Iraq. The Mesopotamian civilisation contains the oldest city states known in the world and many other significant archaeological sites. It remains, however, an open question about the nature of the water resources that were available to these civilisations. Whilst the most northerly extent of the Arabo-Persian Gulf has been dated to ca. 6000 BP, it is much less clear how quickly the deltas of the Tigris, Euphrates and Karun infilled what is now the southern Mesopotamian Plain. Specifically, the position of the coastline is unclear at ca. 5000 BP when key city states such as Ur were founded, and also ca. 3000 BP at the start of the dynastic period, with various authors differing strongly. This is important to uncover because human populations are strongly dependent on water resources, both freshwater for drinking and washing, and freshwater and marine for naturallyoccurring sources of protein from fish and wildfowl. This study addresses these concerns by the study of two sedimentary cores from locations further north than any previous studies. We have undertaken the first ever detailed molluscan analysis from such sequences in this region. This is combined with four radiocarbon dates and some indication of pollen abundance from a very sparse assemblage. Results from our study suggest that the coastline was further north than previously suggested at ca. 3000 BP, with rapid regression after this time.

Combining Satellite Multispectral Imagery and Topographic Data for the Detection and Mapping of Fluvial Avulsion Processes in Lowland Areas

“…The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the main watercourse, occupying the marginal sectors of the Mesopotamian alluvial plain both with a northwest-southeast flow direction, parallel to the plain axis [34]: the Euphrates flows in the western side while the Tigris in the eastern sector. These rivers join near Basra, forming the Shatt-Al-Arab River, which mouths in the Persian Gulf, after about 170 km, forming an estuary with a wide marshland area [34,35]. Fluvial processes mainly characterize the entire LMP and many active and relict fluvial landforms widely occur in the area [31,34,36,37].…”

Dating Ancient Canal Systems Using Radiocarbon Dating and Archaeological Evidence at Tello/Girsu, Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq

“…In general, the number of 14 C dates for Mesopotamia is limited (Wencel 2017) and due to poor preservation of organics, and financial considerations, shell radiocarbon dating has remained the go-to method (e.g., Jotheri 2016; Al Ameri and Briant 2018; Wilkinson and Jotheri 2021). Arguments generally put forward in favor of using shells in Mesopotamia diminish the potential impact of FRE for the following reasons (e.g., by Hritz et al (2012): there are no carbon outcrops in the vicinity of the site (Hritz et al 2012) or are deeply buried (Al Ameri and Briant 2018); correlations or corrections are not possible (no pre-bomb specimens or living specimens available) (Hritz et al 2012:75; Jotheri 2016:185–186); the marine reservoir effect from the Gulf is considered limited (Hritz et al 2012:75); the environmental context (not a lake or sea) is assumed not to cause a FRE (Hritz et al 2012:75). These are inadequate reasons and dismiss the FRE in river systems.…”

“…In general, the number of 14 C dates for Mesopotamia is limited (Wencel 2017) and due to poor preservation of organics, and financial considerations, shell radiocarbon dating has remained the go-to method (e.g., Jotheri 2016;Al Ameri and Briant 2018;Wilkinson and Jotheri 2021).…”

Remote sensing applications for the assessment of the geomorphic response of fluvial systems to the Holocene Climate Changes

“…In the central LMP, the Euphrates-Tigris-Karun system developed a wide fluvio-lacustrine deltaic complex during the Holocene, which is today covered by shallow fresh-brackish water lakes and marshes, locally called Ahwar (Aqrawi et al, 2006;Yacoub, 2011;Engel and Brückner, 2018). The Tigris and Euphrates, joining about 170 km inland from the present-day shoreline of the Persian Gulf, form the Shatt al-Arab River, which creates the Shatt al-Arab/Karun estuary system and a tidal flat width 1-2 km (Aqrawi et al, 2006;Yacoub, 2011;Al-Ameri and Briant, 2019).…”