The canal system of Ju-i Dokhtar: new insight into water management in the eastern part of the Pasargadae plain (Fars, Iran)

Abstract

Within the territory of the ancient province of Persia, which corresponds approximately to the present-day region of Fars in southern Iran, numerous remains of hydraulic structures are known and reported. These have rarely benefitted from detailed studies, however, which results in functional uncertainties and unconfirmed chronological suggestions, including in particular hasty attributions to the Achaemenid period. The territory of the plain of Pasargadae, situated at the center of this province, was well suited to irrigated agriculture, exemplified by the famous gardens created in the capital of Cyrus in the first period of the Achaemenid Empire. As the region is situated in a mountainous and semi-arid environment, irrigation is necessary for regular agricultural production throughout the year. The region of Pasargadae contains many hydraulic features that are relatively well preserved. However, their dating and their functions still remain unclear, which has stimulated new research and examination of all the evidence concerning the hydraulics, using a combination of methods and approaches, including systematic regional mapping, photo-interpretation, precise topographic readings, and dating experimentation through OSL analyses. This article presents a synthesising study of the remains of the Ju-i Dokhtar canal and the dam of Sa'adatshahr, which is located at the outlet of the canal. These structures probably formed the backbone of a system of water exploitation, that included all of the south-east part of the plain of Pasargadae and the plain of Sa'adatshahr further downstream.

Pulvar River changes in the Pasargadae plain (Fars, Iran) during the Holocene and the consequences for water management in the first millennium BCE

“…The methods and tools used to analyse ancient hydraulic constructions in the region of Pasargadae have been described elsewhere (Chambrade et al, 2020), and we shall present only a few reminders here. These methods and tools were adapted to specificities in the field, in particular the state of preservation of the remains, which led to the combination of several survey techniques: remote sensing based on aerial photographs and satellite images for general mapping (satellite images freely accessible on Google Earth and Microsoft Bing, SPOT and Pléiades images -© CNES 2013 and Airbus DS 2018); systematic field survey of the remains (tablet with Oruxmaps application, GPS single-antenna Trimble Juno SB) complemented by precise topographic records in key sectors (GPS RTK Leica); absolute (OSL: post-IR IRSL) and relative dating (archaeological survey) of the remains.…”

“…In 2018, field operations were first concentrated on the Ju-i Dokhtar canal. They are detailed in a recently published article, with selected results summarized here (Chambrade et al, 2020). This canal runs 28.6 km north/south, following the relief of the glacis and dug into it (Fig.…”

Vegetation Analysis in the Archaeological Area of Pasargadae WHS (Iran) Enhancing the Naturalistic Value of the Site within the Occurring Environmental Changes

“…However, the aridity has increased over the centuries, and this phenomenon has evidently intensified more recently. The present desiccation of the river was the consequence of both direct human interventions and the current climate change [47,48]. Moreover, Pasargadae is located in the border zone of the Zagros mountains, and the Irano-Turanian region, and it results in a rich ecotone from a biodiversity point of view, as well as a high naturalistic interest [6].…”

Substrate Preferences of Ruderal Plants in Colonizing Stone Monuments of the Pasargadae World Heritage Site, Iran

“…The various conditions of the Pasargadae World Heritage Site (WHS) made it an excellent representative archeological site. In the northwest of Fars province in Southern Iran, the Pasargadae WHS is located in the Murghab plain (1800 m above sea level), one of the vaster alluvial sedimentary intermountain basins within the Zagros Mountain chain [46], which is an important habitat of the Zagros ecological zone [47]. Pasargadae was the capital of an empire, which dominated the ancient Near East for more than two centuries [48].…”

“…The average annual precipitation is 337 mm, and all the rain falls from December to May, while there is a completely dry season from June to September. The average annual temperature is 12.4 • C, although there is a wide annual excursion considering the absolute minimum of −10.6 • C in February and the absolute maximum of 44.4 • C in July (data from 1996 to 2009, in [46]). Additionally, the mean relative humidity is 39-41%, with wide excursions (http://www.irimo.ir, accessed on 1 September 2014).…”