Canal Mounds as Archives for Human-Environment Interactions in the South Caucasus during Late Antiquity

Snape, Lisa M.; Ricci, Andrea; Bailiff, Ian K.; Lawrence, Dan E.; Aliyev, Tevekkül; Helwing, Barbara

doi:10.1080/00934690.2025.2493438

Canal Mounds as Archives for Human-Environment Interactions in the South Caucasus during Late Antiquity

Snape, Lisa M.; Ricci, Andrea; Bailiff, Ian K.; Lawrence, Dan E.; Aliyev, Tevekkül; Helwing, Barbara

Authors

Lisa M. Snape

Andrea Ricci

Professor Emeritus Ian Bailiff [email protected]
Emeritus Professor

Professor Daniel Lawrence [email protected]
Professor

Tevekkül Aliyev

Barbara Helwing

Abstract

The physical remains of a surviving large-scale canal system found in the landscape of the Mil Steppe in southwestern Azerbaijan were studied by examining a section of canal situated along the Govurarx canal near Ören Qala. Excavation revealed a complex stratigraphy, and mounds formed on its banks enabled the preservation potential of natural and anthropogenic deposits to be assessed. Application of micromorphological and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) techniques to the sediment deposits enabled construction, maintenance, and abandonment phases to be identified. OSL dates revealed that the system had a complex history, with a likely construction date in the 8th century a.d., periods of maintenance and use, but also modification and abandonment over a span approaching 1000 years. A stratigraphic model for the evolution of the canal and correlations with the regional archaeological record are proposed with the aim of understanding the influence of local environmental and socio-political drivers.

Citation

Snape, L. M., Ricci, A., Bailiff, I. K., Lawrence, D. E., Aliyev, T., & Helwing, B. (online). Canal Mounds as Archives for Human-Environment Interactions in the South Caucasus during Late Antiquity. Journal of Field Archaeology, https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2025.2493438

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Mar 17, 2025
Online Publication Date	May 6, 2025
Deposit Date	May 7, 2025
Publicly Available Date	May 9, 2025
Journal	Journal of Field Archaeology
Print ISSN	0093-4690
Electronic ISSN	2042-4582
Publisher	Taylor and Francis Group
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2025.2493438
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3934936