mesopotamia geoarcaheology jaafar jotheri
TRANSCRIPT
Reconstruction and Dating of palaeochannels in the Mesopotamian floodplain
By
Jaafar Jotheri Supervised by
Mark Allen and Tony Wilkinson Earth Sciences Department Archaeology Departments
Location of the Mesopotamian floodplain
There are two main problems in this research
1- Reconstruction : How to find palaeochannels ?
2- Dating :How to sort palaeochannels according to their age?
Palaeochannels
Modern channels
Using SRTM elevation data to trace palaeochannels
Using DigitalGlobe satellite images to trace palaeochannels
Using CORONA 1960 satellite images to trace palaeochannels
CORONA 1960 Landsat 2002
Samawah Samawah
Babylon Babylon
Using historical maps to determine changes of watercourse
Ottoman Empire map 1500 Landsat 2000
Kufa
Kufa
Marsh
es
Results of Identification of palaeochannels by satellite images
Modern channels
Palaeochannels
Groundtruthing of identified palaeochannels
Groundtruthing of identified palaeochannels
The second step is Dating of the identified palaeochannels By :
2- Associated archaeological sites .
1- Radiocarbon test of organic materials .
Typical cross section over palaeochannels belts
Ending of avulsion samples
Starting of avulsion samples
Bed before avulsion
River levees medium sand
River channel course sand
River floodplain mud
Landfill soil
River belt fine sand
A B
A
B
Collecting organic materials for radiocarbon dating
Archaeological site
Archaeological site
Dating palaeochannels according to associated archaeological sites
Najaf
Samarra
Kut
Ur
Parts of the study area
~ 5000 BP ~ 3000 BP 2000BP ~ 1000 BP
~ 200BP ~ 100BP Present
Modern channels
Palaeochannels
Palaeochannels changes throughout time - Najaf area
Two avulsion styles in Najaf area 2
1
Analysis sand and clay samples to distinguish between Euphrates palaeochannels and Tigris palaeochannels
XRF test
Palaeochannels
Modern channels
Heavy mineral analysis
Epidote G.
Amphibole G. Clinopyroxene
Grain size analysis
Thank you for your attention