Hydro-Archeological Modeling of Neo-Assyrian Watercourses

Abstract

This thesis is the first attempt in modeling Sennacherib’s (Neo-Assyrian king) colossal watercourse networks, with its main goal to uncover their hypothetical functionalities and operation, regarding irrigation needs and harvest yield production. Their total length surpasses 150 Km and was completed in four stages, with lack of data forcing stage two’s exclusion. The stages modeled are separated in a Local and Regional system, the latter is assumed to connect the Zagros mountains foothills and Bandawai area with the capital of the era (early 6th century BCE) Nineveh, through a mix of artificial channels, canalized rivers, and streams. Two models were used AquaCrop and Sobek, with the former for crop and latter for flow simulations. Two feeder channel widths (1- 2 m), along with three inflow (“Wet”- “Reference”- “Dry”) and control (Absent, Maximum, Limited) choices are modeled with Sobek, adding up to 14 hydraulic scenarios. Noteworthy is that “Dry” year agriculture requires irrigation throughout the hole region and both seasons (Spring-Autumn), with results presenting around 60% gains in harvest amounts when control is applied for the Regional
System. Although navigation feasibility was not thoroughly explored, “Reference”
(and consequently “Wet”) year inflows show water depths rising to or higher
than the accepted. Concluding a decisive answer to the “archeological debate” of
Sennacherib’s motivation for construction of such massive infrastructure is impossible with present data (Environment, canal, social) available. Circumstances favoring control and therefore planned rural irrigation (rather than capital-centered) for Nineveh’s hinterlands are analyzed and discussed. Lastly a few interventions seen as valuable for further modeling studies were suggest towards the members of the LoNAP team as a contribution to their upcoming field survey.