image: Trenching of an ancient irrigation canal north of the fortified settlement of Kuik Mardan (in the background) in Otrar Oasis view more
Credit: Image credit: Willem Toonen.
A study of long-term river dynamics and ancient irrigation networks challenges the long-held view that destruction of Central Asia's medieval riverine civilizations was a direct result of the Mongol invasions in the early 13th century CE. The Otrar oasis is a former Silk Road trade hub located at the confluence of the Syr Darya and Arys rivers in southern Kazakhstan. Willem Toonen, Mark Macklin, and colleagues reconstructed the effects of climate change on floodwater farming in the region during this period and found that decreasing river flow was equally, if not more, important for the demise of the once flourishing city states. The abandonment of irrigation systems, determined by radiometric dating, matches a phase of low river flows between the 10th and 14th century CE rather than corresponding with the Mongol invasion. Analysis of historic river patterns and archaeological sites shows the region revived quickly following the Arab invasions in 7th and 8th century CE, likely due to favorable wet conditions, but major drought following the Mongol destruction likely prevented the re-establishment of large-scale irrigation-based agriculture. According to the authors, the results show the critical role that rivers can have in shaping world history.
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Article #20-09553: "A hydromorphic re-evaluation of the forgotten river civilizations of Central Asia," by Willem Toonen et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mark Macklin, Lincoln University, United Kingdom; tel:+44 7528 681512; email: <MMacklin@lincoln.ac.uk>; Willem Toonen, VU Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS; e-mail: <w.h.j.toonen@vu.nl>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences