Water and Society from Ancient Times to the Present : Resilience, Decline, and Revival

Water and Society, through a range of international case studies, presents theoretical discussions on the historical relationships between water and societies. It emphasises the use of historical and archaeological methods to define the nature and sustainability of water-uses and human responses to changing water conditions. Exploring historical knowledge to provide information on present challenges, it highlights the array of solutions and mechanisms societies have developed to deal with water in all its forms. The volume complements and expands a growing body of studies that discuss how ancient water systems can relate to resilience and sustainability in the present and inform the future.

As water availability, management and conservation become global challenges, there is now wide consensus that historical knowledge can provide crucial information to address present crises, offering unique opportunities to appreciate the solutions and mechanisms societies have developed over time to deal with water in all its forms, from rainfall to groundwater. 

This unique collection explores how ancient water systems relate to present ideas of resilience and sustainability and can inform future strategy. Through an investigation of historic water management systems, along with the responses to, and impact of, various water-driven catastrophes, contributors to this volume present tenable solutions for the long-term use of water resources in different parts of the world. The discussion is not limited to issues of the past, seeking instead to address the resonance and legacy of water histories in the present and future.

Water and Society from Ancient Times to the Present speaks to an archaeological and non-archaeological scholarly audience and will be a useful primary reference text for researchers and graduate students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds including archaeology, anthropology, history, ecology, geography, geology, architecture and development studies.