Groundwater management in Southeast Arabia from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age: a critical reassessment

Abstract

This paper aims to review the evidence of irrigation structures in Southeast Arabia during the Bronze Age (c. 3200–1300 B.C.) and the Iron Age (c. 1300–300 B.C.). The preliminary results of the excavation of hydraulic structures in Masāfī (United Arab Emirates) are also presented. While in Arabia many studies have been devoted to the qanāt technology, and especially its origin, it is demonstrated that these structures are badly dated. Conversely, it appears that wells played a significant role in water supply during the pre-Islamic period as well as in the present day.