In the heart of ancient Mesopotamia, a group of researchers has achieved a significant archaeological milestone: the identification and mapping of a vast network of irrigation canals in the region of Eridu, in southern Iraq, the southernmost of all the great Mesopotamian cities and, according to the Sumerian King List, the oldest city in history.
The research, conducted by a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists and geologists from various universities and international institutions, confirms that the Eridu region, inhabited from the sixth to the first millennium BCE, preserves one of the oldest and best-preserved irrigation networks in Mesopotamia.
Historically, Mesopotamia has depended on the Euphrates River and its tributaries for crop irrigation. The ability to divert water from these rivers through canals was essential for the sustainability of urban settlements. However, most ancient irrigation structures have been buried under fluvial sedimentation or replaced by networks from later periods, making it difficult to study the earliest agricultural systems in detail.
Unlike other areas, the Eridu region was abandoned after a shift in the course of the Euphrates, allowing its archaeological landscape to remain relatively intact. This exceptional situation has enabled researchers to precisely identify and map a complex network of artificial canals predating the first millennium BCE.
For this study, archaeologists used an interdisciplinary approach combining geomorphological analysis, historical map reviews, and remote sensing technology. High-resolution satellite imagery, including images from the 1960s CORONA program, drones, and ground photography, were used to validate the findings.
One of the key methods for distinguishing natural canals from artificial ones was the analysis of water flow patterns, topography, current directions, and the presence of hydraulic control structures such as dikes and natural or artificial breaches in river dikes that allowed controlled water distribution over the floodplain.
The results revealed a highly developed irrigation network, composed of more than 200 main canals, some up to 9 km long and between 2 and 5 meters wide, directly connected to the ancient course of the Euphrates. Additionally, more than 4,000 smaller canals were identified, ranging from 10 to 200 meters in length, which served to distribute water to agricultural plots.
The team also documented the existence of around 700 farms organized around these secondary canals. These farms, which varied in size from 500 to 20,000 square meters, reflect an intensive and well-structured agricultural system based on equitable water distribution.
A remarkable aspect of the discovery is that, unlike other Mesopotamian regions where river courses changed drastically over the centuries, in the Eridu region, the Euphrates remained relatively stable, allowing the main canals to retain their functionality for centuries.
The study confirms that agriculture in Mesopotamia was not only dependent on the natural fertility of the soil but also on sophisticated hydraulic planning. The construction and maintenance of these canals required advanced knowledge of hydraulic engineering and a social organization that ensured their operation.
One of the current challenges is to precisely determine the chronology of the different segments of the irrigation network. To achieve this, researchers plan to conduct stratigraphic excavations at key points and analyze sediment remains to date the use of the canals more accurately.
Additionally, they aim to compare these findings with cuneiform inscriptions from the time, hoping to correlate written records with physical evidence. This comparison could provide new insights into water management in the ancient Mesopotamian states.
SOURCES
Jotheri J, Rokan M, Al-Ghanim A, Rayne L, de Gruchy M, Alabdan R. Identifying the preserved network of irrigation canals in the Eridu region, southern Mesopotamia. Antiquity. Published online 2025:1-7. doi:10.15184/aqy.2025.19
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