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Reed-Swamps in the Sumerian Material Culture: Archaeological, Archaeobotanical and Experimental Insights from the Abu Tbeirah Excavations

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Southern Iraq's Marshes

Part of the book series: Coastal Research Library ((COASTALRL,volume 36))

Abstract

Excavations at the site of Abu Tbeirah are giving new evidence of the long cultural continuity that existed (and in a way still exists) between the life in the Iraqi Marshland and that of Sumerian people inhabiting the Land of the Two Rivers during the third millennium BC.

This continuity is related to several life’s aspects, first of all in the material culture. This study focusses on the use of reed-swamps in artefact production and building technique. The evidence brought to light during Abu Tbeirah’s excavations are analysed and compared with the ethnographic data from the Iraqi marshes.

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Author Contributions

L. Romano is author of Sects. 3.2, 3.3 and 3.5; A. Celant of Sect. 3.4; M. V. Montorfani of Sect. 3.6. Introduction, conclusions and the data reported in Table 3.1 are common work of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Institute of Oriental Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Licia Romano

  2. Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Alessandra Celant

  3. Department of Classics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Maria Virginia Montorfani

Authors
  1. Licia Romano
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  2. Alessandra Celant
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  3. Maria Virginia Montorfani
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Mt Albert, Auckland, New Zealand

    Laith A. Jawad

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Romano, L., Celant, A., Montorfani, M.V. (2021). Reed-Swamps in the Sumerian Material Culture: Archaeological, Archaeobotanical and Experimental Insights from the Abu Tbeirah Excavations. In: Jawad, L.A. (eds) Southern Iraq's Marshes. Coastal Research Library, vol 36. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66238-7_3

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