The Lower Diyala region has played a central role in discussions on the relationship between complex societies and large-scale irrigation systems in Mesopotamia. Since Robert McC. Adams’ surveys in the 1950s, his reconstruction of irrigation networks has remained the main point of reference for the region and a staple of our discipline.
This study revisits Adams’ original survey data within the framework of the Floodplain Project (University of Bologna, dir. N. Marchetti). By combining his field observations with declassified CORONA imagery and multi-temporal satellite data, we corrected several spatial distortions in the original maps. This work identified a number of previously undocumented archaeological sites and hydraulic features. This revised spatial framework allows a closer alignment between irrigation layouts and local topography, offering a more robust basis for chronological interpretation.
Adopting a longue durée perspective, the paper reassesses patterns of water management from the early historical periods to the Islamic era. The results highlight both long-term continuities and significant reorganizations of irrigation systems in response to changing political contexts and environmental conditions. More broadly, this contribution illustrates the value of reprocessing legacy datasets using methodological innovation to refine our understanding of ancient hydraulic landscapes in Mesopotamia.

First Author: Valentin Koszarek

Keywords:
Mesopotamia
Diyala Bassin
Remote sensing
Landscape archaeology
Irrigation