Archaeology of Water Management in the Nile

We welcome CDLS Fellow Amr Shahat to share his research on "Archaeology of Water Management and Resilience to Drought: Archaeobotanical and Stable Isotope Case Study from the Egyptian Nile Valley."

Please join us in-person at UCLA Geology Building, Room #3814, or join us via Zoom on February 27 from 1pm PT.

To confirm your attendance, RSVP. Masking is optional, although strongly recommended indoors. The Zoom link will be emailed to those who RSVP.

This paper “Archaeology of Water Management and Resilience to Drought: Archaeobotanical and Stable Isotope Case Study from the Egyptian Nile Valley” integrates stable isotopes in the Nile water and archaeological botanical materials from different sites along the Nile Valley to track the impact of climatic changes on the Nile river and the native plant biodiversity that sustains the diverse native communities in North East Africa. Water samples collected from Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt suggest increased evaporative conditions downstream in Egypt, including the alarming drying conditions of Lake Qarun in the Fayum region.

Comparing ancient botanical materials (desiccated fruits, seeds, and tubers) from ancient Egyptian tombs placed as food offerings for the afterlife when compared with modern botanical materials, show increased evaporative enrichment in all plant species that post-date the dams. This shows the danger of the increased construction of dams along the Nile on water and food sustainability in the region compared to ancient water management.

This is a case study that brings together anthropology and environmental sciences, based on deep-time data, to make an advocate for water and environmental justice along the Nile River and its communities. It also invites stakeholders and political leaders to transcend political polarization and care for the river as a trans-regional asset that requires cooperation and sustainable management amidst the danger of climatic changes and increased aridity.

Flyer to share: https://bit.ly/4h2ELbt

For any questions, please contact us at cdls@ucla.edu.

Dr Amr Khalaf Shahat Omran is a CDLS Fellow, and a lecturer of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on the social history of non-elite populations, including cross cultural interactions along the Nile Valley, integrating archaeology with natural sciences such as archaeobotany and stable isotope biogeochemistry. He has a Master of Egyptology from the University of Memphis and PhD in archaeology from UCLA, where he directed the ancient agriculture and paleoethnobotany during a two-year postdoctorate fellowship. He is a team member in current excavation projects, including Deir el-Ballas, Luxor, and Fayyum. One of his long-term projects he leads involves reconstructing the impact of climate change and human intervention on the Nile River and its populations from ancient to modern times, using botanical remains and freshwater shells. This work addresses and attempts to resolve issues of water justice for communities along the Nile River.