Sustaining Abundance

The Role of the Divine River in the Economy of Ancient Persia

Bibliographic Data

ID12901000
AuthorsTobin Hartnell (American University of Iraq Sulaimani, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume14
Issue4
Pages450-479
Publication date2021-03-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal for the Study of Religion Nature and Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1749-4907 • E-ISSN: 1749-4915
PublisherEquinox Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1558/jsrnc.39772
OpenAlexW3134959124
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited26

A comparison of archaeological survey and ethnography with the Zoroastrian textual corpus reveals the cultural and economic dimensions of an ancient water management system in northern Persia (southern Iran). The results highlight how humanity’s destructive impact on nature is ubiquitous, yet not all impacts are equivalent. The explanation is partly cultural, as Sasanian (r. 208–641 CE) notions of the Divine River promoted particular types of engagements with local rivers that respected their innate character. For believers, Zoroastrian water rituals promoted material abundance, just as ancient irrigation systems prioritized smaller barrages that allowed the river to mow. In contrast, modern dams severely restrict the water’s mow, which degrades the quality of the water. Even though ancient irrigation systems achieved a similar scale to modern ones, they were ultimately more sustainable because they respected the river as an important entity in its own right

Abundance (ecology · Archaeology · Character (mathematics · Geography · Humanity · Irrigation · Political science · Scale (ratio · Zoroastrianism · Eurasian Exchange Networks · History · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Ecology

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