Dating the Ancient Dam of Ma'rib (Yemen)

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In this Subject: <a title="Anthropology & Archeology" href="/content/subcat?j_subject=237&j_availability=">Anthropology & Archeology
By this author: Francaviglia V.M.

Author: Francaviglia V.M.

Source: Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 27, Number 7, July 2000 , pp. 645-653(9)

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Abstract:

It has been shown that extremely accurate absolute dates can be obtained for the silty sediments from the ancient basin of M amacr 'rib (Yemen) by means of AMS assay of the radiocarbon contained in detrital charcoal fragments. The results obtained indicate that the silty sediments relating to the final period of activity of the ancient Sabaean dam of M amacr 'rib are no earlier than the beginning of the Christian era and no later than the end of the 3rd century. This new evidence disagrees with historical sources, which give the collapse of the famous Sabaean dam a much later date. The inexorable silting up of the water storage basin and the declining importance of the locality as a caravan station are proposed as the main causes of the decline of the entire M amacr 'rib hydrogeological system.¹⁴C analysis confirms that the earliest irrigation systems in the W amacr d imacr Danah probably date from the late 4th millennium or early 3rd millenniumbc. Copyright 2000 Academic Press