B01: Environment and Resources of West Asia

The concentration of resources into urban space (food, soil, stone, metal, water, etc.) which emerged in West Asia in line with urbanization, as well as the development of communication networks and technology, is clarified through analyzing sediments and artifacts recovered from archaeological sites across West Asia. The emergence and transformation of cities, as well as their interaction with the environment, are elucidated from the perspective of earth science and materials science. Environmental research is conducted, and data is collected across West Asia for analysis.

Research Group 04:
The Mutual Development and Friction between Water, Soil and Cities in Ancient West Asia and the Origin of Urban Mines

“Urbanization” entails the accumulation of resources such as food, fuel and building materials to cater to the increasing population and to maintain its lifestyle, as well as of prestige materials (such as precious stones and metals) to dignify and separate the rulers from the citizens. It also entails the development and maintenance of transportation networks (roads and/ or canals), which facilitate the transportation of these materials. This research project investigates how the environmental and geopolitical transition had influence on the rise, decline and fall of ancient West Asian cities, from the perspective of “mutual development and friction between water, soil, and the cities”. Through material science methods, this research project will focus on the issue accompanied by urbanization. Among other issues centralized around the archaeological sites in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley around the 7th millennium BC to the Roman period, the development and maintenance of communication/transportation networks that connect between cities and its hinterland, transformation of surrounding landscape, and the development of clay and metallurgical technology are of our special interest. “Dawn of urban mine” can be seen in the early cities in Mesopotamia during the resource accumulation processes. We are particularly interested in origin and accumulation of silver as traceable prestige material. By keeping close contact with the other research groups, this research group will contribute to build up compositional and physical database on the soil, water, and metal across time and space in West Asia.

Research Organization

Project Leader

Ryo Anma　Geology; Graduate School of Technology, Industrial and Social Sciences, Tokushima University

Co-investigators

Masanori Kurosawa　Mineralogy; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Kei Ikehata　Metal isotope analysis; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Yoji Arakawa　Petrology; University of Tsukuba

Teruyuki Maruoka　Earth Science; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Yuji Yagi　Seismology; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Takanori Nakano　Enviromental Science; Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

Yoriko Yokoo　Enviromental Science; Faculity of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University

Yoshiaki Kon　Geochemistry; Research Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Takashi Sano　Petrology; Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science

Sachi Wakasa　Geology; Institute of Regional Innovation, Hirosaki University

Yorinao Shitaoka　Geochronology; Faculty of Geo-environmental Science, Rissho Unversity

Yoshihiro Asahara　Petrology; Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University

Keiji Hirokawa　Paleoenvironment; Graduate School of Science and Engineering for Education, University of Toyama

Ki-Cheol Shin　Isotope Geoscience; RIHN Center, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

Yoshihito Kamata　Micro-fossil analysis; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Masayo Minami　Radiocarbon dating; Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University

Kimikazu Sasa　Accelerator analysis; Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Chikako Watanabe　Mesopotamian enviroment history; Faculty of International Studies, Osaka Gakuin University

Akihiro Tuji　Diatom analysis; Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science

Thomas Parkner　GIS & Remote sensing; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Links to other research group

• X00
• A01
• A02
• B01
• C01