The paleoenvironment and depositional context of the Sumerian site of Abu Tbeirah (Nasiriyah, southern Mesopotamia, Iraq)

Abu Tbeirah, a Sumerian site near the capital of Ur, developed along a sinuous channel within a floodplain and marshy environment during the third millennium BC. Research reveals that this channel was abandoned after a significant flood event, with its remnants repurposed by residents as a small river harbor. This interdisciplinary study combines remote sensing, geomorphological analysis, sedimentology, paleontology, and paleobotany to reconstruct the site's landscape evolution and human exploitation of water resources. These findings provide critical insights into how environmental dynamics shaped Sumerian culture and settlement patterns in southern Mesopotamia.

Forti, L., Romano, L., Celant, A., D’Agostino, F., Rita, F. D., Jotheri, J., Magri, D., Mazzini, I., Tentori, D., & Milli, S. (2022). The paleoenvironment and depositional context of the Sumerian site of Abu Tbeirah (Nasiriyah, southern Mesopotamia, Iraq). Quaternary Research, 110, 165–183. https://doi.org/10.1017/qua.2022.22