Water Harvesting and Water Management: A Discussion of the Implications of Scale in Artificial Irrigation: the Sri Lankan Example

A re-evaluation of pre-colonial irrigation systems in Sri Lanka's dry zone challenges the traditional view that large-scale artificial irrigation was inherently tied to centralization and state control. Focusing on the archaeologically well-documented uplands of Sigiriya, a 5th-century AD capital city, this study argues that such systems did not operate independently but were integral to broader cultural landscapes with complex chronologies. By adopting an alternative approach that emphasizes local context over large-scale undertakings, the research sheds new light on the social and environmental implications of water management in ancient Sri Lanka.

Myrdal, E. (2021). Water Harvesting and Water Management: A Discussion of the Implications of Scale in Artificial Irrigation: the Sri Lankan Example. Current Swedish Archaeology, 11(1), 65–96. https://doi.org/10.37718/csa.2003.04