The landscape of the Zanj Rebellion? Dating the remains of a large-scale agricultural system in southern Iraq

A large-scale agricultural system, characterized by abandoned ridge/earthwork features, has been dated to a period significantly longer than previously assumed. These features, covering extensive areas of the Shaṭṭ al-ᶜArab floodplain in southern Iraq, were thought to be linked to slave labor during the early Islamic period associated with the Zanj rebellion. However, absolute dating reveals their use persisted well beyond this timeframe, making them a significant component of Iraqi landscape heritage. The study employed a combination of textual evidence and absolute dating techniques to challenge prior assumptions about the chronology of these agricultural features.

Brown, P. J., Jotheri, J., Rayne, L., Abdalwahab, N. S., & Andrieux, E. (2025). The landscape of the Zanj Rebellion? Dating the remains of a large-scale agricultural system in southern Iraq. Antiquity, 99(406), 1065–1081. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.72