Comparative analysis of settlement change across Mesopotamia: exploring a large Iraqi archaeological dataset with aoristic analysis

Abstract

In memory of Amir al-Hamdani, this paper utilises a large Iraqi archaeological dataset to explore settlement patterns between 6000 BC and 1900 AD. The dataset includes a refined version of Amir’s ‘Digital Database for Archaeological Sites in Iraq’, as well as thousands of other sites collated as part of the ‘Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa’ project. Splitting Iraq into north, central and south zones we apply aoristic analysis to our preliminary Iraq dataset. We seek to explore: 1) how site numbers fluctuate over time; 2) whether there are regional differences; and 3) how they relate to general trends such as climate, increasing social complexity and the emergence of cities, states and empires. Our analysis effectively plots changes in site numbers, and demonstrates clear regional differences. Climatic and socio-political changes explain many of the observed trends, but higher-resolution data is needed for more detailed and nuanced plots.