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Cited by 73Water management and technologiesArchaeology and Natural HistoryIrrigation Practices and Water Management

The Evolution of Agricultural Drainage from the Earliest Times to the Present

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Valipour, Mohammad, Krasilnikof, Jens, Yannopoulos, Stavros, Kumar, Rohitashw, Deng, Jun, Roccaro, Paolo, Mays, Larry, Grismer, Mark E. +1 more·2020·Sustainability
DOI 10.3390/su12010416
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Abstract

Agricultural developments require changes in land surface and subsurface hydraulic functions as protection from floods, reclamation of flooded land, irrigation, and drainage. Drainage of agricultural land has a long history and apparently traces back to the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia and Iran before 4000 BC. In the Eastern Mediterranean, the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations developed techniques and strategies of drainage of agricultural lands from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. After the collapse of the Aegean Bronze-age civilizations, society building and agricultural innovation in the archaic and Classical periods (ca. 800–300 BC) included successful attempts at controlling drainage and irrigation techniques. In addition, China, India, and Mesoamerica have extensive histories of drainage. The aim of this review paper is to trace the evolution of the main foundings on agricultural drainage technologies through the centuries until the present. This historical review reveals valuable insights into ancient hydraulic technologies as well as irrigation and drainage management that will help to find bright horizons for sustainable agriculture in future.

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    “Frequently these networks are associated with subsurface pipes, sluices, weirs, and pumps [114][115][116] .”

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Authors
Valipour, M., Krasilnikof, J., Yannopoulos, S., Kumar, R., Deng, J., Roccaro, P., Mays, L., Grismer, M. E., & Angelakis, A. N.
Affiliations
  • King Abdulaziz University (SA)
  • Department of History and Classical Studies, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
  • Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR)
  • Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (IN)
  • China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (CN)
  • University of Catania (IT)
  • Arizona State University (US)
  • University of California, Davis (US)
  • Institute of Crete, National Foundation for Agricultural Research (N.AG.RE.F.), 71307 Iraklion and Hellenic Union of Municipal Enterprises for water Supply and Sewerage, 41222 Larissa, Greece
Corresponding author
Valipour, Mohammad
ORCID
Venue
Sustainability
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2020-01-05
Volume
12
Issue
1
Pages
416
ISSN
2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/su12010416
OpenAlex
W2998334203
Cited by
73
References
91
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 3
FWCI
6.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Sustainability (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Scopus (Elsevier) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Water management and technologies
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Archaeology and Natural History
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Irrigation Practices and Water Management
Keywords
agricultural drainage, irrigation, Mesopotamia, Minoan civilization, Mycenaean civilization, Aegean Bronze Age, land reclamation, flood control, sustainable agriculture

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