Overview

• Led by Liviu Giosan (WHOI) and Reed Goodman (Clemson/BICEFS), the PLOS ONE paper presents the Morphodynamic Foundations of Sumer model as part of the Lagash Archaeological Project.
• The authors report that 7,000–5,000 years ago the Persian Gulf extended inland, sending twice-daily freshwater tides far up the lower Tigris and Euphrates.
• The study proposes that early communities tapped this dependable tidal hydrology with short canals to irrigate crops and date groves without large-scale infrastructure.
• As deltas advanced and cut off tidal access, the authors argue the resulting ecological and economic shock drove extensive irrigation and flood-protection works that defined Sumer’s golden age.
• The research links environmental dynamics to culture and governance, noting parallels with Mesopotamian flood myths and water-focused deities.