Author Archives: G M MacDonald

Egypt has always been at the mercy of the Nile. If the headwaters to the south in Ethiopia and East Africa experience drought than the floods which irrigate and replenish the soils fail and famine was the result. Since dynastic times temples along the river had gauges called Nilometers that allowed the priests to accuratelyContinue reading “Egypt and the Nile 4 – Control of the Nile”

Egypt is one of the great early civilizations of the world. Owing to its arid climate and the use of stone to build its  massive burial pyramids, monumental statues, obelisks and temples it is also the best preserved of the early bronze age cultures in terms of its remaining buildings. At the time of ChristContinue reading “Egypt and the Nile – 3 Life of the Common Person Then and Now”

Surprisingly, agriculture came late to Egypt compared to Syria and Iraq which lay to the east. By 10,600 to 10,000 years ago (8600 to 8000 BC) agriculture had taken firm root in ancient Mesopotamia and adjacent regions in Near and Middle East. According to archaeologists from UCLA and the University of Groningen in the NetherlandsContinue reading “Egypt and the Nile 2 – Climate Change and Early Agriculture in Egypt”

The country of Egypt is known throughout the world for its incredible history, richness of ancient monuments and stunning archaeological finds. It is also home to about 82 million people. One third of the active labor force remains employed in agriculture. Main crops today include grains, cotton, sugar cane and various fruits. However, it wouldContinue reading “Egypt and the Nile – Then and Now Part 1”

The build-up of Chaco Canyon extended over many centuries and seemed to reach a peak around 1000 years ago. Then, decline set in and by AD 1300 the great pueblos and the entire canyon itself was abandoned by its creators and inhabitants. Much speculation has been made on the causes of the Chaco abandonment. FactorsContinue reading “Beyond Chaco Canyon”

When Europeans first began to explore the American Southwest they found both native North American agricultural people and hunters and gathers. However, they also encountered in various desolate or uninhabited portions of the region the huge ruins of stone and adobe structures. Many such ruins contain round ceremonial chambers called kivas. In some cases theContinue reading “Who Were the Ancient Pueblo Peoples of the Southwest”

In the summer of 2008 I traveled to my research field area in Utah. For the past four years my students and I have been conducting research in the vicinity of the Uinta Mountains in northeastern Utah. It is one of the most beautiful regions of the United States and has some of the friendliestContinue reading “Utah and the Headwaters of the Colorado River System”

One of the most beautiful places in all northern Syria is the Afrin River Valley with its green and well watered farmland, pastures and orchards. When descending into the Afrin Valley from the high barren mountains to the south it is easy to imagine this as the model for biblical Eden. Situated high on anContinue reading “The Temple at Ain Dara – Collapse, Recovery and Innovation”

Scattered on the barren limestone uplands of northwestern Syria between Aleppo and Hama lies a startling collection of hundreds of abandoned Roman and Byzantine farms, monestaries and towns.  These are now known as the Dead Cities. They are surrounded by a starkly bare and rocky landscape that extends over many thousands of hectares. During theContinue reading “When the System Fails – The Dead Cities of Syria”