The Impact of Water Resources and Water Management on the landscape Dynamic of Arrajan (Behbahan) from the Past to the Present

Water and water management studies have long been a matter of concern to archaeologists. In Arrajan, one of the five regions (xora) in Fars during the Sasanian era, the remains of water installations are evidence of nature- culture interactions as well as of environmental behavior through time. Maroon and Khairabad Rivers, as two main water resources of the region, have long been subjected to control and management by societies. Based on the archaeological field surveys and the analysis of written primary sources, the dependence of Arrajan to these rivers in different periods and water management strategies and practices will be assessed across the Arrajan landscape. Written sources as well as recent geological surveys show that groundwaters in the region were of low quality and had not been suitable for agriculture and domestic use. As the prosperity of the region largely depended on an effective water management and sufficient knowledge of surface and subterranean water potential, the evolution of water management in Arrajan region lead us to be aware that any negligence in the issue of water management would lead to the decline and desertification of the landscape and vitiate its potential of to host human settlements