Internal Seminar: Alireza Naghavi

Title: "Persian Qanats and the Cooperation Culture"

  • Date: 11 October 2022 from 12:00 to 13:00

  • Event location: Seminar Room - Piazza Scaravilli, 2 + Microsoft Teams Meeting

Abstract

Qanats are traditional irrigation systems, the construction and maintenance of which required collective action. Exploring their role as a venue for cooperation, we find a significant positive relationship between location of qanats and cooperative economic activities today by employing unique geo-coded data on ancient qanats in Iran together with information collected and digitized on cooperatives at the sub-province level. We build an IV using grid-level geological preconditions necessary for the construction and functioning of qanats: intermediate clay content and gentle terrain slope. The cooperation culture nurtured at qanat sites persists particularly close to historical trade routes and in areas with stable climatic conditions.