Identification

Title

Soil Dataset for the Jazira Region of Syria

Alternative title(s)

unknown

Abstract

This soils dataset complements 13 other datasets as part of a study that compared ancient settlement patterns with modern environmental conditions in the Jazira region of Syria. This study examined settlement distribution and density patterns over the past five millennia using archaeological survey reports and French 1930s 1:200,000 scale maps to locate and map archaeological sites. An archaeological site dataset was created and compared to and modelled with soil, geology, terrain (contour), surface and subsurface hydrology and normal and dry year precipitation pattern datasets; there are also three spreadsheet datasets providing 1963 precipitation and temperature readings collected at three locations in the region. The environmental datasets were created to account for ancient and modern population subsistence activities, which comprise barley and wheat farming and livestock grazing. These environmental datasets were subsequently modelled with the archaeological site dataset, as well as, land use and population density datasets for the Jazira region. Ancient trade routes were also mapped and factored into the model, and a comparison was made to ascertain if there was a correlation between ancient and modern settlement patterns and environmental conditions; the latter influencing subsistence activities. This soil dataset was created to show distribution pattern of soils in the Jazira region. Dry farming has sustained populations in the region for millennia and soils were critical for sustaining this activity which included wheat and barley production. Soil dataset is attributed with soil type, secondary soil type and soil code variables. Additional attributes include land use type, other land uses and tertiary land use activities.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

http://www.sharegeo.ac.uk/handle/10672/12

Unique resource identifier

code

None

codeSpace

unknown

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

authority code

WGS84 Latitude Longitude

code identifying the spatial reference system

WGS84 Latitude Longitude

Additional information source

Thesis M 2001 MATH, Ohio University Mathys, Antone J 'A GIS comparative analysis of bronze age settlement patterns and the contemporary physical landscape in the Jazira Region of Syria'. FAO Land and Water Development Division http://www.fao.org/landandwater/ W.J. van Liere: 'Syria - Classification and rational utilization of soils - Report to the government, Soil Survey of the Jezireh.' Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), 1965. Compendium of On-Line Soil Survey Information: http://www.itc.nl/personal/rossiter/research/rsrch_ss_class.html

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

society

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

digital land model

GIS digital format

geographic information system

soil

land use

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-01-13

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

37.1997070314

East bounding longitude

42.5830078124

North bounding latitude

38.2813130791

South bounding latitude

33.6603531220

Extent

Extent group

authority code

code identifying the extent

Extent group

authority code

code identifying the extent

Extent group

authority code

code identifying the extent

Extent group

authority code

code identifying the extent

Vertical extent information

Minimum value

0

Maximum value

0

Coordinate reference system

authority code

code identifying the coordinate reference system

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

1965

End position

1983

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2001-06-02

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Derived from 1:500,000 Map in Mohammed Ilaiwa's thesis 'Contribution to the Knowledge of the Soils of Syria'. Additional information taken from W.J. van Liere: 'Syria - Classification and rational utilization of soils - Report to the government, Soil Survey of the Jezireh.' Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), 1965.

Conformity

Data format

name of format

ArcGIS (*.shp)

version of format

unknown

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

None

Constraint set

Use constraints

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

organisation name

Tony Mathys

email address

tony.mathys@ed.ac.uk

responsible party role

distributor

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

organisation name

Tony Mathys

full postal address

EDINA, The University of Edinburgh, Causewayside House, 160 Causewayside

Edinburgh

EH9 1PR

Scotland

telephone number

+44 (0)131 651 1443

facsimile number

+44 (0)131 650 3308

email address

tony.mathys@ed.ac.uk

web address

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2013-04-24

Metadata language