Identification

Title

Dry Year Precipitation Patterns Dataset for the Jazira Region of Syria

Alternative title(s)

unknown

Abstract

This dry year precipitation 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 dataset was created to show precipitation patterns for dry years in the Jazira region; annual precipitation is measured in millimetres. The purpose of mapping was to compare precipitation and settlement patterns in the region. The northern half of the Jazira region receives adequate annual rainfall to sustain dry farming activities; during dry seasons, suitable rainfall is restricted to the northern edges of the region and in higher elevations.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

http://www.sharegeo.ac.uk/handle/10672/37

Unique resource identifier

code

1.0

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'. Eugen Wirth: Syrien, eine geographsiche Landeskunde, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1971.

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

geographical information systems

rain

drought

arid land ecosystem

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-01-13

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

38.00

East bounding longitude

42.42

North bounding latitude

37.35

South bounding latitude

34.40

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

Extent group

authority code

code identifying the extent

Extent group

authority code

code identifying the extent

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

1971

End position

1971

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2001-06-01

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Derived from maps produced in following publication: Eugen Wirth: Syrien, eine geographsiche Landeskunde, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1971.

Conformity

Data format

name of format

ArcView Shapefile *.shp

version of format

8.3

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

University of Edinburgh Causewayside House 160 Causewayside

Edinburgh

EH9 1PR

Scotland

telephone number

44 0131 651 1443

facsimile number

44 0131 650 3308

email address

tony.mathys@ed.ac.uk

web address

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2013-04-24

Metadata language