Irrigation history

Irrigation history started thousands of years ago. Irrigation has been practiced for thousands of years. The first known traces of irrigation history were found in Mesopotamia and date back to about 4000 BC. These early efforts of irrigation in history involved simple canals used to carry water to areas that did not have enough water.

Development of irrigation techniques

As time passed, irrigation techniques became more sophisticated. Using complicated systems of dikes and levees, plus human and animal power, the Mesopotamians carried water many miles from the nearest source and lifted it to great heights, enabling them to create the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, in about 600 BC. By then, irrigation techniques had appeared in civilizations throughout the world, including Egypt, China, and Europe.

Irrigation in the Roman Empire

There is also evidence of irrigation in the Roman Empire. The Romans used pipes to carry water from one place to another; less water evaporates from pipes than from canals. Across the Mediterranean, the Sahara was already dotted with artificial oases supplied by irrigation.

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