| Abstract: |
Bagan, the historic 9th to 13th century CE kingdom of Myanmar is located in the dry zone of the country on the banks of Ayeyarwaddy River. However, the monuments and villages of Bagan relied on streams draining across the 80 km2 area. This article identifies three water management areas: (i) the east and west foot of the Tuyin range, (ii) the fringes of the monument suburbs and (iii) the historic plain. Classification shows progression expansion from village and community use to an enlargement of reservoirs followed by royal and religious use of water to fill the moat of the inner court zone and extensive monastic compounds within the historic plain. This supports the analysis of the style and inscriptions of the monuments as expanding from the river bank to inland areas.
|
