Innovation or Technology Immigration? The Qanat Systems in the Regions of Udhruh and Maʾan in Southern Jordan

This paper investigates the Qanat system, one of the most elaborate water supply systems developed in the ancient world, with special reference to the newly recorded evidence from the regions of Maʾan and Udhruh in the southern part of Jordan. The origin and date of this system in the region are studied, along with its impact on the economy of the peripheral and arid regions of southern Jordan during late antiquity. The origin and diffusion of the Qanat system in the ancient world are also considered.