UC anthropologist explains ingenious engineering of ancient China
UC professor emeritus Vernon Scarborough wrote about water management of Liangzhu
New Scientist highlighted the University of Cincinnati's analysis of the engineering feats of an ancient Chinese city called Liangzhu.
In an article titled "The civilization that time forgot," New Scientist wrote of the ancient city's extensive network of dams and reservoirs that controlled seasonal flooding.
Research suggests Liangzhu was eastern Asia's oldest state-based society. And its city infrastructure rivaled that of Egypt and Mesopotamia thousands of miles away.
Vernon Scarborough
"There's nothing in the world, from my vantage point, that is as monumental in terms of water management – or for that mater, any kind of management – that occurs so early in history," UC professor emeritus Vernon Scarborough told New Scientist.
Scarborough spent his career studying ancient civilizations around the world. He visited Liangzhu in 2017. He was struck by how the city had reshaped its floodplain to accommodate the city.
"It's an engineering landscape that is second to none, given its antiquity," Scarborough said.
Scarborough wrote about the water infrastructure of Liangzhu in 2017 for the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
"Liangzhu concentrates human-modified landscapes, productive resources, and the supporting labor responsible for the initiation of East Asia’s earliest known experiment in truly complex sociopolitical order," Scarborough wrote in his critical analysis that complemented a study of the 5,300-year-old city.
More UC anthropology news
A jaguar. Photo/Marcella Kelly/Virginia Tech Jaguar Project
Featured image at top: Vernon Scarborough has studied ancient civilizations around the world. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative + Brand
Become a Bearcat
- Apply online or get more information about undergraduate enrollment by calling 513-556-1100.
- Learn more about UC's many undergraduate and graduate programs.
Related Stories
From literature to AI: UC grad shares career path to success
April 23, 2024
Before Katie Trauth Taylor worked with international organizations like NASA, Boeing and Hershey, and before receiving accolades for her work in the generative AI space, she was in a much different industry – English and literature. Taylor earned her master's in English and Comparative Literature in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences. She completed her educational journey at Purdue University with a doctorate degree in rhetoric and composition. After working as a graduate assistant at Purdue and UC, she became a research professor at Miami University. It might seem from there that her career was set—perhaps a tenured professorship or a university administrative position. That might have been her path, but Taylor had her eyes set on different goals. So how did Taylor transition from literature and composition to tech entrepreneurship? She enjoys sharing that part of her story.
WVXU: Why is part of Green Township called Dent?
April 23, 2024
UC College of Arts and Sciences professor tells WVXU that Ohio's glacial past might explain how Dent got its name.
Local 12: Local universities open Taylor Swift courses
April 22, 2024
In the lead up to the release of Taylor Swift's new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," several media outlets covered classes offered at UC that focus on the singer's music and poetry. UC offers three classes that cover the pop icon: a general music course at CCM and two classes at A&S.