| This dissertation focuses on the history, diffusion, and cultural significance of the karez, a form of traditional irrigation system, based on a case study of Maywand District in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, offers methods for studying and protecting cultural heritage remains in regions subject to conflict in wartime. A long history of invasions and occupations has both produced and destroyed cultural heritage in Afghanistan that includes landscapes with small- and large-scale features such as mounds, architecture, and traditional gravity-driven water systems that serve areas of extreme aridity.;Remote sensing technologies such as satellite imagery, aerial photography, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) have been successful for identifying and analyzing archaeological remains, especially when ground verification is not feasible as is the case in southern Afghanistan. Ethnographic and archaeological data, as well as concepts developed from landscape archaeology, are used to interpret karezes and related features identified in remotely sensed imagery.;This research identifies karezes as cultural heritage that should be protected, revitalized, and promoted as well as a form of appropriate technology that provides renewable and sustainable sources of water. Karezes promote community cohesion over time by promoting and perpetuating indigenous knowledge based on long-term experience. They provide local stakeholders with the tools necessary for success before and after foreign occupation in southern Afghanistan. |
