The social logic of irrigation. Accessibility based approach towards evaluating the water management infrastructure of the archaeological site of Miran

The article presents a new method for an assessment of past water–human interactions. The method is based on a tool developed by space syntax pioneers Bill Hillier and Julienne Hanson: a gamma graph analysis representing ‘permeability’ of buildings. The article discusses how this tool was altered in order to model a water management system. Subsequently, the method is tested on a case study – an ancient oasis‐city of Miran in north‐western China. The positive verification makes the author argue that the introduced method can provide new insight into the relations of power interlinked with water management.