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How might pumps and water from the Euphrates have irrigated the Hanging Gardens?

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Reconstructed Ishtar Gate at Babylon near Al-Hillah, Iraq, featuring blue walls decorated with rows of yellow and white animal reliefs and a central arched entrance. — Babylon A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate at the ruins of Babylon, near modern Al-Ḥillah, Iraq.

The theory that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were located in Babylon suggests they were constructed on a series of ziggurat terraces. To sustain these gardens, water from the Euphrates River would have needed to be lifted to these elevated levels.

Archaeological investigations, such as those by Robert Koldewey, identified foundation chambers and vaults at the palace site that may have supported such an irrigation system. A well found within these structures is believed to have been used in conjunction with a chain pump to raise water to the terraces. To prevent the irrigation water from seeping through the stone balconies, the terraces were layered with materials such as reeds, bitumen, and lead.1

While these theories persist, some modern research suggests the gardens may have actually been located at Nineveh and potentially utilized an early version of the Archimedes screw for water distribution. Other ancient water-raising devices, such as the shadoof, were also common in Mesopotamia for managing river water.12