All Ashore Who're Coming Ashore!

​Image (c) The National Geographic Society.
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​More than any other watercraft, the kelek symbolizes the geographic unity of Mesopotamia. From the north and east the rivers flow and drain to their common delta, carrying vast torrents, vast sediment loads, and vast cargoes. But upstream dams have blocked the rivers themselves, for rural electrification and tilled agriculture. Those are laudable goals, but in cutting the delta from its source, they have also cut the primary trade route that for thousands of years exchanges culture, goods, blood, and toil. My profound thanks to Lynda Rhodes, who knows first-hand the true costs of  halting those economic (and ecologic) flows.
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