Examines the many ways water has contributed to power structures in the past with insights for contemporary water management.Water an essential resource in all cultures is at the heart of human power structures. Utilizing a diverse range of theoretical perspectives the contributors to Water and Power in Past Societies provide a broad introduction to the archaeology of waterrelated power structures. The studies herein explore the long history of water politics in human society offering new insights into the power structures and inequalities surrounding irrigation systems the collection of rainwater as a component of ancient industrial production and sea water as a facilitator of communication trade and aggression.