Summary Wadi Yutm, in southern Jordan, has served as a critical corridor for human activity across millennia due to its strategic geographical position rather than its water resources. This paper examines the interplay between human adaptation, trade and water management in this hyper‐arid landscape from the Iron Age to the present. It highlights how the economic demands of travel and trade spurred the development of water control. Drawing on archaeological findings from the Wadi Yutm Archaeological Survey (WYAS) and comparative data from the nearby site of Humayma, this study explores how historical populations in a desert landscape addressed environmental challenges by utilizing and adapting water control and gathering systems. These systems supported settlements and military fortifications, developing Wadi Yutm into a valuable and sustainable asset. The valley is significant, offering insights into the relationship between humans and arid environments in antiquity.
Scott et al. (Thu,) studied this question.