A comprehensive characterization of ancient desert agricultural systems in the Negev Highlands of Israel

Ashkenazi, Eli; Avni, Yoav; Avni, Gideon

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.02.020

Cited by 57 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Type one are agriculture fields located in a range size of wadis, directly irrigated by flood runoff. Most of the crops within these plots were annual cereals such as wheat and barley (Ashkenazi et al, 2012) (Fig. 2).…”

Section: Archeological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2). Type two are agriculture fields located mainly in small wadis irrigated by overland flow collected from adjoining slopes and from small streams using earth and stone channels (Evenari et al, 1982;Ashkenazi et al, 2012). These fields were designed to trap flood water by erecting stone and earth embankments allowing relatively large volumes of water to accumulate and deep percolation of the trapped water into the soil.…”

Section: Archeological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variations in Hillslope Runoff as Detected Using Geological Strata Coupled with Vegetation Patterns- Implications on Spatially Distributed Desert Runoff Agriculture

Wieler

Avni

Rosensaft

et al. 2017

Journal of Landscape Ecology

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Sparsely vegetated bedrock slopes in deserts coincide with slope parameters, thus they have important implications on biological, chemical, hydrological and geomorphological processes. Spatial variations in these vegetation patterns, density and communities indicates on relatively humid habitats, which correspond with sinks for high runoff. Relations between the bedrock runoff generation and vegetation patterns may imply on the spatial locations of Byzantine -Early Muslim (400-1000 C.E.; 1600-1000 y BP) agriculture installations. These installations are widespread in the Negev Desert, Israel, utilized sophisticated runoff harvesting techniques by the ancient farmers. Applying a multi-disciplinary approach, we tested vegetation patterns as a precursor for runoff generation along bedrock slopes in the Negev Desert Highlands, and correlated them to the spatial distribution of the ByzantineEarly Muslim runoff agriculture installations. Integrating vegetation patterns, geological substrate data and bedrock-runoff generation data on a GIS model on a large scale (160 km 2 ) of the Negev Highlands yields a synthetic potential runoff map. This map is a unique new product conducted for the first time during this study. Basing on it, runoff yield can be predicted for different scales, ranging from that of a single lithology slope to that of a basin of varying lithologies. Utilizing this methodology, we show that high correlation (80 %) exists between vegetation patterns and spatially located Byzantine -Early Muslim runoff-farming installations. This correlation turns the vegetation coverage as a reliable marker for predicting runoff yield in arid bedrock slopes and imply for stable arid climate in the past 1600 years in the Negev Desert.Keywords: Desert, Ancient runoff agriculture, Rain-bedrock-runoff relations, Vegetation patterns, Southern Levant, Climate variability, GIS Unauthenticated Download Date | 5/12/18 7:09 AM Wieler N., Avni Y., Rosensaft M., Olsvig-Whittaker L.: Variations in hillslope runoff as detected using geological strata coupled with vegetation patterns-implications on spatially distributed desert runoff agricultureaaaaaaaaaaaaa 190 HIGHLIGHTS/SIGNIFICANCE:The type and distribution of perennial plants along bedrock outcrops were used in this study as an essential tool for forecasting runoff generation yield in an arid environment over diverse strata.Coupling geological strata and vegetation patterns constitute a reliable environmental marker for testing temporal and spatial variations of desert runoff agriculture.

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Section: Archeological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Archeological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations in Hillslope Runoff as Detected Using Geological Strata Coupled with Vegetation Patterns- Implications on Spatially Distributed Desert Runoff Agriculture

Wieler

Avni

Rosensaft

et al. 2017

Journal of Landscape Ecology

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“…Among the most vocal advocates of this view are Paul Alexander (), Thomas Parker (, ), and Philipp Mayerson (, , , b). Those who strongly favor the notion of symbiotic relationships and a rather permeable frontier zone in which nomads played a largely positive role include Ted Banning (, ), Gideon Avni (Ashkenazi, Avni, & Avni, ; Avni, ; Rosen & Avni, ), and Mordechai Haiman ().…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaches to the environmental history of Late Antiquity, part 1: The rise of Islam

Decker

2017

History Compass

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Since the 19th century, scholars have examined the end of the Classical world and the beginning of the medieval world, or “Late Antiquity” in the centuries from 300–900 C.E. through the lens of environmental history. Environmental determinism, based on the use of history by colonial historians, employed elements from geography, climate, and landscape studies to explain the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of Islam in Arabia, and the destruction of the formerly fertile lands of the Roman Empire by marauding Bedouin. Recent studies stress the importance of intensive regional study while reversing the view of general environmental catastrophe and economic decline once thought to accompany the Arab conquests of the late antique Levant.

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“…These units cause increased local water availability for the desert environment in various sites of the Negev Highlands (Yair 1983(Yair , 1987Yair & Berkowicz 1989;Yair & Kossovsky 2002). Such geological formations that enable a better runoff can explain the development of commercial agriculture in that region during the Byzantine era (Ashkenazi et al 2012). The efficiency of water runoff collecting systems which were developed amplified the amount of water availability for agricultural crops such as cereals, mainly wheat and barley, and particularly for tree crops such as olives, figs, carobs, almonds, pistachios and grapevines (Evenari et al 1971).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These geological units are scattered around the remains of ancient cities and ancient agricultural sites (Ashkenazi et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fruit trees survival ability in an arid desert environment without irrigation in the Negev Highlands of Southern Israel

Ashkenazi

Chen

Avni

et al. 2015

Israel Journal of Plant Sciences

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More than a hundred abandoned but presently maintained fruit trees are scattered in the Negev Desert Highlands in Southern Israel. Most of the older groves were planted by Bedouins in pre-existing agricultural systems built in the distant past, mainly during the Byzantine era, mostly during the sixth and seventh centuries AD. In these groves a variety of domesticated fruit trees such as date palms, figs, pomegranates, almonds, carobs, pistachios, bitter oranges, grapevines and olives have been planted. The trees growing in these abandoned sites throughout the Negev Highland region are strictly rain-fed and dependent on the amount of runoff water accumulating from the surrounding old runoff harvesting systems with no modern artificial irrigation at least for the past several decades. Despite the lack of active irrigation, some of the trees of all species continue to flourish and even persist in bearing fruit to this day. The trees growing in the Negev Highlands can be divided into several planting periods. The oldest olive trees are apparently descendants of trees planted in the area during the Byzantine period (sixth and seventh centuries AD), while the youngest consist of varieties and species recently planted by Bedouins, until 1948. The factors affecting the survival of the trees are mainly of a geological nature, especially the rock types and their spatial distribution that contribute to the potential of runoff water. Topographic layouts are also critical for enhancing water runoff, as well as various soil parameters, such as water-holding capacity, depth, salinity, and organic matter content. A significant impact on the trees' condition and survival depends also on the preservation state of the ancient terraces in which they were planted and the level of horticultural expertise of the Bedouins in growing fruit trees. During this study we characterized the geographical, geological and topographical conditions enabling the survival of different fruit trees with no artificially added irrigation in various locations within the Southern Israeli desert. Apparently no specific genotypes were required and involved in the survival of the various fruit trees, but the microconditions at each tree's location were found to be critical.

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A comprehensive characterization of ancient desert agricultural systems in the Negev Highlands of Israel

Cited by 57 publications

References 14 publications

Variations in Hillslope Runoff as Detected Using Geological Strata Coupled with Vegetation Patterns- Implications on Spatially Distributed Desert Runoff Agriculture

Variations in Hillslope Runoff as Detected Using Geological Strata Coupled with Vegetation Patterns- Implications on Spatially Distributed Desert Runoff Agriculture

Approaches to the environmental history of Late Antiquity, part 1: The rise of Islam

Fruit trees survival ability in an arid desert environment without irrigation in the Negev Highlands of Southern Israel

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A comprehensive characterization of ancient desert agricultural systems in the Negev Highlands of Israel

Cited by 57 publications

References 14 publications

Variations in Hillslope Runoff as Detected Using Geological Strata Coupled with Vegetation Patterns- Implications on Spatially Distributed Desert Runoff Agriculture

Variations in Hillslope Runoff as Detected Using Geological Strata Coupled with Vegetation Patterns- Implications on Spatially Distributed Desert Runoff Agriculture

Approaches to the environmental history of Late Antiquity, part 1: The rise of Islam

Fruit trees survival ability in an arid desert environment without irrigation in the Negev Highlands of Southern Israel

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Fruit trees survival ability in an arid desert environment without irrigation in the Negev Highlands of Southern Israel