Agriculture and Nomad-State Relations in the Negev Desert in the Byzantine and Early Islamic Periods

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

“…5), where agricultural systems in an area of approximately 300 km 2 were surveyed and documented (Haiman, 1995a;. In this arid zone, with less than 100 mm of annual rainfall, runoff farming systems, based on water harvesting, were constructed.…”

“…5;Lavee et al, 1997;Bruins & Ore, 2008). These systems date to the Byzantine (6 th and 7 th centuries CE) and Early Islamic periods (8 th -11 th centuries CE) (Haiman, 1995a;1995b;Avni et al, 2013). When these run-off systems were active, the landscape would have included tens to hundreds of orchards and vineyards, and been totally different from the current landscape.…”

Geomorphic changes leading to natural desertification versus anthropogenic land conservation in an arid environment, the Negev Highlands, Israel

“…Throughout history, the Negev Highlands have been a peripheral region, the pattern and intensity of their settlement closely linked to the fortunes of the more sedentary north. This is particularly true of the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods, archaeologically the best documented era in the Negev, when settlement reached its zenith in terms of number of sites and density of population (Rubin, 1990;Haiman, 1995;Patrich, 1995;Avni, 1996).…”

“…During the last 25 years efforts were devoted also to studying the agricultural farms and nomadic settlements in the peripheral regions (Bruins, 1986;Haiman, 1988Haiman, , 1990Rosen and Avni, 1993;Haiman, 1995;Avni, 1996;Rosen and Avni, 1997). These studies indicate that the Byzantine population terraced the wadis, leveled the valley floors to decrease flood velocity and to enable optimal distribution of water to the irrigated fields.…”

Karya’daki Geç Antik Ve Bizans Dönemi Yapı Ve Yerleşimleri Üzerine Bazı Gözlemler

“…ve VIII. yüzyıllara kadar kullanılmış olduğunu göstermektedir (Haiman, 1995;Hirschfeld, 2005). Tipik mimari öğeleriyle oldukça iyi korunmuş bir Bizans köyü Batı Samarya'da Horvat Zikhrin'de bulunmaktadır (Resim 4).…”