Pigeon-raising and sustainable agriculture at the fringe of the desert: a view from the Byzantine village of Sa‘adon, Negev, Israel

Yotam Tepper, Lior Weissbrod, Tal Fried, Nimrod Marom, Jennifer Ramsay, Mina Weinstein-Evron, Sophia Aharonovich, Nili Liphschitz, Yoav Farhi, Xin Yan, Elisabetta Boaretto, Guy Bar-Oz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Deposits rich in bioarchaeological materials were unearthed in two dovecotes found near Sa‘adon, a Byzantine-period village (5th–6th century CE) in the semi-arid part of the Negev. One structure contained a layer of pigeon manure and articulated pigeon skeletons, preserved occupation levels and evidence of sudden destruction (mid-6th century CE), whereas the other lacked distinct occupation debris indicting more orderly human abandonment. Our findings demonstrate the importance of raising pigeons for their high-quality manure in connection with agricultural development around the Negev Byzantine settlements. This product was essential for fertilizing vineyards and orchards; our findings provide direct evidence for the intensive nature of desert agriculture and a new approach to addressing questions of past human sustainability in an environmentally marginal area.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)91-113
Number of pages23
JournalLevant
Volume50
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2 Jan 2018
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Funding

This study was conducted under license of the Israel Antiquities Authority (G-30/11). We wish to thank Yigal Tepper, Ada Caspi, Avi Blumenkrantz, and Baruch Rosen for their invaluable advice and unwavering logistical support. Special thanks to Avi Blumenkrantz and Michael Shomroni (field drawings) and to Sapir Haad and Anat Regev Gisis (graphics). We also wish to thank the many volunteers who participated in the field and laboratory work. This project was supported by research grants from the National Geographic Society (Grant 3857/10), the Israel Science Foundation (Grant 340–14) and the European Research Council under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant 648427).

FundersFunder number
EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program
Israel Antiquities AuthorityG-30/11
Sapir Haad and Anat Regev Gisis
National Geographic Society3857/10
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme648427
European Commission
Israel Science Foundation340–14

    Keywords

    • Byzantine archaeology
    • dovecotes
    • marginal areas
    • pigeon manure
    • sustainable agriculture

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