Abstract Ancient agricultural systems in the Negev Desert preserves abundant evidence of dryland farming from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. These systems consist of dams, field plots, field towers, cisterns and thousands of human-made stone mounds. In the environment of Shivta, these systems also included built dovecotes to produce dung to fertilize vineyards and orchards. All of these elements established an intensive agronomic practice. Extensive survey and excavations in one completely preserved agricultural system in a small wadi in the hinterland of Shivta, followed by OSL dating of loess accumulations in the adjacent agricultural installations, in addition to dates from archaeological finds, revealed clear stratigraphic and chronological sequences. We found that the first human-made components were established in the Roman period (1st–2nd centuries CE) and the agricultural system flourished during the Byzantine period (5th–6th centuries CE) before it was abandoned in the post-Byzantine era. At its peak, all artificial components of the system would have had to operate together at an optimum level to make intensive agriculture possible. This agricultural system is a prime example of the enormous skill and knowledge of Shivta farmers in synergizing different agricultural installations to maintain agriculture in a desert environment.

中文翻译：

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罗马-拜占庭时期的可持续农业：以色列内盖夫沙漠 Shivta 遗址附近的先进农业系统

摘要 内盖夫沙漠的古代农业系统保存了大量来自罗马、拜占庭和早期伊斯兰时期旱地农业的证据。这些系统包括水坝、田地、田地塔、蓄水池和数以千计的人造石丘。在 Shivta 的环境中，这些系统还包括建造鸽舍以生产粪便来为葡萄园和果园施肥。所有这些要素都建立了密集的农艺实践。在 Shivta 腹地的一个小河谷中一个完整保存的农业系统中进行了广泛的调查和挖掘，随后对相邻农业设施中的黄土堆积物进行了 OSL 测年，此外还有来自考古发现的日期，揭示了清晰的地层和年代序列。我们发现第一个人造组件是在罗马时期（公元 1 世纪至公元 2 世纪）建立的，农业系统在拜占庭时期（公元 5 世纪至公元 6 世纪）蓬勃发展，然后在后拜占庭时代被遗弃。在巅峰时期，该系统的所有人工组成部分都必须以最佳水平共同运作，才能使集约化农业成为可能。这种农业系统是 Shivta 农民协同不同农业设施以在沙漠环境中维持农业的巨大技能和知识的一个典型例子。该系统的所有人工组成部分都必须以最佳水平共同运作，才能使集约化农业成为可能。这种农业系统是 Shivta 农民在协同不同农业设施以在沙漠环境中维持农业方面的巨大技能和知识的一个典型例子。该系统的所有人工组成部分都必须以最佳水平共同运作，才能使集约化农业成为可能。这种农业系统是 Shivta 农民在协同不同农业设施以在沙漠环境中维持农业方面的巨大技能和知识的一个典型例子。