In the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries, Europe developed a deep interest in both natural resources and agroecosystems. Experts began to explore the rural hinterland and shores of the Mediterranean. These travellers described completely new settings, agroecosystems, and cultures through the lens of their own backgrounds. This article analyses the development of Mediterranean rural societies as an object of study of Western agricultural science. It describes the reports of travellers to rural lands in Spain, Italy and Lebanon, comparing their observations and representations, evaluating if there are common patterns in their reports and what features are still found in rural practices today.

在十八世纪末和十九世纪初，欧洲对自然资源和农业生态系统产生了浓厚的兴趣。专家们开始探索地中海的乡村腹地和海岸。这些旅行者通过他们自己的背景描述了全新的环境、农业生态系统和文化。本文以西方农业科学的研究对象为对象，分析地中海乡村社会的发展。它描述了前往西班牙、意大利和黎巴嫩农村地区的旅行者的报告，比较了他们的观察和陈述，评估了他们的报告中是否存在共同模式，以及当今农村实践中仍然存在哪些特征。