Between Iran and Iberia: Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table

Joel Roskin; Itamar Taxel

doi:10.1007/978-3-032-20990-0_46

Between Iran and Iberia: Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table

Joel Roskin
, Itamar Taxel

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Plot-and-Berm (P&B) agroecosystems are traditional attempts to harness a 1–2 m deep groundwater for year-round agricultural productivity. Situated in sand bodies that comprise marginal/hinterland environments, these agroecosystems are based on sunken agricultural plots often between 2–8 m high berms, enabling easy hand/channel irrigation and root contact with groundwater. Refuse and/or organic material enrich and stabilize the plot and berm sand. The earliest agroecosystems, along several Mediterranean coastal dunefields of Israel, date to the Early Islamic period (9th/10th–early 12th centuries CE). This initiative is probably mawāt (Arabic: “dead”)—reclamation of marginal lands. Traditional P&B agroecosystems in Iran, the Mediterranean coast of northeastern Sinai, Algerian Sahara, and Iberian Atlantic coast sustain a wide and differing mixture of fruit trees, melons, vines and vegetables and are of geoheritage value. Each of these agroecosystems possess several distinct attributes and some historically date back to the Middle Ages. This paper proposes two hypotheses concerning the origin of these agroecosystems.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Recent Research on Environmental Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Soil Science, Paleoclimate, and Karst - Proceedings Volume 4 of the 3 MedGU, Istanbul 2023
Editors	Attila Çiner, Veysel Turan, Jasper Knight, Carla Candeias, Haroun Chenchouni, Firoz Khan, Mehmet Akif Sarikaya
Publisher	Springer Nature
Pages	237-241
Number of pages	5
ISBN (Print)	9783032209894
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-20990-0_46
State	Published - 2026
Externally published	Yes
Event	3rd International conference on Mediterranean Geosciences Union, MedGU 2023 - Istanbul, Turkey Duration: 26 Nov 2023 → 30 Nov 2023

Publication series

Name	Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation
Volume	Part and
ISSN (Print)	2522-8714
ISSN (Electronic)	2522-8722

Conference

Conference	3rd International conference on Mediterranean Geosciences Union, MedGU 2023
Country/Territory	Turkey
City	Istanbul
Period	26/11/23 → 30/11/23

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Keywords

Agroecosystems
Ancient agriculture
Archaeology
Dunes
Geoheritage
Groundwater
Israel
Mediterranean
Sand

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Architecture
Environmental Chemistry
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-032-20990-0_46

Cite this

Roskin, J., & Taxel, I. (2026). Between Iran and Iberia: Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table. In A. Çiner, V. Turan, J. Knight, C. Candeias, H. Chenchouni, F. Khan, & M. A. Sarikaya (Eds.), Recent Research on Environmental Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Soil Science, Paleoclimate, and Karst - Proceedings Volume 4 of the 3 MedGU, Istanbul 2023 (pp. 237-241). (Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation; Vol. Part and). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-20990-0_46

Roskin, Joel ; Taxel, Itamar. / Between Iran and Iberia : Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table. Recent Research on Environmental Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Soil Science, Paleoclimate, and Karst - Proceedings Volume 4 of the 3 MedGU, Istanbul 2023. editor / Attila Çiner ; Veysel Turan ; Jasper Knight ; Carla Candeias ; Haroun Chenchouni ; Firoz Khan ; Mehmet Akif Sarikaya. Springer Nature, 2026. pp. 237-241 (Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation).

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title = "Between Iran and Iberia: Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table",

abstract = "Plot-and-Berm (P\&B) agroecosystems are traditional attempts to harness a 1–2 m deep groundwater for year-round agricultural productivity. Situated in sand bodies that comprise marginal/hinterland environments, these agroecosystems are based on sunken agricultural plots often between 2–8 m high berms, enabling easy hand/channel irrigation and root contact with groundwater. Refuse and/or organic material enrich and stabilize the plot and berm sand. The earliest agroecosystems, along several Mediterranean coastal dunefields of Israel, date to the Early Islamic period (9th/10th–early 12th centuries CE). This initiative is probably mawāt (Arabic: “dead”)—reclamation of marginal lands. Traditional P\&B agroecosystems in Iran, the Mediterranean coast of northeastern Sinai, Algerian Sahara, and Iberian Atlantic coast sustain a wide and differing mixture of fruit trees, melons, vines and vegetables and are of geoheritage value. Each of these agroecosystems possess several distinct attributes and some historically date back to the Middle Ages. This paper proposes two hypotheses concerning the origin of these agroecosystems.",

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Roskin, J & Taxel, I 2026, Between Iran and Iberia: Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table. in A Çiner, V Turan, J Knight, C Candeias, H Chenchouni, F Khan & MA Sarikaya (eds), Recent Research on Environmental Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Soil Science, Paleoclimate, and Karst - Proceedings Volume 4 of the 3 MedGU, Istanbul 2023. Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation, vol. Part and, Springer Nature, pp. 237-241, 3rd International conference on Mediterranean Geosciences Union, MedGU 2023, Istanbul, Turkey, 26/11/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-20990-0_46

Between Iran and Iberia: Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table. / Roskin, Joel; Taxel, Itamar.
Recent Research on Environmental Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Soil Science, Paleoclimate, and Karst - Proceedings Volume 4 of the 3 MedGU, Istanbul 2023. ed. / Attila Çiner; Veysel Turan; Jasper Knight; Carla Candeias; Haroun Chenchouni; Firoz Khan; Mehmet Akif Sarikaya. Springer Nature, 2026. p. 237-241 (Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation; Vol. Part and).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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N2 - Plot-and-Berm (P&B) agroecosystems are traditional attempts to harness a 1–2 m deep groundwater for year-round agricultural productivity. Situated in sand bodies that comprise marginal/hinterland environments, these agroecosystems are based on sunken agricultural plots often between 2–8 m high berms, enabling easy hand/channel irrigation and root contact with groundwater. Refuse and/or organic material enrich and stabilize the plot and berm sand. The earliest agroecosystems, along several Mediterranean coastal dunefields of Israel, date to the Early Islamic period (9th/10th–early 12th centuries CE). This initiative is probably mawāt (Arabic: “dead”)—reclamation of marginal lands. Traditional P&B agroecosystems in Iran, the Mediterranean coast of northeastern Sinai, Algerian Sahara, and Iberian Atlantic coast sustain a wide and differing mixture of fruit trees, melons, vines and vegetables and are of geoheritage value. Each of these agroecosystems possess several distinct attributes and some historically date back to the Middle Ages. This paper proposes two hypotheses concerning the origin of these agroecosystems.

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Roskin J, Taxel I. Between Iran and Iberia: Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table. In Çiner A, Turan V, Knight J, Candeias C, Chenchouni H, Khan F, Sarikaya MA, editors, Recent Research on Environmental Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Soil Science, Paleoclimate, and Karst - Proceedings Volume 4 of the 3 MedGU, Istanbul 2023. Springer Nature. 2026. p. 237-241. (Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation). doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-20990-0_46

Between Iran and Iberia: Archaeological and Traditional Agroecosystems in Sand Upon a High Groundwater Table

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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