Tuleilat al-Anab

Photo Comments

This photograph features piles of stones called Tuleilat al-'Anab—in Arabic (meaning "vine heaps").  If you look at the surrounding countryside at least a dozen such mounds can be identified.   There are many of these "fields" scattered throughout the northern Negev and the Negev Highlands.

The "fields" are man-made.  Scholars use to think, because of the name, that grapevines were planted on each of the mounds of stone—but that view has been abandoned.  It seems that during the Byzantine Period that farmers would collect the stones off the surface and pile them up on these mounds for two reasons.  One was to clear the surrounding area of stones in order to hasten the runoff of the (infrequent) rainfalls into channels and then to the terraces that they had built in the valley below.

The second was to hasten (assist) the erosion of the topsoil to the terrace areas so that crops could grow in the accumulated topsoil—with the collection/clearing of stones, this process, which would take many many years, was sped up!

The loess soil that was collected on the terraced behind the dams is very interesting.  First of all, it is fertile.  Secondly, after absorbing the water a relatively impermeable layer is formed on the surface of the loess.  This impermeable layer helps prevent the evaporation of the water that has collected below it and thus the water is available for the roots of the plants that were grown in it.

It should be noted that the slopes where these fields are found are not very steep nor are the valleys in which the dams and terraces were built.

This area of the Negev receives only 3.5 in. of rain in an "average" year.  Water and soil(!) from the surrounding hills were/are diverted to the area behind the dam where topsoil and water collected.  By concentrating the runoff here, 3.5 in. of rain was converted to about 10 in.!  Thus crops were able to grow there!

Contrary to previous opinions, agricultural systems such as this, instead of dating to the Nabatean Period, actually were built during the Byzantine Period—in the fifth century AD and continued in use until the late seventh or early eighth century AD.

Please also note the barren surrounding countryside.  This area only receives 3.5 in. of rain per year.  This picture was taken in July—the middle of the dry season in Israel.