Modeling the demands for wood by the inhabitants of Masada and for the Roman siege

Lev‐Yadun, Simcha; Lucas, Delphine; Weinstein‐Evron, Mina

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2010.01.010

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…An example published by Lev-Yadun et al, (2010), presented both archaeobotanical and historical data in order to model the demands for wood, especially firewood, by the inhabitants of Masada from 150 BCE to 73 C.E., when it fell to the Roman X Legion following a siege. They presented data regarding optimal density of tree cover in the region of 90 per km 2 at the time the site was occupied.…”

Section: Floral Composition and Distribution Current Plant Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

Ackermann

Maeir

Frumin

et al. 2017

Journal of Landscape Ecology

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Worldwide, human impact on natural landscapes has intensified since prehistoric times, and this is well documented in the global archaeological record. The period between the earliest hominids and the Industrial Revolution of the late 18-19 th centuries is known as the Paleo-Anthropocene. The current study reviews key geoarchaeological, floral and faunal factors of the Paleo-Anthropocene in Israel, an area that has undergone human activities in various intensities since prehistoric times. It discusses significant human imprints on these three features in the Israeli landscape, demonstrating that its current form is almost entirely anthropogenic. Moreover, some of the past physical changes still dynamically shape Israel's zoological, archaeological and geomorphic landscape today. It is hoped that insights from this article might aid in guiding present-day management strategies of undeveloped areas through renewal of human activity guided by traditional knowledge.

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Section: Floral Composition and Distribution Current Plant Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

Ackermann

Maeir

Frumin

et al. 2017

Journal of Landscape Ecology

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“…Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of gardens within and around Herod's palaces and monumental buildings in Caesarea, Jericho, Machaerus, and Herodium (Figure 1;Netzer 1981Netzer , 2001Netzer , 2008Gleason 1993Gleason , 2014Gleason et al 1998;Evyasaf 2010;Netzer et al 2010;Gleason & Bar-Nathan 2013). Several archaeobotanical studies have been performed at Herodian sites (Liphschitz & Lev-Yadun 1989;Weinstein-Evron et al 1989;Giorgi 1999;Liphschitz 2007;Lev-Yadun et al 2010;Ramsay 2010), yet none of these were directly linked to the gardens, or aimed to reconstruct the composition of the gardens' vegetation. Gleason submitted carbonized macrobotanical samples from garden soils in Herod's palaces at Masada, Jericho, Caesarea, and Herodium for analysis, but the remains analyzed appeared to comprise components of the fertilizers used there rather than of the garden's plants, as is often the case in garden soils (Gleason 1987;Miller & Gleason 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollen analysis as evidence for Herods Royal Garden at the Promontory Palace, Caesarea

Langgut¹,

Gleason

Burrell

2015

Israel J Plant Sci

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This study is the first to successfully address the identification of the botanical components of a garden in the 2000-year-old palatial courtyard of Herod the Great's Promontory Palace in Caesarea Maritima. Based on the extraction and identification of fossil pollen grains, we were able to reconstruct at least part of the garden's flora, which, we argue, could only have grown within the confines of a garden of this splendid seaside palace which was protected architecturally from salty sea spray. The palynological spectrum included, among other taxa, high percentages of Cupressaceae pollen (cypress) as well as pollen of the non-local tree Corylus sp. (hazelnut), which was most probably introduced as an ornamental from the northeast Mediterranean or from Italy. These trees appear to have been accompanied by other ornamental plants (e.g. Salvia and various Rosaceae plants). The choice of flora to be planted in the garden is consistent with our knowledge of prestige Roman gardens dated to Herod's time. This exceptional and magnificent palace, with its luxurious architectural features and its impressive, well-maintained garden, symbolized the power and the abilities of King Herod, the greatest builder in ancient Jewish history.

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“…Furthermore, spears and paddles could have been produced elsewhere and been transported to the study region, carrying another region's isotope signature, while branches for fish weirs were most probably collected locally. Lev-Yadun et al (2010) found, for a different environment, that imported wood could cause apparent δ 13 C variations. The overall running mean of the wood δ 13 C values decreases by about 2‰ after 6000 BP.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

δ¹³C values of wood and Charcoal Reveal Broad Isotopic ranges at the base of the Food Web

Philippsen

Olsen

Sørensen³

et al. 2019

Radiocarbon

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The aim of this study is to investigate the range, the degree of variability, and a possible time or species dependence of wood and charcoal δ13C values within one small study area. To achieve this, we used δ13C and 14C determinations of more than 400 archaeological samples from a ca. 300 ha area in Denmark, spanning 5000 years and covering several different species. The δ13C values of the wood and charcoal range from −32.8‰ to −21.2‰. We found no time-dependence of wood and charcoal δ13C values, neither in general nor within one species. The mean δ13C of all wood samples is −28.5‰, while the means of individual species range from −30.6‰ to −26.3‰. The mean of all charcoal samples is −25.7‰, with the means of individual species ranging from −28.1‰ to −24.3‰. The wood δ13C values can be used to infer the possible range of plant δ13C values, which otherwise are not available. They imply that a high degree of variability can be expected at the base of the food chain. This is relevant for palaeodietary studies that rely on the measurement of baseline isotope values.

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Modeling the demands for wood by the inhabitants of Masada and for the Roman siege

Cited by 11 publications

References 26 publications

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

Pollen analysis as evidence for Herods Royal Garden at the Promontory Palace, Caesarea

δ¹³C values of wood and Charcoal Reveal Broad Isotopic ranges at the base of the Food Web

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Modeling the demands for wood by the inhabitants of Masada and for the Roman siege

Cited by 11 publications

References 26 publications

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

Pollen analysis as evidence for Herods Royal Garden at the Promontory Palace, Caesarea

δ13C values of wood and Charcoal Reveal Broad Isotopic ranges at the base of the Food Web

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Pollen analysis as evidence for Herods Royal Garden at the Promontory Palace, Caesarea

δ¹³C values of wood and Charcoal Reveal Broad Isotopic ranges at the base of the Food Web