<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>In a landscape archaeology project all the fertile fields around the Sea of Galilee (an area of 50 × 30 km) were mapped. The whole territory was subdivided in 5 regions: Jordan valley, Lower Galilee, Upper Galilee, Golan and Transjordanian Hill Country. Additionally all ancient sites from the Neolithic to the Persian period, which are mentioned in archaeological literature, were collected – all together more than 300 sites. These data allow a reconstruction of the economic conditions in antiquity in the area around the Sea of Galilee. Landscape archaeology clearly demonstrates that the economic basis may have been completely diverse in the five sub-regions, and also during different times. Agriculture played a major role in the economy of ancient people. During some periods and in some regions people lived in the midst of the fields, while in other periods they settled at the edges in order not to waste valuable farmland. On the other hand the position of some sites in some periods clearly demonstrates that trade played a major role for the income of the settlers, or basalt mining and working. Streets can be reconstructed, and our methodological approach allows new insights in the economy of this area</p></abstract>

In a landscape archaeology project all the fertile fields around the Sea of Galilee (an area of 50 × 30 km) were mapped. The whole territory was subdivided in 5 regions: Jordan valley, Lower Galilee, Upper Galilee, Golan and Transjordanian Hill Country. Additionally all ancient sites from the Neolithic to the Persian period, which are mentioned in archaeological literature, were collected – all together more than 300 sites. These data allow a reconstruction of the economic conditions in antiquity in the area around the Sea of Galilee. Landscape archaeology clearly demonstrates that the economic basis may have been completely diverse in the five sub-regions, and also during different times. Agriculture played a major role in the economy of ancient people. During some periods and in some regions people lived in the midst of the fields, while in other periods they settled at the edges in order not to waste valuable farmland. On the other hand the position of some sites in some periods clearly demonstrates that trade played a major role for the income of the settlers, or basalt mining and working. Streets can be reconstructed, and our methodological approach allows new insights in the economy of this area

Economic Conditions in the Area Around the Sea of Galilee in Pre-Hellenistic Times

Seminar für Altes Testament und Biblische Archäologie, FB 01: Evangelische Theologie

Journal of Landscape Ecology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

In a landscape archaeology project all the fertile fields around the Sea of Galilee (an area of 50 × 30 km) were mapped. The whole territory was subdivided in...

Economic Conditions in the Area Around the Sea of Galilee in Pre-Hellenistic Times

Published Online: Feb 06, 2018

Page range: 141 - 153

Received: May 11, 2017

Accepted: Sep 15, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jlecol-2017-0030

Keywords
Landscape archaeology, Israel, Sea of Galilee, economic conditions, settlements

© 2017 Wolfgang Zwickel, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Economic Conditions in the Area Around the Sea of Galilee in Pre-Hellenistic Times

Published Online: Feb 06, 2018

Page range: 141 - 153

Received: May 11, 2017

Accepted: Sep 15, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jlecol-2017-0030

KeywordsLandscape archaeology, Israel, Sea of Galilee, economic conditions, settlements

© 2017 Wolfgang Zwickel, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Landscape archaeology, Israel, Sea of Galilee, economic conditions, settlements