Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production and Trade in the Late Antique East

404 Pages·2009·5.249 MB·English

by  Michael Decker

Title Pages
Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production
and Trade in the Late Antique East
Michael Decker
Print publication date: 2009
Print ISBN-13: 9780199565283
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2009
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565283.001.0001
Title Pages
(p.i) Oxford Studies in Byzantium
(p.ii) Oxford Studies in Byzantium
(p.iii) Tilling the Hateful Earth
Oxford Studies in Byzantium consists of scholarly monographs and editions on
the history, literature, thought, and material culture of the Byzantine world.
Basil II and the Governance of Empire (976–1025)
Catherine Holmes
Holy Fools in Byzantium and Beyond
Sergey A. Ivanov
A Byzantine Encyclopaedia of Horse Medicine
The Sources, Compilation, and Transmission of the Hippiatrica Anne
McCabe
George Akropolites: The History
Translated with an Introduction and Commentary by Ruth Macrides
The Trophies of the Martyrs
An Art Historical Study of Early Christian Silver Reliquaries Galit
Noga-Banai
The Chronicle of Morea
Historiography in Crusader Greece Teresa Shawcross
Page 1 of 3
Title Pages
(p.iv)
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© Michael Decker 2009
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First published 2009
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Title Pages
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ISBN 978-0-19-956528-3
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Acknowledgements
Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production
and Trade in the Late Antique East
Michael Decker
Print publication date: 2009
Print ISBN-13: 9780199565283
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2009
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565283.001.0001
(p.vii) Acknowledgements
Many colleagues, friends, and organizations assisted with the preparation of this
book. I cannot hope to thank all those people who helped me to complete this
project, and I beg their pardon for any omission. I gratefully acknowledge the
guidance and assistance of Dr Marlia Mango, my academic supervisor at Oxford.
Through her influence I found a home in studying the Byzantine landscape.
During my time at Oxford I benefited from conversations and discussions of
Byzantine history and archaeology with Cyril Mango, James Howard Johnston,
and Elizabeth Jeffreys. Raffi Frankel was warm and giving of advice and
knowledge about all things having to do with mills and presses, and Andrew
Wilson offered great friendship and insight into ancient water systems. During
my time at Rice University, Michael Maas was an affable and insightful
colleague, and David Cook kindly and patiently offered sessions of Arabic
lessons.
I offer special thanks to my colleagues Sean Kingsley, whose companionship and
intellectual input have always been welcomed, to David Milson, who was always
ready to discuss and work through all things Late Antique, and to Eric Cooper,
who always offered steadfast friendship, coffee, and computing expertise as I
grappled with this project.
The Fulbright Scholar Program supported me during work in Egypt, Jordan, and
Syria in 2008 while I further developed this work. The University of South
Florida Department of History and University of South Florida Publications
Council helped to fund my research and creation of the maps. My colleagues in
the history department of the University of South Florida offered me an
environment in which I could flourish and develop my ideas.
Page 1 of 2
Acknowledgements
I owe an enormous debt to Bryan Ward-Perkins, who with great fortitude,
patience, and care helped me to develop my manuscript. The text was greatly
improved under his guidance, and for this I am particularly grateful. All
imperfections that remain are solely my own.
Finally, I would like to thank my parents and parents-in-law, who wholeheartedly
supported my education materially and spiritually. My greatest appreciation
goes to my wife, Katy, who lived with me and my late antique farmers for more
years than either of us care to count.
Page 2 of 2
Figures
Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production
and Trade in the Late Antique East
Michael Decker
Print publication date: 2009
Print ISBN-13: 9780199565283
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2009
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565283.001.0001
(p.viii) Figures
2.1 Ḥorvat Kanaf village (reconstruction by Laurie Gross on the basis of
Ritmeyer, from archives of Z.U. Ma’oz in Hirschfeld, 1997, fig. 10). 36
2.2 Kafr Naffakh (after Dauphin and Gibson, 1982, p. 12, fig. 2). 37
2.3 Nahal Govta (after Dar, 1993, p. 141). 39
2.4 Medium-sized house at as-Safiya (after Butler, et al. 1907–1949, II.A
ill.100) 40
2.5 Ramat Hanadiv: reconstruction of the Byzantine farmhouse (by Erez
Cohen from Hirschfeld, 2000, fig. 124. Reproduced by permission of The
Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem). 46
2.6 Ramat Hanadiv: plan of the ground floor of the Byzantine farmhouse
(from Hirschfeld, 2000, fig. 125. Reproduced by permission of The Israel
Exploration Society, Jerusalem). 47
2.7 Ramat Hanadiv: plan of the upper storey of the Byzantine farmhouse
(from Hirschfeld, 2000, fig. 125. Reproduced by permission of The Israel
Exploration Society, Jerusalem). 48
2.8 Plan of the Third Mile Estate (after Israel, 1993, p. 100). 56
3.1 Michael’s Farm (after Evenari, Shanan, and Tadmor, 1971, fig. 72).
115
4.1 Deir el-Adas Mosaic (author’s photo). 126
4.2 Roller crusher (from De Vogüé, 1865–77, pl. 113). 143
5.1 Mt. Nebo mosaic showing grafted trees (Courtesy of Ze’ev Radovan).
154
5.2 Schematic of Type 2 press (after Frankel, 1999, Appendix 2,
‘T40111002’). 159
5.3 Schematic of Type 3 press (after Frankel, 1999, Appendix 2,
‘T40111008’). 160
(p.ix)
Page 1 of 2
Figures
5.4 Schematic of Type 4 press, here shown as used in wine processing
(from Hirschfeld, 2000, fig. 145. Reproduced by permission of The Israel
Exploration Society, Jerusalem). 161
6.1 Androna and its environs (after Jaubert et al., 1999, map 13). 191
6.2 Noria schematic, from Weulersse, 1940, fig. 28). 198
6.3 Saqiya (from D. Roberts, Egypt and Nubia, 1842). 200
8.1 LR1 amphora types A and B (after Peacock and Williams, 1986, fig.
104). 239
8.2 LR4 amphora (after Hirschfeld, 2000. pl. XIV. Reproduced by
permission of The Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem). 240
8.3 LR5 amphora (after Hirschfeld, 2000. pl. XVII. Reproduced by
permission of The Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem). 241
Page 2 of 2
Tables
Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production
and Trade in the Late Antique East
Michael Decker
Print publication date: 2009
Print ISBN-13: 9780199565283
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2009
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565283.001.0001
(p.x) Tables
3.1 Yields proposed for Wadi Kurnub farm by regime type 114
3.2 Iugera and tax iugum according to the Syro-Roman Lawbook 118
3.3 Calculated values of grain yields 118
3.4 Calculated yields of farms in modii 119
6.1 Mesopotamian canals and irrigated area 183
7.1 Yields and major expenses of vineyards 210
7.2 Net value of wine crops 210
7.3 Yield and expenses of olive farms 213
7.4 Approximated net value of oil crops 214
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Page 1 of 1
Maps
Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production
and Trade in the Late Antique East
Michael Decker
Print publication date: 2009
Print ISBN-13: 9780199565283
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2009
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565283.001.0001
(p.xi) Maps
1 Oriens: approximate provincial boundaries and precipitation xii
2 Cyprus xiii
3 Isauria xiv
4 Cilicia I and II xv
5 Euphratensis xvi
6 Mesopotamia xvii
7 Osrhoene xviii
8 Syria I xix
9 Syria II and Phoenice Libanensis xx
10 Phoenice and Palestine II xxi
11 Palestine I xxii
12 Arabia xxiii
13 Palestine III xxiv
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Map
Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production
and Trade in the Late Antique East
Michael Decker
Print publication date: 2009
Print ISBN-13: 9780199565283
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2009
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565283.001.0001
Map
(p.xii)
(p.xiii)
Map 1 Oriens: approximate provincial
boundaries and precipitation
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