Protecting the Cultural landscape OF Southern Jerusalem, Battir

The preservation of a 4,000-year-old agricultural system.

Background Information on Site

Dating back from the Pleistocene, Palestine has been an integral site for the development of early mankind, serving as a passage for the movement of humans and animals between Africa and Eurasia (Scarre 2013, 152). 

"Among the so-called Sea Peoples active c. 1200 BC were the Philistines, who settled on the south coastal plain of the Levant (modern Israel and Palestine) in the Early Iron Age" (Scarre 2013, 464).

The Palestinian people possess an ancient culture with roots that go back nearly 3 millennium. Due to ongoing conflict with current-day Israel, much of the original land that was co-inhabited by the Philistines and Jews, has been destroyed due to extensive war, or now belongs to the country of Israel. Palestine is currently a state within Israel and is not recognized as a nation by much of the world (Sayigh 1999, 625).

Battir is a Palestinian village located in Israel's West Bank, just southeast of the city of Jerusalem. The West Bank is a territory made up of the majority of Palestinian villages in Israel (Encyclopedia Britannica Online 2014).

Battir is also home to a time-honored agricultural site that is managed by just eight main families, whom are striving to protect what their ancestors'  have passed on (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2013).

Interpretation of ARCHAEOLOGICAL Remains

What remains of this site is evidence of ancient terraces, hand-built, under the Roman's influence. The hills were meticulously carved and layered with stone to both produce an intricate stepped irrigation system, along with graves that ancient Palestinians used (Tait 2013). 

A terrace is a flat area created on the side of a hill for growing crops.  In addition to being environmentally sustainable, they are great for irrigation and reduce runoff and erosion (Encyclopedia Britannica Online 2014).

Why This Site is Important

Battir is home to ancient terraces that date back to the ages of when Jerusalem was under Roman rule. Palestinian villagers have since inhabited the landscape and maintained the archaeological integrity of this agricultural system and have continued to use the same ancient practices to produce vine crops such as eggplant and olives (Tait 2013). Such practices are an intentional preservation of culture heritage, and likewise, the site is a historical landmark for the Palestinian people that bears timeless value.

This location as a whole has also been the site of archaeological remains that date back to the Middle Bronze Age (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2013).

Why This Site is at Risk

This site is faced with the threat of Israel's proposed land separation barrier to prevent the possible future crossing of suicide bombers into Israeli territory. Following through with the plans for extending the current border through Battir would not only require the destruction of part of this site, but would also place a physical barrier through the village. Although attempts have been made to reach compromise by just removing one terrace, this would still negatively effect the functionality of the system as a whole and tarnish the cultural preservation of this site (Tait 2013).

This presentation is for a class project at Cascadia Community College. Fair use of media will apply because this site was created for educational purposes. To review the fair use of media in education, please visit http://www.adec.edu/admin/papers/fair10-17.html.

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