Tours
From the Beginnings: Archaeology, Paleoenvironments and
the Origins of Desert Exploitation – A Visit to Biqat Uvda
Organized by: Michal Birkenfeld
Deep within the hyper-arid desert, the Neolithic sites of Biq’at Uvda reflect an intriguing and unique phenomenon: despite the region’s extreme environmental conditions, human groups continued to inhabit and exploit it for thousands of years. Archaeological sites spanning the 8th to 5th millennia BCE are not only numerous but also display a wide range of activities, including habitation sites, hunting locales, ritual and cultic sites, and other task-specific sites. These reflect diverse and complex exploitation strategies that allowed these populations not only to survive but to flourish in the hyper-arid environment.
On this tour, we will visit the Neolithic sites of Biq’at Uvda, including the habitation sites of Nahal Issaron and Nahal Reu’el, as well as the famous ‘Leopard Temple,’ among others. We will explore the different site types, their immediate environments, and the activities associated with them. We will also discuss human settlement strategies and economic behaviours, and the interplay between water, plants, animals and humans, and how they enabled human groups to successfully inhabit the southern Negev 10,000 years ago.
Participants should make sure to have hats and walking shoes.
The tour will entail some walking in the field.
Agriculture/Dead Sea Tour
Organized by: Naftali Lazarovitch
Departure Time: 7:00am (Full Day)
On the tour we will see desert agriculture and how farmers deal with environmental stresses.
We will tour the hyper arid Arava area where farmers grow high quality vegetables and fruits. In the tour we will cover irrigation and fertilization methods as well as growing in open spaces and in greenhouses. In addition, we will visit orchards irrigated with wastewater from the city of Arad. We will also include a short dip in the Dead Sea which is a unique natural phenomenon. The Dead Sea is also a source of minerals and we will observe the Dead Sea plants.
NOTE: BRING A BATHING SUIT as there will be a short dip in the Dead Sea
Promoting Resilience, Health and Sustainability in a Conflict Zone
Organized by: Boaz Israeli (Jewish Federations) and Natan Lev
During recent years the Negev region has been experiencing the effects of long years of socioeconomic disadvantage and health disparities, exacerbated by worldwide crises, such as the COVID 19 pandemic and climate change, and by years of armed conflict, most recently the “Iron Swords” war.
Based upon the understanding that food and communal dining impact far more than only nutrition, the “Negev FoodLab”, a community based innovative lab, aims to develop solutions – processes and products, in the fields of food, eating, dining and catering, to promote the health, well-being and resilience of the communities of the Negev. As part of this effort, we understand that food-system sustainability and resilience is central to community resilience and aim to promote local sustainable cooking and food waste reduction. Most recently the FoodLab has developed the “Negev Teaching Kitchen Network”, a platform serving as a learning laboratory for life skills, teaching people how to eat, cook, move and think more healthily and sustainably.
Our tour will explore two communities in the Negev, their history, culture and the challenges they face, and food related health promotion programs in these communities. The tour will conclude with an active participation demonstration of a Teaching Kitchen workshop in Ben Gurion University.
Itinerary:
- The Yeruham community – Social-emotional learning in the kitchen as a tool to promote resilience and well-being. Learn about the work of the non-profit organization Lehem Zeh from founder and executive director Ariel Pollock Star. There will also be a tasting of special breads and pastries from initiative’s community bakery
- Bustan Al’ Amar, Lakiya – The Bedouin community in the Negev, history, culture and health challenges. Spotlight concerning cultural recipes and cooking traditions as a resource to combat the diabetes pandemic and promote community advocacy. Tour Guide: Dr. Hadeel Alsana
- Culinary Workshop in Ben Gurion University, Lead by internationally trained FoodLab chef Eyal Lavi – “Healthy cooking made simple, how to create affordable healthy dishes using seasonable local produce” (meal included).
Old and New Desert Agriculture and Soil Conservation: Restoration of Ancient Terraces in the Central Negev
Organized by: KKL: Shani Rohatyn-Blitz
This tour will explore agriculture terracing in the Avdat region, focusing on the continuity of terracing practices from antiquity to the present. We will begin with a broad overview of the ancient terraces in Nahal Zin (Roman-Byzantine period), continue to the Bedouin village of Abde which provides a rare opportunity to study an ongoing cultural landscape, we will continue for a visit to one of the relatively newly established vineyards and olive groves farms in the area (such as Adler Farm or Carmey Avdat), and conclude with a visit to the terrace systems at Halukim junction maintained by JNF. This tour will highlight:
(1) the important role of agricultural terraces in delaying and preventing natural desertification processes, protecting arable land from degradation,
(2) their current state of preservation and conservation efforts of these immense ancient remains,
(3) the challenges and opportunities in managing and sustaining these agricultural systems.
Grapevines in the Desert
Organized by: Aaron Fait
The purpose of the tour is to convey the challenges of the Negev region regarding the climate crisis. This area is a model that can serve as an example for other regions that are experiencing warming and droughts due to climate change.