One thousand years ago, communities along the Mediterranean coast of Israel created innovative agricultural practices by constructing deeply enclosed plots in the sand. These plots were filled with an astounding 80,000 tonnes of refuse, transforming the surrounding soil into fertile ground that enabled the cultivation of crops in challenging conditions.
This method represents the earliest documented example of a large-scale plot-and-berm system for farming in sandy environments, situating it among other historically significant agricultural sites worldwide. Experts suggest that this ancient technique may have laid the groundwork for similar oasis-like farming methods in desert regions, some of which continue to thrive today.
