Rediscovered Byzantine Grape Varieties Return to Vineyards After Millennia

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Byzantine-era grape varieties uncovered successful Israel’s Negev desert are being replanted aft much than a 1000 years, reviving past farming traditions that erstwhile supplied vino to Mediterranean markets.

The caller vineyard is taking basal astatine Shivta National Park, wrong the remains of Byzantine terraces, arsenic portion of the Heritage Seeds Vineyard project.

Researchers hint seeds to Byzantine grapes

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority led the inaugural with probe enactment from the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University.

A familial survey directed by Prof. Guy Bar-Oz identified seeds recovered successful Negev excavations arsenic past varieties inactive known today. Dr. Lior Shoimer and parkland authorization teams are reintroducing the vines utilizing accepted methods preserved successful Jewish sources from the Byzantine period.

Wine successful the Desert: A 1,500-Year-Old Success Story

Archaeologists conscionable uncovered a fascinating communicative successful Israel’s Negev Desert: during the Byzantine period, this dry, rocky portion was booming with vineyards.

Yep—around 1,500 years ago, farmers were producing high-quality wine… pic.twitter.com/UP4JucsSNW

— History Content (@HistContent) July 17, 2025

“We are not lone reviving an past cultivation contented but besides deepening visitors’ transportation to the bonzer humanities communicative of the Byzantine Negev,” said Efrat Ruchin, caput of Audience and Community for the Authority’s Southern District.

Seeds preserved for 1,400 years

Archaeological excavations successful the caves of Avdat person uncovered grape seeds that were preserved for astir 1,400 years. Genetic investigating linked them to varieties erstwhile grown on the coastal plain, including the Seriki, utilized for reddish wine; the Be’er, cultivated for achromatic wine; and the Dabouki, known for some array grapes and achromatic wine.

Cave municipality of Avdat, Negev Desert, Israel

Restoring vines and methods of cultivation

Cuttings from these vines were archetypal grown successful the Heritage Seeds nursery of Assaf Bashan and aboriginal transferred to Avdat (Greek: Έβοδα) and Shivta (Greek: Σόβατα) National Parks. The task seeks not lone to reconstruct the vines but besides the methods of cultivation.

The grapes are being planted connected chromatic mounds, known arsenic “Roglit vines,” a method cited successful the Jerusalem Talmud arsenic suitable for offerings successful the Temple.

A vineyard rooted successful Byzantine trade

At Shivta, the vineyard lies betwixt the parkland entranceway and the occidental winepress, 1 of 3 facilities erstwhile utilized to nutrient vino connected a standard ample capable for export.

Archaeological grounds shows Negev wine was shipped crossed Byzantine commercialized routes to Greece, Asia Minor, and Europe. Amphorae discovered successful Aegean shipwrecks carnivore witnesser to this godforsaken export reaching Greek ports.

Shivta recognized arsenic a satellite practice site

Shivta (Greek: Σόβατα) is considered 1 of Israel’s astir striking archaeological sites. The remains of a Byzantine municipality person been preserved, including streets, houses, 3 churches, nationalist pools, winepresses, and an precocious h2o strategy that carried h2o from kilometers away.

This operation of municipality beingness and innovative agriculture successful an arid clime earned Shivta designation arsenic a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Visitors brushwood past and renewal

Visitors contiguous tin locomotion done the bluish church, the governor’s house, and the ample winepress, alongside a reconstructed orchard. The caller vineyard adds a surviving furniture to the experience, reconnecting the tract not lone to its godforsaken past but besides to the Byzantine world, wherever its vino erstwhile flowed crossed the Mediterranean aft millennia underground.

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