Hendrik J. Bruins | Ben Gurion University of the Negev (original) (raw)

Books by Hendrik J. Bruins

The arid frontier has been a challenge for humanity from time immemorial. Drylands cover more tha... more The arid frontier has been a challenge for humanity from time immemorial. Drylands cover more than one-third of the global land surface, distributed over Africa, Asia, Australia, America and Southern Europe. Disasters may develop as a result of complex interactions between drought, desertification and society. Therefore, proactive planning and interactive management, including disaster-coping strategies, are essential in dealing with arid-frontier development.
This book presents a conceptual framework with case studies in dryland development and management. The option of a rational and ethical discourse for development that is beneficial for both the environment and society is emphasized, avoiding extreme environmentalism and human destructionism, combating both desertification and human livelihood insecurity. Such development has to be based on appropriate ethics, legislation, policy, proactive planning and interactive management. Excellent scholars address these issues, focusing on the principal interactions between people and dryland environments in terms of drought, food, land, water, renewable energy and housing.

ISBN 90 6832 682 1, 2003

This study deals with problems of drought and drought-coping mechanisms among pastoralists living... more This study deals with problems of drought and drought-coping mechanisms among pastoralists living in arid zones in Kenya and the Negev (Israel). Its final objective is to provide input and formulate policy recommendations for the development of integrated drought contingency planning. The results are based on a cooperative effort by Kenyan, Israeli and Dutch researchers carried out under the NIRP programme between 1994 and
1999.

Papers by Hendrik J. Bruins

World geomorphological landscapes, 2024

Interdisciplinary contributions to archaeology, 2023

The rural settlements in the central Negev highlands and adjacent Sinai area, usually assigned to... more The rural settlements in the central Negev highlands and adjacent Sinai area, usually assigned to the Iron IIA, are enigmatic in terms of origin, duration and ethnicity. Very few metal objects have thus far been found at these sites. Excavations at Horvat Haluqim at the edge of an ancient terraced eld in the Eastern wadi revealed a continuous series of nely strati ed layers in which a bronze chisel was found. Radiocarbon dates for these layers range from the 14th century BCE in the deeper layers to the 12th century BCE in the upper layers. The composition of the bronze chisel, dated to the 12th century BCE, is 89.7% copper, 2.5% tin and 1% lead. The lead isotope ratios show that the origin of the copper ore is from the Faynan Dolomite-Limestone-Shale (DLS) unit. Therefore, trade relations probably existed in the 12th century BCE between Horvat Haluqim and the Faynan area. The Zin Canyon with its springs is a convenient natural east–west route that connects the Faynan area with Horvat Haluqim. Various metallurgic sites in the Faynan area, as well as in the Timna area, have radiometric absolute dates within the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages. The so-called empty second millennium BCE in the region is gradually becoming more visible with the use of geoarchaeology and radiocarbon dating. It seems that local desert inhabitants are related to these settlements, possibly the biblical Amalekites, as proposed by Beno Rothenberg more than 40 years ago.

Radiocarbon, 1997

Reliable series of high-precision radiocarbon dates in a stratified archaeological context are of... more Reliable series of high-precision radiocarbon dates in a stratified archaeological context are of great importance for interdisciplinary chronological and historical studies. The Early Bronze Age in the Near East is characterized by the beginning of the great civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as by urbanization in the Levant. We present stratified high-precision dates of short-lived material of Tell es-Sultan (Jericho), covering Late Proto-Urban/EB I, EB II and EB III layers from Trench III. Our calibrated dates, refined by Bayesian sequence analysis involving Gibbs sampling, are ca. 150-300 yr older than conventional archaeological age assessments. The corpus of 14C dates measured in the first decades after the discovery of 14C dating should not be taken too seriously. The 14C dates of Jericho measured by the British Museum 14C laboratory in 1971 appear to be erroneous.

Applied Geography, 1986

Rainwater-harvesting agriculture is a specialized form of rainfed farming that has a significant ... more Rainwater-harvesting agriculture is a specialized form of rainfed farming that has a significant potential to increase food production in the arid zones of our planet. Runoff farming and rainwater-harvesting agriculture are considered synonymous terms, defined here as 'farming in dry regions by means of runoff rain% ater from whatever typeofcatchment or ephemeral stream'. There are indications that runoff rainwater was already used for farming during the Neolithic. Remnants of ancient rainwater-harvesting agricultural systems have been found in many dry regions of Asia, Africa and America. Today, rain is still the cheapest and often only available source of water for agricultural purposes, albeit not always reliable. In many dry regions of the world there is no alternative but a better and snore effective use of rain to increase food production. This is the essence and potential significance of runoff farming in a hungry world. A geomorphic classification of runoff farming systems is presented, as suitability of an arid region for rainwater-harvesting agriculture depends upon the landscape as much as upon the climate. Hyper-arid zones are usually too dry for runoff farming. Five major types of runoff farming arc distinguished, arranged in order of generally increasing geomorphic scale : (1) micro-catchment system, (2) terraced wadi system, (3) hillside conduit system, (4) liman system, (5) diversion system. The introduction and use of runoff farming in arid zones of a number of African countries is reported. As arid regions are characterized by large yearly fluctuations in the amount of runoff-producing rainfall, droughts have to be taken into account in proper runoff farming manage_ nrent. The forming of reserve buffer stockpiles of water and food during the good years for drought periods are considered essential in this respect. For I will pour water upon the thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground (Isaiah 44 :3)

Israel Journal of Earth Sciences, 2000

ABSTRACT The lowering of the Dead Sea level in the last seventy years has resulted in significant... more ABSTRACT The lowering of the Dead Sea level in the last seventy years has resulted in significant entrenchment along its shores. Exposed sections reveal an interbedding of facies representing abrupt environmental changes. The paleoenvironments are reconstructed based on field relations between the various facies types. Four environments are differentiated: (1) a terrigenous influx, (2) a shallow lacustrine zone, (3) a beach, and (4) a prograding fan-delta environment. The Dead Sea is a quiet-water basin with a relatively high earthquake probability and thus holds an excellent potential for the formation of seismites. The newly exposed stratigraphic sequences within the fan deltas contain soft sediment deformation structures that fit the criteria for "seismites": the deformations are stratigraphically- sandwiched between undeformed layers, show a wide lateral extent, and cyclic repetitions of the load structures are frequent. The deformation structures are found in liquefiable silty-muddy-sandy deposits which comprise a clear textural marker. Radiocarbon dating in one studied section provided age ranges from 2120 +/- 40 yr BP (GrA-14261) to 860 +/- 40 yr BP (GrA-14265).

Applied Geography, Oct 1, 1990

Science, Apr 11, 2003

Stratified radiocarbon dates provide an independent chronological link between archaeological lay... more Stratified radiocarbon dates provide an independent chronological link between archaeological layers and historical data. The invasion by Pharaoh Shoshenq I (Shishak) is a key historical synchronism, ∼ 925 B.C.E., mentioned in both Egyptian inscriptions and the Hebrew Bible. The list of places raided by Shoshenq, mentioned at Karnak (Egypt), includes Rehov (Israel). The site yielded a consistent series of radiocarbon dates from the 12th to 9th century B.C.E. Our results (i) suggest a revised Iron-Age chronology; (ii) date an archaeological stratum to Shoshenq's campaign; (iii) indicate the similarity of “Solomonic” and “Omride” pottery; and (iv) provide correlation with Greece and Cyprus.

Radiocarbon, 1989

Progress in radiocarbon dating and calibration accuracy should lead to the development of a calib... more Progress in radiocarbon dating and calibration accuracy should lead to the development of a calibrated radiocarbon chronology of Near Eastern archaeology, particulary for historical times. The lack of such an independent and impartial chronology is a major constraint, not only in archaeological studies, but also for interdisciplinary research involving the history of man, landscape and climate in the Near East and adjacent regions.

Taylor & Francis eBooks, 2002

From the early days of statehood in 1948, it was realized by Israel’s water planners that the cou... more From the early days of statehood in 1948, it was realized by Israel’s water planners that the country’s overall water inventory was extremely limited, most unevenly and unfavorably distributed, and subject to rather high fluctuations, caused by interannual rainfall variability (Wiener, 1972) and intra-annual extremes, i.e. a long hot summer virtually without rainfall during the six-month period from May to October. The geographical disposition of water resources is unevenly distributed vis-a-vis the location of arable lands and the population centers. About 80% of Israel’s replenishable water resources are located in the wetter north of the country, but ca. 65% of the country’s arable land is located in the dry south, while some 60% of the population lives in the center of the country. Therefore, it was clear from the outset that local demands for water could generally not be supplied from local water resources. A National Water Carrier System needed to be developed for regional and national integration (Figure 1). Policy makers and water planners realized that a special institutional and legal framework had to be created in order to deal with the challenge of providing an adequate water supply throughout the year to the domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors. However, at first a pragmatic approach was adopted to allow necessary regional and local water resource development to take place within the framework of an overall national plan, as explained by Wiener (1972), who was president of Israel’s National Water Planning Organization (TAHAL) for many years since 1956, and responsible for the conception and planning of Israel’s national water development projects: “This approach made it possible to start badly needed development work immediately after the establishment of the State, without having to wait for the assembly of data and for the emergence of the complex legislative and institutional frameworks that are the prerequisite of effective comprehensive national planning. Without obstructing urgent development action, this pragmatic approach still made it possible to preserve the most vital options of later planning,

Radiocarbon, 2012

Traditional archaeological approaches in the central Negev Desert used to employ excavation techn... more Traditional archaeological approaches in the central Negev Desert used to employ excavation techniques in post-prehistoric periods in which stratigraphy is based on architecture, while material culture forms the basis for dating assessment and chronology. Such an approach was understandable, as it focused on the most visible remains of past human habitation. However, the detailed habitation record is in the soil rather than in the walls. Moreover, ceramics and stone tools in desert cultures often have limited time resolution in terms of absolute chronology. The rural desert site of Horvat Haluqim in the central Negev yielded 2 habitation periods with the traditional methodology: (1) Roman period, 2nd-3rd centuries CE; (2) Iron Age IIA, 10th century BCE. We have conducted at Horvat Haluqim initial excavations in small building remains that were never excavated before. Our excavation methodology focuses on detailed examination of the archaeological soil in building structures, coupled with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating for chronology, and micromorphology of undisturbed soil samples to study stratigraphy and soil contents at the microscopic scale. Here, we report preliminary results, concentrating on the 14 C dates. These suggest a much longer habitation history at the site during the Iron Age. The 14 C dates obtained so far from these building remains cover Iron Age I, II, III, and the Persian period. The oldest calibrated date (charred C 4 plants) in a rectangular building structure (L100) is 1129-971 BCE (60.5%, highest relative probability). The youngest calibrated date in a round building structure (L700) is 540-411 BCE (57.9%, highest relative probability). This excavation methodology provides additional "eyes" to look at past human habitation in the Negev Desert, seeing more periods and more detail than was possible with traditional schemes and ceramic dating.

Land Degradation & Development, Mar 20, 2012

Thousands of stone terrace walls were constructed by past societies in the dry valleys of the cen... more Thousands of stone terrace walls were constructed by past societies in the dry valleys of the central Negev highlands to capture runoff/floodwaters from local rainfall to enable agriculture in the desert. Human intervention in geomorphic processes led to human-made geodiversity, as significant differences developed between terraced and natural stream channels. The former are characterised by soil aggradation, as terraced fields also captured sediment during each rainfall/flood event. The natural stream channels, on-the-other-hand, often experienced erosion and desertification. The ancient agricultural terraces were abandoned about 1000 years ago, but many stone terrace walls are still intact. On the basis of fieldwork, we report new findings of sophisticated design characteristics of terrace walls. (1) Mutual friction-hold of rectangular building stones was increased by placing the longest axis parallel with the flow direction of the floodwater and orienting the second longest axis vertically in the terrace wall. (2) The gradual addition of stone layers in the terrace walls, necessary to keep the wall above the aggrading field surface, was sometimes performed in a way that resulted in a staircase construction. Thus, the floodwaters would gradually cascade down to the next terraced field, thereby preventing undercutting and erosion. (3) In larger stream channels of 4th and 5th orders, the longitudinal axis of terrace walls was sometimes constructed with an oblique angle. This was apparently performed for two reasons: (i) to lessen the impact of the floodwaters on the terrace wall and (ii) to steer the water in diversion systems further onto the floodplain.