Shivta
| Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev (Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta) * | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | Israel |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, v |
| Reference | 1107 |
| Region ** | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2005 (29th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO |
|
Shivta (Hebrew: שבטה), is an ancient city in the Negev Desert of Israel, east of Nitzana. Shivta was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2005.
[edit] History
Long considered a classic Nabataean town on the ancient spice route, archaeologists are now considering the possibility that Shivta was a Byzantine agricultural colony and a way station for pilgrims en route to the Santa Catarina, Egypt.
Roman ruins from the first century BCE have been unearthed in the southern part of the town, but most of the archaeological findings date to the Byzantine period. Shivta’s water supply was based on surface runoff collected in large reservoirs.[1]
Three Byzantine churches (a main church and two smaller churches), 2 wine-presses, residential areas and administrative buildings have been excavated at Shivta. After the Arab conquest in the 7th century CE, the population and dwindled. It was finally abandoned in the 8th or 9th Century CE.
In 1933-1934, American archaeologist H. Colt (son of the gun manufacturer) conducted a dig at Shivta. The house he lived in bears an inscription in ancient Greek that reads: “With good luck. Colt built (this house) with his own money." [2]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Pictures of Shivta
- 360 degrees panorama of Shivtah
- Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev, UNESCO
|
||||||||
Coordinates: 30°53′N 34°38′E / 30.88°N 34.63°E
 |
This article related to a protected area in Asia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
