Ethnoarchaeology and archaeology of rainfed cultivation in arid to hyper-arid lands of North Africa

Abstract

Rainfed cultivation in drylands, especially arid and hyper-arid lands, is often considered to play a minor role in human livelihood. Understanding the long-term development of this practice will augment knowledge of past land use strategies to inform models of land cover and climate change. Drawing upon the results of an ethnoarchaeological study, this paper presents a review of non-irrigated agricultural practices in the absence of anthropogenic water-harvesting structures, in arid and hyper-arid lands of North Africa. A proposal on how to identify the presence and extent of these practices in the past in world’s drylands at large is ultimately presented.