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}} Negev incense route is a World Heritage-designated route in the Negev, southern Israel covering Arabia to the Mediterranean in Hellenistic-Roman period, proclaimed of outstanding universal value by UNESCO in 2005. The benefits of this trade route are the development of ancient towns, forts and caravanserai en route, apart from agricultural development. Four towns in the Negev Desert, which flourished during the period from 300 BC until the end of the 200 AD, are linked directly with the Mediterranean terminus of both the Incense Road and Spice routes: Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit, and Shivta. As a group, these desert cities demonstrate the lucrative trade in frankincense and myrrh that took place from south Arabia to the Mediterranean (and to the Yemen and to the port of Gaza). At its height, the route included cities, Qanat irrigation systems, fortresses, and caravanserai. The vestiges of these works are still visible, and demonstrate the use of the desert for commerce and agriculture.〔 ==History== The east–west "incense route", which operated from 300 BC to 200 AD in the northern Negev, brought economic progress to the Nabataeans; the trade diminished when Romans occupied Petra which was then the Jordan's capital of the Nabatean Empire. The Nabateans had occupied this territory in the 6th century BC following the Edomites deserting this area and occupying the Judaean plains. This resulted in transformation of Nabataeans from their semi nomadic living style to the Hellenistic culture where organized government machinery functioned. Even though they established neutral diplomatic and military relations with other countries, but perpetuated slave trade to the benefit of the Ptolemics. The sites are managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority; the latter authority has the task of conservation and excavation of the listed structures.〔 The sites were mostly deserted from the 7th century AD and remained fairly well preserved.〔 The Negev incense route in the Negev Region of Israel, which included towns, forts, caravanserai and the irrigation system in desertic areas with links to the Mediterranean, has been inscribed as a cultural heritage site of the UNESCO's World Heritage List under Criteria (iii) as confirmation of the economic, social and cultural importance of frankincense to the Hellenistic-Roman world, and Criteria (v) for development along the route in severe desert conditions. The site was inscribed on 15 July 2005 in the meeting of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Negev incense route」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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