Let's now go back and follow the westward course of civilization from the Holy Lands through North Africa and on into Europe. In Cyprus we found the land use problems of the Mediterranean epitomized in a comparatively small area.

In the plain of Mesaoria is a telling record in and about a Byzantine church. The church on the outskirts of the village of Asha in eastern Cyprus is surrounded by a graveyard and its wall. The alluvial plain now stands 8 feet above the level of the churchyard as we measured it. On entering the church we stepped down 3 feet from the yard level to the floor of the church. Inside we noted that low pointed arches were blocked off, and new arches had been cut for doors and windows.

The aged vestryman told us that about 30 years ago a flood from the plain had filled the church with water and left 2 feet of silt on the floor. Rather than clean it out, a new stone floor had been laid over the silt deposit. Thus, 8 plus 3 plus 2 equals 13 feet, the height of the present alluvial plain above the original church floor. From these measurements we concluded that the plain had filled in, not less than 13 feet, with erosional debris washed off the drainage slopes.