Shahma شحمة Shameh | |
|---|---|
Village | |
| Etymology: from personal name[1] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Shahma (click the buttons) | |
  Shahma Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°49′19″N34°48′48″E / 31.82194°N 34.81333°E /31.82194; 34.81333 | |
| Palestine grid | 132/136 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | May 14, 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,875dunams (6.875 km2; 2.654 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 280[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Influence of nearby town's fall |
Shahma (Arabic:شحمة) was aPalestinianArab village located 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) southwest ofRamla.[5] Depopulated on the eve of the1948 Arab-Israeli war, the village lands today form part of a fenced-in area used by theIsraeli Air Force.[4][6]
The village was situated on the coastal plain, 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) southwest ofRamla, in a flat area that was slightly higher that the terrain to the south and southeast. Wadi al-Sarar ran about 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) southwest of it, and a secondary road linked Shahma to al-Ramla. DuringWorld War II, the British builtRAF Aqir military airport just north of the village, Shahma military base lay to the north and east.[5]
In 1838, it was noted as aMuslim village, in theEr-Ramleh District.[7]
In 1852van de Velde passed byShammeh, and found two old ponds and "traces of high antiquity" there. He further noted that the village belonged toSheikhMosleh, ofBayt Jibrin.[8] In 1863,Victor Guérin noted the village just after he had passed a group of ruins, which he calledKhirbet Merebba.[9]
AnOttoman village list of about 1870 notedSchahme south east ofYibna, in the District of Ramle. It noted 23 houses and 31 persons, though the population count included men, only.[10][11]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Shahma as a small village built ofadobe bricks, whose inhabitants drew their water from a well to the south of the village.[12] On the SWP map drawn by Conder & Kitchener in 1878 the village located southeast of "Yebnah" is called "Shahmeh".[13]
In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Shameh had a population of 107 inhabitants, all Muslims,[14] increasing in the1931 census to 150, still all Muslims, in a total of 34 houses.[15]
The village was classified as ahamlet by thePalestine Index Gazetteer. It was divided into two sections, north and south of a secondary road. Some of its houses were built in part with stone remains from previous settlements.[5]
In the1945 statistics the village had a population of 280, all Muslims[3] with a total of 6,875dunums of land.[2] A total of 152 dunums of village land was used forcitrus andbananas, 4,911 dunums were used for cereals, 33 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards,[5][16] while 11 dunams were classified as built-up public areas.[17]
The Palestinian historianWalid Khalidi described the place in 1992: "The site has been incorporated into a fenced-in military airfield. It is marked by cactuses and bushes that are visible from the outside."[6]
