Visit to Tell and Environs

Yesterday, which happened to be a very hot day (35C in mid-October!), Liora Horwitz (Zooarchaeologist), Udi Weiss (Archaeobotanist), Oren Ackermann (Geoarchaeologist) and I, spent the day at the site and its surroundings. Although it was hot, it was very nice to see the site right before the beginning of the winter season.
The reason that we were on site was connected to an additional research project that we have started in which we will be (re)studying the environment, ecology, agriculture and geomorphological history of the tell and its surroundings, combining contemporary data, various data from the last century and a half, and early archaeological and historical information. One of the aims of the present project is to have a better understanding of the relationship between the tell and its surroundings from a “longue duree” perspective.

We walked around the site, looking at locations where we had already conducted previous archaeo-environmental soundings in the past, and located additional points where we will conduct new ones.

Hopefully, this will provide us with some very interesting data, and additional understanding of the site, and its environs in various periods.

Needless say, as always, as we walked around the site, all kinds of interesting things were seen. For example, we say a very impressive, well-built wall right only the southern edge of the river bed of the Elah Valley, most probably an additional section of the city wall of the lower city during the Iron Age.

Here is a picture of two donkeys and a camel just to the north of the site.

And here are Liora, Udi and Oren standing over the deep well just to NE of Area D (on the other side of the river bed). This well was connected to the water wheel (Saqiya) which was located here until 1948 (Yes! A water wheel, which was powered by the water from some springs located just slightly to the east, which unfortunately, in the last few years has completely dried out).

And here is a view of the inside of the well – quite deep!

And on this occasion – best wishes for a happy Sukkot (Feast of the Tabernacles).

Aren