Abstract
The site of Rahat, located on the northern fringes of the Be’er Sheva‘ Valley, yielded a wealth of findings, including walls, floors, mosaics, tunnels, retaining walls and agricultural and subterranean facilities. This report aims at describing the geotechnical properties of the bedrock and soil units at the site and the region, used in the construction of the large variety of buildings and infrastructure. The report also considers the possible water sources that supported the agricultural facilities. The sediments in the area of Rahat point to a loess-based stratigraphy, including anthrosols, powdery sandy loess units and carbonate loess. The site’s stratigraphy seems to indicate that all the levels were constructed after the development of the loess section. Subterranean facilities were located within the carbonate loess section. It seems that environmental considerations and the loess geotechnical properties influenced the digging of underground facilities. The majority of the building blocks at the site are made of Eocenic chalk, which was also used as a floor bedding. Outcrops of Eocenic chalk are found in proximity to the site, and it can be easily quarryed. Dense Eocenic limestone, also present at the site, was probably quarried from the nearby slopes. Water supply to the site is suggested by a series of dam walls and cisterns. Runoff agriculture was practiced by constructing loess dams along the slopes, which increased the moisture in the terraces fields.
Recommended Citation
Wieler, Nimrod
(2023)
"تضاريس البيئة المحيطة بالموقع الأثري في رهط / The Geomorphology of Rahat and Its Environs,"
Cornerstone: Journal of Archaeological Sites (حجر الزاوية): Vol. 12, Article 4.
Available at:
https://publications.iaa.org.il/cornerstone/vol12/iss1/4
