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| Saving Sites in South |
| Maintenance and Conservation |
| Implemented by: |
Arch. Avi Mashiah
Ariel Inbar
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Hundreds of extremely important archaeological sites are scattered throughout the southern portion of the country, from Bet Guvrin in the center of Israel to Eilat in the south. The variety of sites is diverse consisting of hundreds of archaeological sites, among them scores of excavated tells representing an abundance of cultures from the past that stand as silent testimony to the lifestyles that were prevalent there. Some of these sites are the responsibility of some administrative authority and are therefore properly conserved and maintained. The majority of sites are in a constant state of weathering and deterioration, and with no actual maintenance mechanism in place. Conservation measures were never implemented at many of the excavated sites after they were exposed, and some of them were irreparably damaged.
In 2013 the Southern Sites Maintenance Project was initiated by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Milestones Program of the Heritage Department in the Prime Minister's Office. The goal of the project is the rescue – i.e. maintenance and conservation – of archaeological sites in the south, and especially those sites that have not yet been treated. A lot of information exists about most of the sites; however, so far no information has been gathered regarding the threats that endanger the remains and the antiquities’ state of preservation.
An information infrastructure was established in the project for the management, monitoring and multi-year maintenance of the sites; for the purpose of maximizing the project’s resources and creating an ongoing long-term operation. The information infrastructure includes an inventory of sites, site assessment, and monitoring the threats and controlling their physical condition.
The major goal of the project is the physical preservation of sites that were identified as being at high risk. To do this treatment priorities and intervention levels were formulated that include: just monitoring, covering, “first aid” and risk removal. Another goal is to create partnerships with stakeholders in order to ensure the continued conservation and development of the heritage sites and the continued long-term allocation of resources.
A methodology for the classification of the sites was created in accordance with these objectives. The initial sorting of the sites was based on identifying the potential for a conservation and development project and for cooperation with the stakeholders at the site. That is to say, the preservation of the sites included in an earlier list, sometimes not only on the basis of the level of risk posed to them, but rather on the basis of the opportunity to collaborate with an entity that can be responsible for the site, such as the Nature and Parks Authority, the Jewish National Fund, the Israel Defense Force, a drainage authority and local authorities.
Other indicators that were taken into consideration in the information infrastructure are the level of risk, the values of the site, size of the site, physical condition and spatial context. The sites were sorted according to the kinds of measures that needed to be implemented in them and their urgency. The selected sites were surveyed over the course of many field trips in which the district archaeologist, a conservator and architect participated. A survey card was prepared for each of the sites based on a geographic system, by means of a dedicated application that the Israel Antiquities Authority designed for the project. It allows us to examine the site data, classify them and prioritize treatment. The geographic system makes it possible to retrieve information about the sites according to various topics, geographic ascription or according to a combination of geographic and thematic filters.
As of the beginning of February 2015 seventy-seven sites were surveyed in the northern and central Negev. About a quarter of them are related to defense, battle and hunting themes, such as strongholds and field towers; about a quarter of them are related to dwelling complexes, such as tells and ancient settlements; a quarter are associated with religious affairs and symbolism – churches, synagogues, temples, etc. Other sites are mainly associated with the collecting of water: cisterns, wells and reservoirs in the desert. In addition, there are sites related to industry and work, such as perfume factories near the Dead Sea and agricultural facilities. In some instances, several archaeological complexes, defined in the IAA database as a single site, were described as distinct sub-sites and detailed conservation guidelines were recorded for them.
We wanted to refer to the abundance of themes and cultures embodied in the sites, so that all will be represented in the project.
Partnerships
At seventeen of the sites surveyed so far a high degree of potential was identified for cooperation with other stakeholders at the site, such as Area C in Be’er Sheva, which is located near the market within the precincts of the municipal authority. This is a large, neglected and fenced site in the center of the city where there is potential for developing an archaeological park for the benefit of the public. Another site within the limits of a municipal authority is Mezad Yeroham, located on the outskirts of Yeroham. This is a large and impressive multi-strata site, in a degraded condition and at high risk. In this case the municipality is interested in rehabilitating the site in cooperation with the community. Our objective, as previously stated, is to harness the resources we have available today so as to create fruitful cooperation that will ensure the long-term treatment of the sites. Other possible entities for collaboration are the Jewish National Fund that has numerous sites located on its property such as Khirbet Hof in Lahav Forest and Khirbet Yattir in Yattir Forest, and the Israel Defense Force which is vacating army bases and training areas that sometimes have archaeological sites concealed in them. In this instance the IDF is willing to involve soldiers or trainees in the conservation activities of the heritage located in or around the base. An example of this is the “officers’ cistern” near Bahad (Training Base) 1, which is part of an ancient water system. In this instance, the various parties are amenable to participating in the rehabilitation of the cistern and its feeder system with the help of cadets from the nearby base.
The Risk Profile
The sites that were found to be lacking potential for cooperation were ranked mainly according to the level of risk posed to them. A decision was reached that the first sites to be treated would be the ones where there is no potential cooperation. These sites would be provided with “first aid” only in order to remove any immediate risk from them, and no measures will be taken so as to prepare them for public display. This list includes large and important tells that were previously excavated such as Tel ‘Aro‘er, Tel Masos, Tell Beit Mirsim, Tel ‘Ira and Khirbet ‘Uza.
The risk at most of these sites mainly stems from their exposure to the natural elements. For some sites that are in a bad physical condition and there is no potential to display them to the public, the recommended and most effective protection is covering the finds. An example of this is the remains of the church at Khirbet Karkur ‘Illit that was severely damaged because of a local drainage problem. Here there are plans to cover the site so as to protect the few remains that are still preserved.
In order to enable the implementation of conservation measures at as many sites as possible each site is scheduled to be treated for a period of 5–15 days. The conservation team comprises three conservators that are moving continuously between sites, ready to be summoned as needed for emergencies when damage is reported at one site or another.
Upon completion of the treatment of a site its physical condition and risk profile are updated on its survey card.
In conclusion, the treatment of the sites began in 2014. So far, sites have been treated that were identified as being at a high level of risk. One of the sites treated is Khirbet Tsalit in Yattir Forest. This is a fairly large, diverse and interesting site that was severely damaged as a result of pits that were dug by antiquities robbers and animals. The treatment focused on the remains of the citadel from the time of the Bar Kochba uprising, which is currently below ground level and whose stability is being undermined by water penetrating into the bases of the walls. In addition to this, prior treatment of the site utilizing cement-based materials accelerated the deterioration of the stone and severely damaged the structure. The conservation measures are focused on removing the later cement and stabilizing the bases of the walls.
Among the other sites treated so far are Tel Qeriyyot, Khirbet Bor and Khirbet ‘Anim where missing stones were replaced in order to stabilize and complete the contour lines of the sites.
In the coming year the maintenance team will continue to take care of sites in accordance to set priorities. At the same time, potential cooperation will be promoted with the various parties and neighboring communities in order to obtain a product that is of educational and long-term value.
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photographic credit: Avi Mashiah
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May 2015
To view the figures, click on the figure caption
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