Khirbet el-Mastarah
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 The Iron I site of Khirbet el-Mastarah | |
  Shown within West Bank | |
| Region | West Bank |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°57′41″N 35°24′32″E / 31.961393°N 35.408925°E |
| Altitude | 7 – −3 m (23 – −10 ft) |
| Type | Complex oval compound |
| Length | 70-100m |
| Area | 2.5 acres |
| History | |
| Founded | Iron Age I |
| Periods | Iron Age I and II |
| Cultures | Israelite[1] |
| Site notes | |
| Discovered | April 2004 |
| Excavation dates | 5-29 June 2017 |
| Archaeologists | Adam Zertal, David Ben-Shlomo, Ralph K. Hawkins |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Website | https://www.jvep.org/khirbetel-mastarah |
Khirbet el-Mastarah is an archaeological site that includes the largest of the complex oval compound type habitation sites located in the middle Jordan Valley in the West Bank.[2]
Excavation history
The site was discovered and surveyed in April 2004 by Adam Zertal during the course of the Manasseh Hill Country Survey.[4]
An excavation directed by David Ben-Shlomo and Ralph K. Hawkins took place in June 2017.[5] During the course of the excavation a number of large and small rounded and oval enclosures of single-course limestone rubble walls were discovered, all of them almost entirely empty of finds.[6]
Significance
The site's hidden location most probably indicates the presence of a new population migrating to the central hill country from the east during Iron I, avoiding contact with the native population.[2] On this basis the excavation directors believe the site is possibly an early Israelite site, constructed during the early stages of the Israelite Settlement.[1]