In November 2019, a trial excavation was conducted east of Highway 90, south of the Nahal Rom estuary into the Dead Sea (Permit No. A-8612; map ref. 234782/564843, 234956/565150; Fig. 1), in the wake of damage to an antiquities site. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and financed by the Dead Sea Preservation Government Company Ltd., was directed by T. Sapir (field photography), with the assistance of Y. Alamor (administration), A. Aladjem (surveying and drafting) and I. Azulay (plans), as well as G. Seriy and D. Eisenberg-Degen.
The excavation was conducted on a steep slope in a mountainous desert area, about 3 km south of ‘En Boqeq (Gichon 1993) and about one kilometer northwest of Mezad Zohar (Erickson-Gini, Nahlieli and Kool 2017). In a survey conducted in the area (License No. S-959/2019; N. Lect Ben Ami, pers. comm.), walls and round installations were identified. A tiger trap, buildings, round installations and field walls were exposed c. 100 m south of the excavation (Mamalya 2019).
Two excavation areas were opened (A, B; Fig. 1): a wall preserved to a height of one course was exposed in Area A; and in Area B, two oval installations built of fieldstones preserved to a height of one course (Fig. 2) were exposed. No datable finds were found.
Erickson-Gini T., Nahlieli D. and Kool R. 2017. Mezad Zohar. HA-ESI 129.
Gichon M. 1993. ‘En Boqeq. NEAEHL 2:395–399.