The fortress, located in the heart of the Guvrin Forest in the Judean Lowlands, was discovered during 2018-2019 excavations by IAA archaeologists Dr. Saar Ganor and Dr. Itamar Weissbein.
Remains of the lighthouse were found in 1994 by a group of French archaeologists, and in 2025, parts of its threshold and foundation paving stones were resurfaced.
Pottery appeared in the region during roughly the same broad period in which fires, erosion and clay deposition reached their peak.
The study focused specifically on the late Middle Paleolithic period, when ancient hunter-gatherers attempted to navigate intense environmental shifts in the South Caucasus region.
The findings revealed a surprising paradox: Even though the hunter-gatherer communities were relatively small and sparsely located, they were not isolated.
The radar team had come from the US, Atila said, but due to heavy rain and other constraints, only had seven days to work on the site. He noted that the team is expected to return in 2027.
Alongside the statue fragments, a pink granite block bearing several hieroglyphic inscriptions, including two of Ramesses’ titles: “Nesu-Bity,” meaning “King of Upper and Lower Egypt,” and "Sa Ra."
Gnadental convent was built outside Basel's city wall for Franciscans around 1231, later becoming a temporary home for several orders.
The aqueduct was part of a sophisticated ancient water system that carried spring water from the Gush Etzion area to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem through Solomon’s Pools.
During the time of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the shelter was partially back-filled through the ventilation shafts, before a playground was built over it and the structure below forgotten.
Alongside the temple’s remains, archaeologists found inscribed two votive stones, a statuette of the goddess Victoria, and additional statue fragments, at the site.
