EXPLORE BY MONTH
—1940—
—June—
June 17
Right Side:
Schumacher and Stevernagel ZDPV A483 = Natfe.
Flint wall
1.2x.7x.3
height of wall 2.5 meters on western side. Length 10.5 meters.
[sketch]
Right Side:
Kom Natfeh
A very strongly built flint block fortress on a high hill, commanding a view over [?] in the distance. Surrounded by wadis on e., n., and w. sides. The trees of Ham are visible from here. On east side of this place is Wadi Ghadfhar [?]. The sherds are EI and later. The walls are intact in places all around the site, which was a strong fortress. Jehel esh-Sheikh visible from here. On north side is Wadi Natfeh with Ain Natfeh in it.
- Looking w. at dolmen above and w. of Natfeh.
- South side measures 3:20x1x.25 centimeters.
Top [?]: 3 x 2.20 x 25 centimeters.
The near w. side is still in position. It is oriented (the dolmen) e-w. Inside appears to be a sort of seat.
Left Side:
There is a field of dolmans here, 5 still visible, more or less in position, on top of a flat shorter [?]
Had tea, lebe [?], butter, bread at Mukhtar’s house.
Right Side:
Schumacher and Stevernagel. ZDPV + 9, p.A483. p. {A430, Abb.100}
e-w = 34 meters
n-s = 37 meters
The top of the mound is approximately round. On the very top of the mound I found an EB handle. There are close EB sherds and many EI sherds, and some Roman-Byzantine. On the South side is a cut in the wall, which looks to me as if it were a cut through a glacis built against the main wall. The top of the mound is completely isolated. From s to n it overlooks Wadi el-Rejeileh [?]. Tell Beit Yafa clearly visible from here. The glacis is about 3 meters wide at base on S side. There is a Byz. birkeh, used in Arabic times in southern part of Town.
Hard to measure hispress [?] of wall at top, which apparently is 1 to 1.3 meters, and is EI as is also the glacis.
Right Side:
Stevernagel, ZDPV 49, p.A.486
Tell Sheqaq
(10)
On W. and S. sides parts of wall, flint, rude blocks, widely bonded, still visible, and in other places. Completely desh. site, with clear EI, possibly some BA, and then down to medium Arabic. On rise, with small valley between it and Beit Yafa, with remains of old terraces between the two hills.
e-w = 40 meters
n-s = 35 meters
width of wall = 1.8 meters on S side
= 2.3 meters on N side
Village of Samad is visible in the distance. Tell Sheqaq overlooks the Wadi el-Khirbah as it is called on the map.
This is an almost circular, or perhaps later is a somewhat rectangular site. The walls are so destroyed, that it is hard to tell what’s what. With regard to all
Left Side:
the sites examined. Thus for of EI, including this one the following can be said
1) always on top of an eminence
2) almost completely destroyed, with only patches of the ancient walls visible.
3) because of ploughing up to edges of walls and over tops of wall inside enclosure, sherds have been badly broken up.
4) an complete absence of the typical painted ware found in EI moab and edom.
5) the EI sites thus far seem to have been built on what previously may have been BA sites such as Tell Ham.
Tell Sheqaq may also be BA. It commands a splendid view over Palestine. Tell Beit Yafa is clearly visible from here across the wadi to the south. I am writing from the east side above Beit Yafa. Tell Sheqaq and Beit Yafa are on about the same height.
Jebel ash-sheikh visible from here.