Early second millennium settlement landscape in the Nami Region, Israel, revealed by GPR investigations

The establishment of the settlement at the start of the 2nd millennium BCE in the Nami region of Israel marks the beginning of a new era of human habitation in this region, following a hiatus of ca 500 years. Tel Nami was deserted ca. 200 years later, not to be settled again for another 400 years or more. Nami is in a system that combines wetlands and coastal depositional packages of marine and aeolian sediments in addition to archaeological features. These environments are very complex in terms of their geophysical (dielectric) properties. In addition, the proximity to the sea and the intrusion of seawater to the subterranean medium creates areas with high high salinity (conductive) and high water content values. Four areas were selected for GPR data collection to create amplitude maps and collected with 400MHz and 270MHz antennas. A total of 7,450 sq meters of data was collected. Each of the grids shows a complex series of depositional units from different environments that provide a framework of ancient habitations. In two 3D surveys, archaeological features were detected, indicating fragments of walls and floors. Under them, in one instance high reflective features were detected. These are likely aeolianite sandstone, in contrast to low reflective limestone, the usual building material of the site of the period. This slab might indicate a Middle bronze tomb covered by a stele.