Inter-site Transfer of Stones from Ancient Public Structures at Rural Sites in the Central Golan Heights

It is generally assumed that architectural artifacts discovered in surveys of rural sites have remained in their original location. If a site survey revealed architectural remains, even if the public structure to which they belonged was not found, those remains are taken as evidence of that building's original presence. However, monumental remains are sometimes moved from their original place of use, challenging this assumption. Ten surveyed sites in the Central Golan Heights contained architectural elements from synagogues or churches dating to the Byzantine period. It is suggested that in this period, only three of these sites were settled, and the architectural fragments found at the other sites were brought from Christian Nacaran and Jewish En Nashut. The methodology and conclusions presented herein have significant methodological implications.