The seismic origin of the destruction of the nabataean forts of ein erga and ein rahel, arava valley, Israel

Damage observed in ancient ruins may be caused by several processes, e.g. as the result of poor building technology, weathering with time (static damage), war, or as the result of earthquakes. Damage features resulting from earthquakes were studied in the ancient Nabataean forts of Ein Erga and Ein Rahel in the Central Arava Valley, Israel. Preferentially oriented features of collapse, inclination, and rotation of walls and other building elements, were used as tools to reconstruct two separate earthquake events that caused the destruction of these sites in the third cent. B.C. and in the early second cent. A.D. The seismic intensity of these earthquakes was about I = IX-X for the first event and I = VIII - IX for t h e second, according to MSK-64 Scale. Paleoepicenters were located E NE of Ein Erga in the first event and ESE of Ein Rahel somewhere along the Dead Sea Fault Zone in the second event.