Tectonic Activity and Site-Formation Processes at Tel Reḥov

Abstract

The site of Tel Reḥov is located on one of the most active tectonic fault zones in the Near East—the Western Marginal Fault of the Dead Sea Rift—and was prone to tectonic movements, which had a significant effect on site-formation processes. Geoseismic and geoarchaeological studies conducted as part of the Tel Reḥov excavation project suggest that the site was located on an uplifted tectonic block (horst) bounded by faults on the north, west, and south. Recurrent tectonic activity during the Late Holocene resulted in an eastward-tilting of layers and the entire mound, contributed to the shaping of mound boundaries, and constrained the extent of postdepositional erosion.