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Fortress at Arad Quake

~250 BCE

by Jefferson Williams








Introduction & Summary

Archeoseismic Evidence from the Fortress at Tel Arad and 'En Erga along with paleoseismic evidence suggests that a mid 3rd century BCE earthquake struck the Araba/Dead Sea. This may or may not be related to tsunamogenic evidence from Elat.

Textual Evidence

Archaeoseismic Evidence

Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Fortress at Arad probable ≥ 8 Herzog, Z. (2002) attributed observed damage at Tel Arad during the Hellenistic Period to a strong earthquake which struck during the middle of the 3rd century BCE. Apparent seismic damage was observed at the southern and eastern wings of the fortress and in two cisterns where roof collapse was observed. Dating this damage is based on Hellenistic pottery shards found inside a debris filled depression that was presumed to have been caused by the earthquake and late Hellenistic structures built atop this debris filled depression and elsewhere. Hellenistic Structures were dated based on toothed chisel marks.
En Erga probable 9 - 10 Korzhenkov and Erickson-Gini (2003) dated destruction based on an examination of the finds from the excavation. As the fort appears to have been abandoned (likely due to earthquake damage) before it was occupied, these remains would presumably date with a fairly narrow time window. A Hellenistic Bowl found buried below the dirt floor of one of the rooms and dated to the 3rd century BCE appears to have been diagnostic. They suggested that the bowl was placed there as a foundation deposit mirroring similar Nabatean practices observed in later periods at Ein Rahel, Mampsis, and Petra. Korzhenkov and Erickson-Gini (2003) estimated an Intensity of 9-10 and an epicenter to the ENE probably in the area of the Dead Sea Fault zone a few km to the east. The Intensity estimate was influenced by the observation of shifts of a few tons [of] travertine blocks which indicates that ground acceleration exceeded 1 g.
Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Fortress at Arad



En Erga



Landslide Evidence

1 PGA to Intensity conversions use Wald et al (1999).
Location (with hotlink) Status Minimum PGA (g) Likely PGA (g) Likely Intensity1 Comments
Gulf Of Aqaba possible Event E in R/V Mediterranean Explorer core P27 - ~311 BCE

5 cm. thick Mass Transport Deposit Event E was identified in R/V Mediterranean Explorer Canyon Core P27 by Ash-Mor et al. (2017). Ash-Mor et al. (2017) provided an unmodeled 14C date of ~311 CE (2261 ± 57 cal years BP).

R/V Thuwal Core 11 Unit J Turbidite - ~450-~50 BCE (1σ)

Bektaş et al. (2024) identified/interpreted a seismo-turbidite deemed Unit J of R/V Thuwal Core 11 which was taken near the southern terminus of the Aragonese Fault. They assigned a date of ca. 250 BCE to this turbidite which, based on Probability Density Functions (PDFs) presented in Fig. 8 of their paper, should have been deposited between ~450 and ~50 BCE (1σ) and may be due to two events spaced between 100 and 250 years apart.
Location (with hotlink) Status Minimum PGA (g) Likely PGA (g) Likely Intensity1 Comments
Gulf Of Aqaba



Tsunamogenic Evidence

Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Eilat - North Beach and Tur Yam possible Goodman Tchernov et al (2016) identified a paleo tsunami deposit close to Elat from two submarine cores taken at North Beach and Tur Yam locations. They described the dating as follows:
The radiocarbon age from the North Beach places the maximum age at 100–400 BC (2 sigma error), while the Tur Yam radiocarbon age brackets the horizon as a minimum age of 100–500 BC (2 sigma error). Highest probability of these two radiocarbon ages place the event at about 2300 yBP, or around 200–300 BC (Data Repository).
Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Eilat - North Beach and Tur Yam



Paleoseismic Evidence

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Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Bet Zayda unlikely to possible ≥ 7 Wechsler at al. (2014) records event CH4-E6 with a modeled age of 392 BCE – 91 CE.
Dead Sea - Seismite Types n/a n/a n/a
Dead Sea - Nahal Darga possible ≥ 7 Enzel et. al. (2000) identified a 20 cm. thick seismite in coarse grained lithology in Deformed Unit 8 in Stratigraphic Unit 10 which dated to 450-50 BCE (2400-2000 yrs BP).
Dead Sea - En Feshkapossible 5.7 - 8.8 Kagan et al (2011) identified several seismites from around 250 BCE.
Depth (cm.) Thickness (cm.) Seismite Type Modeled Age (± 1σ) Modeled Age (± 2σ) Quake Assignment (Kagan) Quake Assignment (Williams)
425 2 4 223 BCE ± 21 236 BCE ± 53 199 BCE ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake ?
428 2 1 232 BCE ± 20 247 BCE ± 55 not assigned ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake ?
438 2 4 263 BCE ± 23 279 BCE ± 57 not assigned ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake ?
447 2 4 294 BCE ± 27 308 BCE ± 59 331 BCE not assigned
Dead Sea - En Gedi unlikely Migowski et. al. (2004) did not date any seismites to the 3rd or 4th centuries BCE.
Dead Sea - Nahal Ze 'elim possible to probable 8.2 - 8.9 At site ZA-2, Kagan et al (2011) observed a 8 cm. thick Type 4 intraclast breccia seismite at a depth of 552 cm. with modeled ages of 225 BCE ± 35 (1σ) and 225 BCE ± 75 (2σ). Although they assigned it a 199 BCE date, the ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake is a more likely candidate.
Araba - Introduction n/a n/a n/a
Araba - Taybeh Trench possible to unlikely ≥ 7 LeFevre et al. (2018) dated Event E7 to 400 BCE ± 120 which seems too old.
Araba - Qatar Trench possible to probable ≥ 7 Although Klinger et. al. (2015) hypothesized that Event E7 dated to 276 BCE ± 63 may have been caused by an earthquake in ~150 BCE or an earlier event, the ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake is a better fit than the southern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake of ~150 BCE.
Araba - Taba Sabhka Trench possible ≥ 7 Although Allison (2013) suggested that EQ IV, the oldest and most strongly expressed seismic event in the trench, was likely caused by a mid 8th century CE earthquake, when two discarded radiocarbon samples are included in developing an age-depth relationship, EQ IV appears to have struck earlier - e.g., between 400 and 100 BCE.
Araba - Shehoret, Roded, and Avrona Alluvial Fan Trenches possible ≥ 7 Amit et al (2002) and Zilberman et al (2005) identified two seismic events whose time window encompasses the ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake however the error bars for the dating are substantial.
Event Date Range Comments
6 500 BCE - 500 CE
5 1500 BCE - 500 CE
Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Bet Zayda (aka Beteiha)

Wechsler at al. (2014) records event CH4-E6 with a modeled age of 392 BCE – 91 CE.



Dead Sea - Seismite Types



Dead Sea - Nahal Darga

Enzel et. al. (2000) identified a 20 cm. thick seismite in coarse grained lithology in Deformed Unit 8 in Stratigraphic Unit 10 which dated to 450-50 BCE (2400-2000 yrs BP).



Dead Sea - En Feshka

Kagan et al (2011) identified several seismites from around 250 BCE.

Depth (cm.) Thickness (cm.) Seismite Type Modeled Age (± 1σ) Modeled Age (± 2σ) Quake Assignment (Kagan) Quake Assignment (Williams)
425 2 4 223 BCE ± 21 236 BCE ± 53 199 BCE ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake ?
428 2 1 232 BCE ± 20 247 BCE ± 55 not assigned ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake ?
438 2 4 263 BCE ± 23 279 BCE ± 57 not assigned ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake ?
447 2 4 294 BCE ± 27 308 BCE ± 59 331 BCE not assigned


Dead Sea - En Gedi

Migowski et. al. (2004) did not date any seismites to the 3rd or 4th centuries BCE.



Dead Sea - Nahal Ze 'elim

At site ZA-2, Kagan et al (2011) observed a 8 cm. thick Type 4 intraclast breccia seismite at a depth of 552 cm. with modeled ages of 225 BCE ± 35 (1σ) and 225 BCE ± 75 (2σ). Although they assigned it a 199 BCE date, the ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake is a more likely candidate.



Araba - Introduction



Araba - Taybeh Trench

LeFevre et al. (2018) dated Event E7 to 400 BCE ± 120 which seems too old.



Araba - Qatar Trench

Although Klinger et. al. (2015) hypothesized that Event E7 dated to 276 BCE ± 63 may have been caused by an earthquake in ~150 BCE or an earlier event, the ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake is a better fit than the southern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake of ~150 BCE.



Araba - Taba Sabhka Trench

Although Allison (2013) suggests that EQ IV, the oldest and most strongly expressed seismic event in the trench, was likely caused by a mid 8th century CE earthquake, when two discarded radiocarbon samples are included in developing an age-depth relationship, EQ IV appears to have struck earlier - e.g., between 400 and 100 BCE.

This trench study suffered from a limited number of non outlier radiocarbon samples. Allison (2013) suggested that EQ IV struck (relatively soon) before a date provided by radiocarbon Sample 1 (774-943 CE) however there are two radiocarbon samples between Sample 1 and the termination (i.e. top) of EQ IV both of which suggest an older age - Sample 17 (428-591 CE) and Sample 18 (345-43 BCE). Allison (2013) suggested that Sample 18 was reworked.

Note: Earthquakes are labeled I-IV in all diagrams but when Allison (2013) discusses the possibility that there were two or three earthquakes instead of four, she relabels the earthquakes. This relabeling is reflected in the Google sheets table below for the 2 and 3 earthquake models.



Araba - Shehoret, Roded, and Avrona Alluvial Fan Trenches

Amit et al (2002) and Zilberman et al (2005) identified two seismic events whose time window encompasses the ~250 BCE Fortress at Arad Quake however the error bars for the dating are substantial.

Event Date Range Comments
6 500 BCE - 500 CE
5 1500 BCE - 500 CE


Notes

Paleoclimate - Droughts

References