Lehnig et al. (2025a) report Earthquake-related damage in multiple areas at Mitzpe Shivta. In Area B , on the eastern slope of the site, a roughly oval structure partly carved into bedrock and partly built of thin bricks had a deformed western side, described as affected by the pressure of collapsed natural rocks, sediment, and architectural fragments, “possibly the result of seismic activity,” with debris also filling the interior. In Area C, in the southeastern part of the site, an ashlar arch is interpreted as having been buried by architectural debris that fell during an earthquake and was later partially exposed by looters. Particularly notable is the displacement of the arch’s keystone. Displaced arch keystones are often regarded as the most reliable indicator of seismic damage in archaeoseismology. In Area F, a collapsed wall was discovered in undisturbed stratigraphy.

The destruction sequence is explicitly associated with burning and abandonment. In Area F, collapsed ashlar courses exhibit clear signs of heat exposure, accompanied by a nearby concentration of charcoal. Underlying strata contain ash and burnt plant material together with Early Islamic fine ware and bone fragments that also show evidence of heating. The authors interpret radiocarbon-dated charcoal sealed within these destruction layers as indicating that the settlement was abandoned by the 8th/9th century CE following an earthquake and subsequent conflagration, after which the site was never rebuilt. An 8th century terminus post quem for this destruction is supported by underlying layers that contained a higher concentration of artifacts, including pottery dated to the 6th–8th centuries CE, glass fragments, and parrotfish teeth. Lehnig et al. (2025a) also note that collapsed arches, twisted roof slabs, and fallen sections of the upper fortress are ubiquitous above ground and elsewhere at the site, supporting their conclusion that an earthquake devastated the settlement and ended occupation.

Lehnig et al. (2025a:1–4) emphasized that, because pottery is relatively scarce at Mitzpe Shivta, radiocarbon dating was the primary method used to establish the site’s chronology. They present the results as calibrated date brackets tied to specific archaeological contexts. Inscriptions and pilgrim graffiti were also recorded in and around the rock-hewn rooms, including texts invoking Saint George and one inscription reported as dated 577/8 CE. These epigraphic materials help situate Mitzpe Shivta within a pilgrimage and monastic landscape and provide contextual evidence for activity in the 6th century CE. The site’s longer occupational history, however, is reconstructed mainly from the new radiocarbon framework, supported where possible by ceramic and epigraphic observations, and extending into the Early Islamic/ Abbasid period.

In Area F, charcoal recovered from the lowest occupation layer (pre-dustruction) yielded a date range of 541–643 calCE. A second sample from an overlying burnt layer produced a date range of 771–895 calCE, which the authors interpret as possibly marking the abandonment of the settlement following an earthquake and fire.

As noted by Lehnig et al. (2025b), Mitzpe Shivta lies about 1 km north of the Ottoman railway embankment, and historical photographs from 1869 to the 1930s document a marked loss of building substance. They report that Theodor Wiegand attributed this destruction to stone removal associated with construction of the Ottoman Military Railway (1915–1916).