Herr et al. (2009:81) reported that "an earthquake seriously jolted the settlement around 1200 B.C.E." Herr et al. (2014:19) noted that the north–south walls of Field A "seemed disturbed or were collapsed, perhaps in the earthquake dated to around 1200 B.C." They further reported that this same event destroyed "the earlier MB 2C [Middle Bronze IIC] rampart and moat system" toward the bottom of the tell. Clark (1989:247-249) noted that Wall 22 in Field B " leaned westward at about 10° off plumb," while noting that "whether this leaning was due to upslope pressure, earthquake, or construction technique may be impossible to determine from field evidence." Earlier publications suggested the possibility of two separate earthquakes in Stratum 14 and Stratum 13; however, later studies appear to consolidate the damage into a single Stratum 13 event.

Dating was determined through pottery and architectural style. Herr et al. (2009:81) observed that the Stratum 13 houses and finds were "very similar to the earliest stages of the Iron I settlement sites west of the Jordan River; pottery forms that anticipate those found at the scores of Iron I settlement sites throughout the southern Levant; and modest religious expressions in the form of crude standing stones and ceramic model shrines." Herr et al. (2009:81) added that "one can compare the finds best with the settlement of diverse tribal groups, probably a very similar settlement pattern as that noted for highland sites west of the Jordan River (Faust 2006)."