Wechsler et al. (2008) report that artifacts from Umm el-Qanatir all date between the Byzantine and Early Arab period, and that no Abbasid period or later artifacts have been found in the ruins. According to the authors, this suggests abandonment of the site in the mid-8th century CE. Wechsler et al. (2008) suggest that abandonment was precipitated by one of the Sabbatical Year Quakes, which damaged the town's spring and may have compromised its main industry of fine linen production. Pottery shards unearthed from an abandoned and damaged pool associated with the spring complex all date up to the mid-8th century. The damaged pool, which was apparently sheared during the landslide, shows no signs of repair. An 8th-century CE terminus post quem for damage appears to be well established but, due to a lack of post- Umayyad remains, a terminus ante quem is not well established.

Left - Fig. 4f - A water pool, part of the spring complex, displaced left- laterally 95 cm. This water pool is displaced by the landslide and is used for the slope stability analysis - Wechsler et al (2008)
Right - Lanslide Map - Modified by JW from Google Earth capture - Click on either image to open in a new tab