In January–August 2022, a salvage excavation was conducted on the southern outskirts of the city of Rahat (Permit No. A-9213; map ref. 176223–8260/586123–900 ), prior to the expansion of the city. The excavation, conducted on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by the Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouin in the Negev, was directed by O. Shmueli, E. Kogan-Zahavi and N.D. Michael, with the assistance of R . Abu Halaf, Y. Alamor and J. Auerbach (administration), D. Aladjem, Y. Arbel, L. Davis, A. Dobrinin, Z. Firer, I. Kapranov, A. Montagu, I.M. Peretz, N. Lect Ben Ami, A. Shatil and J. Vasiutin (area supervision), L. Spierer (preliminary inspections), H. Ettel, H. Ezrat and R. Dagan (educational program), T. Erickson-Gini (pottery), Y. Gorin-Rosen (glass), Y. Nagar (physical anthropology), Y. As sche r and M. Shor (analytical laboratory), N. Wieler (geology/ geomorphology), E. Boaretto (radiocarbon dating), D. Gazit (studio photography and Reflectance Transformation Imaging RTI), S. Halevi (Multispectral images), E. Aladjem, E. Marco and M. Kahan (surveying, drafting and photogrammetry), D. Salman (plans), A. Peretz and D. Eisenberg-Degen (field and aerial photography), F. Kobrin (metal detection), J. Tirosh Hacohen and M. Diab (fresco conservation) and I. Taxel (pottery consultation). Further assistance was provided by M. Ajami, S. Talis, H. Kahalaily, O. Barzilai, G. Avni, J. Seligman, Y. Tepper, Z. Greenhut, U. ‘Ad, Y. Tchekhanovets (Ben-Gurion University), S. Zur and the IAA Southern region staff.
Michael et al. (Thu,) studied this question.