We Visit a Partially Excavated Townsite

One of the things I like the most about Israel is the county's network of national parks and nature reserves. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) is one of the best organized and most extensive organizations in the entire country. Most of the country's major archaeological and natural interest sites are managed by the Authority. We bought a national parks pass shortly after our arrival here. It's been by far our smartest purchase. Whenever we travel we make a beeline for the INPA's facilities.

Even though it's nice to visit the INPA's premier historical sites, which typically feature protected parking lots, gift shops, bathrooms, and well excavated attractions complete with interpretive signs, it's nice occassionally to get to a site long before it's gotten the full INPA treatment. When we do, it provides an opportunity to wander around without the usual crowds and to see the ruins in their natural state. Plus it makes us feel more like an explorer than a tourist, at least a little bit.

One such site we visited was Susita, which was an ancient Roman town perched on a hilltop overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The town was probably originally founded in the first century BC and was continually occupied until it was destroyed by an earthquake in the year 749. Susita was abandoned after the quake and never reoccupied.

To get to the trailhead we first had to drive down an unmaintained cracked and potholed road. Here we are at the trailhead.

Next, we hiked to the old town site by walking on a trail that runs between two minefields. In the Golan Heights, it's important to stick to trails that have been cleared of mines.

When we get to the old townsite we find that some parts of it have been excavated. Here we are walking on the old collonaded street, paved in the Roman style with stone blocks.

We reach the site of the old forum. One way to tell that a site has been destroyed by an earthquake is that the unexcavated columns are all facing the same direction.

These columns are waiting to be excavated.

The site is filled with lots of great unrestored architectural features that you can walk right up to.





Here Rebekah is brushing the dust off a bit of floor mosaic in order to get a better picture.

Until the 1967 war, the Israeli army maintained a base here. It was abandoned after the war, but with lots of furnishings and equipment left in place. You can see that it was designed with some sensitivity to fit in with the ruins.


Here we are, walking further down the collonaded street, which probably also served as an open air market.

Here's a partially reconstructed column with an ornately carved capital.

Here is some writing Lynn found carved into the stone block paving the street.

This old house on the side of the cliff must have featured some view.

We love visiting ruins before they're completely excavated.