The origin of the raised pelecypod beds along the Mediterranean coast of Israel

Abstract

Thick beds of marine shell are found along the littoral of Israel above present sea level. Thought to be natural beach deposits and dated to the Middle Ages, they were taken to indicate considerable down-and up warping of the entire littoral within the last centuries. However, test pits in the Ashqelon "raised beach" show that this huge shell accumulation - 60 x 5 x 1.5 m - is a stratified man-made structure dated to the 6th century AD. Experiments show that the builders deliberately posed the valves concave face down, as in natural deposition, probably for greater stability. No difference was found between the pattern of valve position at the Ashqelon bed and that of certain man-made shell structures. The use of the Ashqelon structure is unknown.

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