Come excavate this summer at Rujm el Hiri and help unlock the secrets of one of the most puzzling (and unique) sites in all of Israel. Located in the heart of the Golan Heights, Rujm el Hiri is a massive megalithic complex consisting of a large central tumulus surrounded by a series of low concentric stone walls, the largest measuring nearly 500 feet in diameter! Rujm el Hiri is believed to be the only site of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Despite its size and intriguing construction, Rujm el Hiri has long baffled archaeologists. While the concentric walls surrounding the tomb are thought to date to the Early Bronze Age (3300–2000 B.C.), the main tumulus shows signs of having been built and used as a burial chamber in the Late Bronze Age (1550–1200 B.C.). Some have suggested that the earlier structure was an ancient calendrical device that indicated the arrival of the summer solstice and other astronomical events.

This summer, Hebrew University archaeologist Mike Freikman is returning to Rujm el Hiri in order to clarify the site’s date and function. In particular, his team will be investigating recently discovered features next to Rujm el Hiri, which are believed to comprise a large chalcolithic complex.

Mike Freikman is a Ph.D. candidate in archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has directed and helped supervise a number of archaeological projects in Israel, including the ongoing excavations at Rujm el Hiri.