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COURTESY FRIEDBERT NINOW, BALU‘A REGIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT

TOWERING EDIFICE. The Qasr at Balu‘a was a massive structure built on the highest point of the site, with walls 6 feet thick and more than 20 feet high. This photograph shows a trench excavated against the northern exterior face of the Qasr down to bedrock. Pottery found in the foundation layer dates to the ninth century BCE. Despite the building’s monumental stature, its exact function remains unclear.