In the Second Temple period, Shiloh discovered, the stepped stone structure was covered by a thick “skin,” or glacis, of beaten earth with alternating layers of pebbles and earth. As much as 20 feet in thickness, the glacis formed a substantial fortification. In this 1978 photo, the steeply sloping glacis can be seen in the two rectangular pits, or excavation squares closest to the partially excavated stepped-stone structure.