Metzad Mahmal
Ruins of a stronghold on the Incense Route.
Metzad Mahmal is the ruins of a stronghold located on the edge of the northern cliff of the Ramon Crater, at the top end of Ma'ale Mahmal ("Mahmal Ascent"). It is part of the Incense Route that runs between Petra and Avdat. The site has been surveyed and excavated multiple times since 1937, revealing a building with two floors and a nearby water pool.
- location
- Northern cliff of Ramon Crater, Israel
- part_of
- Incense Route between Petra and Avdat
- first_surveyed
- 1937 by George Kirk
- key_excavator
- Rudolf Cohen (1965, 1982)
- building_dimensions
- 7 m by 6.5 m, two rooms
- water_pool_dimensions
- 8 m by 4.8 m, capacity >150 cubic meters
- dated_occupation
- 1st century AD and 3rd century AD
Lore & Background
Metzad Mahmal sits at the top of Ma'ale Mahmal, a steep, narrow path about 200 meters long and averaging one meter in width. This ascent is one of the most difficult sections of the Incense Route, requiring single-file travel for people and pack animals. The Romans likely improved the path from an earlier Nabatean route.
The site was first surveyed in 1937 by George Kirk, who also surveyed Ma'ale Machmel. Later surveys were conducted in 1960 by Beno Rothenberg and Mordechai Gichon. In 1965, Rudolf Cohen conducted a test excavation as part of a survey of the Incense Route between Shaar Ramon and Avdat. Rescue excavations followed in December 1982 and May 2004, the latter cleaning the outer western and northern walls and examining a building damaged by looting.
A building at the site originally had two floors, measuring 7 meters by 6.5 meters with two rooms. The older floor dates to the first century AD based on ceramics, while the later floor dates to the third century AD based on late Nabatean ceramics and two coins of Roman emperor Gallienus. About 500 meters north of the stronghold is a built water pool, 8 meters by 4.8 meters, with a capacity probably exceeding 150 cubic meters, covered by a stone ceiling supported by arches and fed by a drainage canal from the northeast.
Reader's Guide
Metzad Mahmal is significant as a way station on the Incense Route, a major trade network linking Petra and Avdat. Its position at the top of Ma'ale Mahmal, the steepest and narrowest section of the route, highlights the logistical challenges faced by ancient caravans. The stronghold likely provided shelter and control over this critical ascent. The site's occupation from the first to third centuries AD, evidenced by ceramics and coins, shows continued use during the Nabatean and Roman periods. The nearby large water pool, with a capacity over 150 cubic meters, underscores the importance of water management in the arid Negev landscape. The multiple excavations, from Kirk's 1937 survey to the 2004 rescue dig, have gradually revealed the site's structure and history, though much remains to be understood. Metzad Mahmal thus offers a tangible link to the ancient trade and travel networks that crossed the region.
Did You Know?
- The ascent Ma'ale Mahmal is about 200 meters long and averages one meter in width.
- The building at the site had two floors, with the older floor dated to the 1st century AD and the later to the 3rd century AD.
- Two coins of Roman emperor Gallienus were found at the site.
- A water pool 500 meters north of the stronghold had a capacity probably exceeding 150 cubic meters.
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