ABSTRACT

About 210 spring tunnels were developed in Israel, most of them within its central mountain range and especially in the Jerusalem Hills. This phenomenon probably first appeared in Israel during Iron Age II, around the 8th century BCE. Spring tunnels are associated with the development of irrigated agricultural systems, landscape design and the establishment of rural settlements. This study presents for the first time a comprehensive statistical picture of this phenomenon, with particularly emphasis on the Jerusalem Hills. We have analysed statistically 21 different parameters of two types of springs in the Jerusalem Hills: 70 with tunnels and 60 without tunnels. The selected parameters fall into three categories: (1) geological-geomorphological (formation, surface slope and group, dip); (2) physical-hydrological (precipitation, discharge, etc.); (3) spatial (dispersion, springs elevation ASL, etc.). The results of this study emphasise the spatial aspects of this phenomenon, especially the accessibility to the Old City of Jerusalem. In addition, there is a clear connection between the karstic aquifer overlying the Moza geological formation and the spring tunnels. This study highlights the physical advantages of Jerusalem’s hinterland at the eastern sections of the Soreq and Refaim river basins, consistent with the rich archaeological record in these areas.

摘要

以色列开发了大约 210 条弹簧隧道，其中大部分位于其中央山脉，尤其是在耶路撒冷山。这种现象可能在公元前 8 世纪左右的铁器时代 II 期间首次出现在以色列。春季隧道与灌溉农业系统的发展、景观设计和农村定居点的建立有关。这项研究首次展示了这一现象的综合统计图，特别强调了耶路撒冷山。我们统计分析了耶路撒冷山中两种类型泉水的 21 个不同参数：70 个有隧道，60 个没有隧道。所选参数分为三类：（1）地质地貌（地层、地表坡度和组、倾角）；(2) 物理-水文（降水、流量等）；（3）空间（离散度、泉水海拔ASL等）。这项研究的结果强调了这一现象的空间方面，特别是通往耶路撒冷老城的可达性。此外，覆盖在莫扎地质构造上的岩溶含水层与泉水隧道之间有明显的联系。这项研究突出了耶路撒冷腹地在 Soreq 和 Refaim 河流域东段的物理优势，与这些地区丰富的考古记录一致。