Ground plan of the Israelite Fortress near Quseima, 11th-10th century BCE, atop a spur overlooking the Quseima drainage plain. This is the largest known fortress of its kind, enclosing 3500 square meters, several times larger than most of the other Iron Age fortresses found in the Negev. (p.51. "The 'Aharoni Fortress' Near Qusima and the Problem of the Israelite Fortresses." Ze`ev Meshel. Sinai, Excavations and Studies. Oxford. Archaeopress. 2000. ISBN 1-84171-077-6. pbk. 161 pp.) This site was found in 1975 and excavated in 1981.
