Between Land and Sea : The Chekka Region in Lebanon

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Between Ras Chekka (north of Batroun) and Enfeh lies the Chekka Bay. The Wadi Asfur flows into this natural harbour basin connection the coast with the mountainous hinterland.
Directly at sea shore lies Tell Mirhan, a major site, which dominated this Bay during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Since 2016 the American University of Beirut and the Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology of Austrian Acedemy of Sciences are excavating Tell Mirhan and conducting a survey in its associated hinterland.
The karstic promontories of Mount Lebanon are a rather difficult terrain to survey. In order to cope with the Mediterranean vegetation, the rapidly progressing terracing and modern constructions at the coast and in the mountains, we decided to scan this area. Thus, in autumn of 2018 we joined with the Department of physical geography from the University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and the Lebanese Army to conduct a Lidar survey of the region and to combine this with traditional survey methods. The first preliminary results will be presented here.