Lotz Cisterns, Ancient water cisterns in Negev Mountains, Israel.
Lotz Cisterns is an archaeological site in the Negev Mountains made up of rock-hewn water basins near the Ramon Crater. The site sits in an open desert landscape and the cisterns vary in size, each cut into the natural rock to collect and hold rainwater.
The cisterns date to the Israelite period, making them one of the older water systems known in this part of the Negev. Canaanite artifacts found at the site suggest that people used this spot even before the cisterns were cut into the rock.
The cisterns were carved directly into the rock, a technique that kept water cool and reduced evaporation in the desert heat. Visitors can walk among the basins today and see how each one was shaped to collect runoff from the surrounding terrain.
The site is reached by Route 171, which also leads to a nearby camping area that can serve as a base for exploring the surroundings. Conditions underfoot can be uneven on the rocky terrain, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.
In winter, several of the basins actually fill with rainwater, so visitors who come at that time of year can see the cisterns working exactly as they were intended to centuries ago. This standing water in the middle of open desert is a sight that disappears completely during the dry months.
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