In addition to our work in Greece, the Bensberg Earthquake Observatory of the University of Cologne has also received a generous grant from the German-Israel Foundation for the research we are conducting in cooperation with Shmulik Marco, Professor of Geology at Tel Aviv University, to support our archaeoseismology work in Israel.
The scanner crew (Klaus-G. Hinzen and Gregor Schweppe together with Shmulik Marco and a couple of his students) spent two weeks in July scanning ruins in the north of the country. I hope to have a report from Gregor detailing their experiences (watch this space for it) and what it was like to stay at a kibbutz and, especially, where to get the best hummus in and around Tel Aviv.
As the crew was scanning Nimrod Fortress (or Nimrod Castle as it is sometimes referred to), a medieval stronghold guarding the important road to Damascus against the Crusaders (the ruins are located on the Golan Heights), they disturbed some of its current residents.
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| He looks interested but may just be annoyed. He certainly is adorable. |
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| The inhabitants of this part of the castle were not amused at the intrusion and complained extensively. |
These (and other) bat pictures inspired an important scene in my upcoming book (more on that later)!
