The ground floor of a wealthy private house in ancient Mampsis (Mamshit or Kurnub). Notice the arched vaulting that supported the second-storey above the alcoves and secondary halls. This main central courtyard was lined with pillars whose bases still survive (along the wall at left). Light was allowed into secondary rooms through abundant windows (two are visible at right). This was a key Nabatean town located on the trade route that ran overland south of the Dead Sea and through the Arabian desert. Mampsis was a key junction point where this caravan route met the north-south routes into Judea and was also a crucial stop-over on the way West toward Egypt. The city survived into the Byzantine period before trade patterns changed and the settlement was abandoned. Since the site was never re-occupied after the Byzantine era, its remains are remarkably well-preserved.