Khirbat ‘Ara’ir is a strong fortress along the northern ridge of the Wadi al-Mujib. It has been identified with biblical Aroer, which was an Israelite fortress along the southern border of the territory of Reuben. According to the Mesha stela, Aroer was conquered by Mesha, rebuilt and incorporated into his kingdom. The site then fell under the domain of Hazael of Damascus (2 Kings 10:32-33) until his kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians in 732 BCE. Finally, Josephus records that Aroer was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar when he campaigned against Moab in 582 BCE. Excavations have largely confirmed this history.
Khirbat ‘Ara’ir was excavated by Emilio Olávarri during three seasons from 1964 to 1966 for the Spanish center, Casa de Santiago, in Jerusalem. Although traces of habitation dating to Early Bronze IV, Middle Bronze, and early Iron Age were discovered, the monumental fortress that has been preserved belongs to Level IV and is identified with the new fortress built by King Mesha.
The fortress is 50 meters square, with its corners oriented toward the cardinal points of the compass. It is surrounded by three walls: An outer wall 2 meters wide, an inner wall that served as a buttress for the interior of the fortress, and between them an intermediate wall 1.5 meters thick. The southern sides of the fortress are built along the steep cliff above the wadi, but the north sides are accessible from the plain that abuts the fortress. Thus, to protect its vulnerable northwest side, a double wall was added to the fortifications.
After the destruction of the fortress, the site was later inhabited by the Nabateans who built houses around the mound of the fortress. Habitation continued through the end of the Roman period, when the site was finally abandoned.