From the notes of Nikan Shrubcover: Concerning Ekron

Ekron, the capital city of the Zaphonite Empire, predates Zaphon’s arrival in our world by thousands of years. It is said that during the Second Age, when Burrow communities ranged from the Painted Desert, all the way up to and even past the Pillars of Heaven, a small trading outpost was established on the site that would eventually become the city of Ekron. This outpost, called Middlemeet by the long-lost founders, served as a trading hub for all of the north lands due primarily to the fact that there are a number of mountain passes that originally branched away from that central location. Perhaps more evidence that Zaphon is responsible for the Lunar Mounds is that, while these passes do not pass through the crescent mountains, they are still clearly visible once you pass beyond them.