Archaeologists excavating a parking lot at the Winter Stadium in Ramat Gan, Israel, have uncovered a 1,300-year-old industrial and commercial complex, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Sunday. The IAA said the site was found during excavations conducted over the past few months ahead of construction of a large bus terminal by Netivei Ayalon.
Israel Antiquities Authority uncovers 1,300-year-old industrial complex under Ramat Gan parking lot
Archaeologists excavating a parking lot at the Winter Stadium in Ramat Gan, Israel, have uncovered a 1,300-year-old industrial and commercial complex, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Sunday. The IAA said the site was found during excavations conducted over the past few months ahead of construction of a large bus terminal by Netivei Ayalon.
According to the IAA, the earliest parts of the site date to the seventh or eighth century CE, during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, with later sections dating to the Fatimid period. The site is estimated to have been operational for about 150 years before being abandoned for reasons researchers have not yet determined.
The site was later resettled in the 10th century CE, when residents built structures and production facilities and installed numerous tabuns — clay baking ovens. It was abandoned a second time in the late 11th century CE, before the Crusader conquest, and was never resettled.
Archaeologists unearthed dozens of pottery vessels and intact oil lamps, bronze tableware, cosmetic implements, iron pickaxe heads, a sickle, numerous nails, dozens of coins, and a large quantity of fragments of local and imported pottery and glass vessels.
While nearby communities at the time included Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Samaritans, excavations did not uncover any artifacts with a clear indication of a specific religious or ethnic group. IAA researchers have proposed two main theories: that the site functioned as a major trade and industrial station, or that it was part of a nearby settlement not yet discovered.
The IAA said it will hold an open day for the public to view the finds on Wednesday, August 19, after which the site will be covered to preserve it. The IAA said it will weigh the possibility of displaying the finds to the public again in the future.
- The source does not state the total area covered by the excavation.
- The source does not identify the reasons the site was abandoned after its initial roughly 150-year operational period.
- The source does not state how many coins were found or detail their provenance.
- The source does not specify whether the IAA has reached a conclusion between its two proposed theories — trade station or part of a nearby settlement — about the site's function.
- The source does not state the timeline or conditions under which the IAA may display the finds to the public after the August 19 open day.
- The source does not state Netivei Ayalon's response to the discovery or plans for the bus terminal construction following the find.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post