The Biblical Archaeologist - Vol.35, N.3

32 Pages·1972·4.09 MB·English

by  American Schools of Oriental Research

The
BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST
Publishedb y
THEA MERICASNC HOOLOSF O RIENTARLE SEARCH
126 Inman Street, Cambridge, Mass.
Vol. XXXV September, 1972 No. 3
":,:Ali
-9or,
...... .........
Fig. 1. Prof. and Mrs. W. F. Albrightb efore the Museum of Antiquitieso f Tel Aviv-Jaffad uring
their final visit on March 19, 1969. From left to right: Mr. A. Hayimi, Prof. A. Malamat,
Dr. J. Kaplan,D r. Ruth Albright,P rof. Albright,a nd Mr. Y. Aviram.
Contents
The Archaeologya nd History of Tel Aviv-Jaffa,b y J. Kaplan ................. 66
.
ArchaeologicalN ews, Views and Reviews ..... ..........................95
66 THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST (Vol. XXXV,
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PETERBOROUGH, N. H.
The Archaeology and History of Tel Aviv-Jaffa
J. KAPLAN
The Jaffa Museum
In 1950, an archaeological survey was conducted by the author in
the northern area of Tel Aviv, which at that time was still very little
built up. This survey found many new sites in the area, dating from as
early as Neolithic times (see the map, Fig. 2) . In the wake of the survey,
the then Mayor of Tel Aviv, the late I. Rokach, asked the author to
carry out a series of excavations designed to extract as much scientific
information as possible from these sites before the on-marching develop-
ment of the city destroyed them. The mayor also authorized the establish-
ment of a museum of the antiquities of Jaffa, which would display the
major findings. These findings, in the absence of written records, con-
stitute the chronicle of the earliest history of the city. A few excavations
had been carried out at larger mounds - Tell Grisa, Tell Qasile, Tell
Kudadi and Jaffa - before the systematic excavation of sites throughout
the city began.' Almost with the first site dug, the author became aware
that many of the finds belonged to periods still inadequately known or
to focal-interest periods in Palestinian archaeology. To supply further
data, it became necessary to dig at sites beyond the city limits, first in its
immediate environs and then at more distant places, in the Jezreel Plain,
the Jordan Valley and in Upper Galilee. Sites excavated in areas border-
1. E. L. Sukenik and others, Quarterly of the Department of Antiquities of Palestine, IV
(1935) 208f.; VI (1938), 225; X (1944), 198f. and 55-57 by J. Ory; on Kudadi, VI (1938),
167f. 8n Tell Qasile, B. Mazar, Israel Exploration Journal (henceforth: IEJ), I (1951), 61ff. On
Jaffa, J. Bowman and others, Proceedings of the Leeds Philosophical Society, VII (1955), 231-250.
1972, 3) THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST 67
TELL BARUCH*
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MAP TELLB ARUCH
OF TEL AVIV-YAFFO ?
N
'km.
RAMATh a-KHAYIL
TELLK UDADI SDEH DOV GANEI
TELLQ ASILE ha- TAARUCHA
h yo kLL
ABU ZEITUNO
TELA VIVH ABOU *
ATOILIRLhk a T-BASSTH*TRAE LNL (cid:127)GRISA
JABOTINSKY ?OAD
BNEI BRAQ
0
GIVATAYIM
YAFFOI
ABU VBIR
BAT YAM
K.
Fig. 2. Map of the principal archaeological sites in the Tel Aviv area.
ing Tel Aviv-Jaffa are shown on the map. Further afield were Wadi
Rabah, Lydda, Teluliyot Batashi (the vale of Soreq), el-Jarba, Hamadia,
Kfar Gil'adi, Yavneh Yam and Ashdod Yam.
A summary of the first ten years of work is contained in the author's
book "The Archaeology and History of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa" published in
Hebrew in 1959. The present article abbreviates that book and incor-
porates new material accumulated since. In January, 1961, the Museum
of the Antiquities of Tel Aviv-Jaffa (the Jaffa Museum), housed in an
old Turkish building on the seaward edge of the ancient mound of
Jaffa, was opened, containing displays of our work to the public.
68 THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST (Vol. XXXV,
The Neolithic Period
The Neolithic Period of Palestine divides into two main phases:
Pre-Pottery Neolithic, the period preceding man's knowledge of pottery
making; and Pottery Neolithic, which again may be subdivided into two
cultures - the one first revealed in the 1930's by Garstang in Stratum IX
Jericho and termed Pottery Neolithic "A" by Kathleen Kenyon in her
Jericho excavations during the 1950's, and the second discovered by M.
Stekelis on the banks of the Yarmuk near Kibbutz Sha'ar ha-Golan. This
culture was called "Yarmukian" by Stekelis and Pottery Neolithic "B"
by Kenyon at Jericho.2
Neolithic remains in Tel Aviv (second half of the 5th millennium
B.C.). The only Neolithic site within the borders of Tel Aviv belongs to
the Yarmukian culture. The site, on a kurkar hill to the south of the
Yarkon, is known as "Rehov ha-Bashan" after the name of the street
which runs along its southern base; the hill itself is one of a semi-circular
chain of hills which encloses a small valley in the Yarkon basin. This
valley, like the entire Yarkon basin, was covered with a dense scrub which
sustained a rich wild life. Deposits of alluvial soil which accumulated
on the northern and western sections of the hill provided a suitable base
for the newcomers who settled on it. Their occupation remains comprise
layers of ashes, hollows and pits dug out of the soil. Noteworthy was the
absence of any stone or mud-brick building remains. This leads one to
assume that the settlers erected booths or dug shelter pits which they
covered with boughs or animal hides. Much may be learned from these
remains about the way of life of the inhabitants of this settlement, who
subsisted on hunting and incipient agriculture. Among the implements
and weapons found were flint arrow and spearheads, hoes and sickles,
grindstones, fragments of stone bowls and pottery storage jars, and also
bone tools. One of the pits contained the skeleton of a young man
packed round with potsherds and stones. The fact that this burial was
found inside the settlement attests the continuance of the prehistoric
custom of burying the dead in their own dwellings. In another small and
shallow pit were found a heap of stones showing traces of burning as
well as charred bones of a goat, along with figurines of clay and stone.
It may be presumed that these remains were connected with some cultic
activity, possibly animal sacrifice. The clay figurine, called "The Pre-
historic Venus of Tel Aviv" (Fig. 3) when it was first discovered, lacks
the entire lower section and other parts, yet the elements which make it
a fertility figure are unmistakable - the breasts protruding beneath the
clothing and the prominent navel indicated by a hole. Moreover, the
2. Cp. J. Kaplan, BASOR, No. 156 (Dec., 1959), pp. 20f. and No. 194 (April, 1969), p. 29.
1972, 3) THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST 69
masked face and pointed helmet
are definitely features associated
,
with primitive cults, as may
Mv
still be observed among tribes in
7?11 remote parts of the world today.
A notable aspect of the masked
VN
.4F face are the two animals, stand-
ing one behind the other, in-
cised on its lower middle and
left sections.
The discovery of a site of the
tools
Yarmukian culture in Tel Aviv,
far from where it was first en-
countered, opened up further
possibilities for the study of this
prehistoric culture and greatly
enlarged our understanding of
Fig. 3. The "Prehistoric Venus of Tel Aviv," it.
belonging to the Yarmukian culture,
unearthed in ha-Bashan Street.
The Chalcolithic Period (4000-3150 B.C.)
This period also may be subdivided into two main phases - an early
phase first discovered by the author and called the "Wadi Rabah" cul-
ture, and a later phase, the well-known "Ghassulian" culture. The ma-
terial unearthed by Garstang at Jericho VIII may be seen as an inter-
mediate phase between these two cultures. While the Ghassulian culture
has been known since the end of the 1920's, knowledge of the Wadi
Rabah culture dates only from 1950 when it was discovered in ha-Bashan
Street, Tel Aviv. However, the name "Wadi Rabah" was given to this
culture only when the author came across it a second time at the eastern
end of the Yarkon basin, on the south bank of the Wadi Rabah tributary.
This site provided further evidence of the distinctive character of this
culture, which differs from the Ghassulian.3 Moreover, at Wadi Rabah
the Ghassulian remains were exposed above those of the "Wadi Rabah"
settlement, which proves that the latter was the earlier culture. It is
worth noting ,that since its discovery in the 1950's many more "Wadi
Rabah" sites have been found; only in the south are they non-existent.
Chalcolithic remains in Tel Aviv. Chalcolithic remains have been
found in Tel Aviv at three sites: ha-Bashan Street, Jabotinsky Street and
Abbattoir Hill (Giv'at Bet ha-Mitbahayim). At ha-Bashan Street, the
3. Kaplan, IEJ, VIII (1958), 159f., and BASOR, No. 194 (April, 1969), pp. 27ff.
70 THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST (Vol. XXXV,
Wadi Rabah remains were bare of structures and partly overlaid the
Yarmukian remains. The excavations yielded mainly dwelling floors
paved with small stones and strewn with ashes, numerous potsherds, ani-
mal bones and flint implements. Characteristic features of the Wadi
Rabah ware are the carinated bowls, bow-rimmed jars, and black and
red burnishing - none of which are found in the Ghassulian ware. Al-
ready in the 1930's Albright, later followed by Wright, had pointed to
a connection between the Ghassulian pottery and the Chalcolithic ware
from Tell Halaf in north-eastern Syria (identified with biblical Gozan),
and this connection is most evident in the Wadi Rabah vessels. There
can be no doubt that the Wadi Rabah culture is the nearest descendant
of the Halafian, that is Chalcolithic and not Neolithic as claimed by some.
The site in Jabotinsky Street was partly destroyed before systematic
excavation began. However, at its northern, eastern and western fringes
were found important remains which give further insight into the Ghas-
sulian culture. Excavations were conducted at this site in 1950, 1951 and
1961. Three shelter-pits were exposed at the eastern extremity. The first
had apparently been used as a kitchen and was filled with ashes, cinders,
animal bones and potsherds. Among the finds unearthed was a large
basalt bowl with an incised herringbone decoration. The second pit
yielded fragments of a hitherto unknown asymmetrical vessel. This ves-
sel was designated "churn" by the author because its lower, asymmetrical
section resembled the skin-bottle used by the Arabs for churning butter
and similiar purposes.4 The aptness of this term was confirmed later
when it was found that the inhabitants of the Gaza area still use today,
along with the skin-bottle, a pottery churn closely resembling the Chal-
colithic vessel (Fig. 4). The third pit contained typical Ghassulian flint
implements. Another notable discovery was several grindstones laid
face-down. This suggests that the semi-nomadic dwellers of these pits
would periodically return to this site during the seasonal wanderings
with their herds. To the north of the pits there was exposed a small sec-
tion of floor, four to six inches thick, probably from a rectangular booth
or tent. Numerous objects were found on this floor. On the western side
two deep pits were discovered; the first, 90 cm. (three feet) in diameter,
was almost entirely excavated. However, the excavations had to be
stopped at 18 meters (60 feet) depth when underground water began to
seep through. At this point it became evident that the pit was really a
shaft leading to a dome-shaped burial (?) chamber. The shaft was filled
with household refuse, ashes, animal bones, flint flakes, and a number
4. Kaplan, Palestine Exploration Quarterly, XCVII (1963), 144ff., and BASOR, No. 194 (April,
1969), p. 30.
1972, 3) THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST 71
a
b c
d
H.K.
Fig. 4. Butter chums, ancient and modem: of the Ghassulian culture, a) is from Jabotinsky
Street, Tel Aviv, b) from el-Mghar near Rehovoth, and d) from Beer Sheva; c) is a
modem Arab churn from Gaza.
72 THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST (Vol. XXXV,
of blunted and discarded flint implements. No explanation was found for
the unusual depth of the shaft and cave, nor for the shaft's being filled
with refuse. Perhaps this deep shaft with its refuse had some connection
with an unknown prehistoric rite.
The Abattoir Hill site on the eastern hill-slope facing ha-Bashan
Street was discovered when modern building was started at the edge of
the hill. Among the undamaged remains was a large cave hollowed out
of the kurkar rock, with its broad entrance facing north. The ceiling of
the cave was supported by a pillar of solid rock left there when the cave
had been hewn out. In front of the entrance was an elliptical courtyard
used for various crafts including pottery-making. Branching out from
the cave were narrow passages leading to a number of small caverns; the
floor of one was covered with a layer of ashes mixed with potsherds and
animal bones. South of this large cave a burial chamber with collapsed
ceiling was exposed. Here were found fragments of house-form ossuaries
and scattered human bones. This type of secondary burial in ossuaries
deposited in a cave had been discovered earlier by E. L. Sukenik at
Haderah and by J. Ory at Bnei Braq. More burial caves of this type were
excavated by the author at Bnei Braq and Giv'atayim. Since these ex-
cavations, Chalcolithic burial caves have been found in most parts of
the country.
Early Bronze Age (3150-2200 B.C.)
The beginnings of urbanization in this country fall in the Early
Bronze age. Most of the well-known biblical cities astride the principal
highways, such as Gezer, Aphek, (Rosh Ha'ayin), Megiddo, Ta'anach,
Beth-shan and Beth-yerah, were founded during this period. These Early
Bronze age cities were encircled by walls, inside which were the temples,
palaces of the rulers and their treasuries. It is customary to divide this
period into four phases (I-IV).
The remains of three Early Bronze settlements were discovered in
Tel Aviv; two were small temporary settlements dating to EB I, while
the third site belongs to EB IV. The first two settlements were exposed
at ha-Bashan Street and Abattoir Hill; both overlay the Chalcolithic
remains. The third settlement, at Tell Grisa, came to light in the lowest
stratum on top of the bedrock. The remains at ha-Bashan Street - layers
of ashes and segments of small stone pavings, but no structures - ap-
parently belonged to squatter-type settlements like the Neolithic occupa-
tion remains beneath. Hearths, potsherds, animal bones and flint imple-
ments were found in these remains.
At Abattoir Hill the remains of this phase were exposed inside the
cave-dwelling and courtyard which overlay the Chalcolithic strata. South
1972, 3) THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST 73
of the cave-dwelling beyond the area of the Chalcolithic tombs were dis-
covered traces of EB burials which had been destroyed by modern build-
ing operations. Fortunately the lower section of an Early Bronze burial
cave could be excavated at the southernmost edge of the hill, near Nordau
Boulevard. It emerged from these excavations that, unlike the former
inhabitants, the new settlers cremated their dead and buried only the
ashes and calcined bones. Accompanying the burial were funerary offer-
ings, as is attested by the pottery vessels found in the tomb. Although
charcoal remains were found on the floor there is no evidence to suggest
that the corpses were burned inside the caves; yet in another cave of this
period, excavated by the author at Giv'atayim, were found abundant
traces of burning on the floor and walls, while the ceiling was flushed by
the intense heat, as had been the case in the "crematorium" cave dis-
covered by R. A. S. Macalister at Gezer.
One of the notable finds in the
cave at Nordau Boulevard was an
ingeniously made oil lamp - one
of the earliest of its type. The lamp
consists of a cup inside a saucer;
the cup, which is pierced at the
i.1. .el
base, is joined at the bottom to the
large outer saucer (Fig. 5). The
principle upon which the lamp op-
erated was that a layer of oil
floated on the surface of the water
and entered through the hole from
Fig. 5. "Cup-and-saucer" lamp, Early Bronze the outer saucer into the inner
I, found in Nordau Boulevard, Tel
Aviv. cup. On this layer of oil a wick
was floated. This system ensured economy of oil, which collected only in
the cup and was not wasted on the wall of the outer saucer.
Middle Bronze Age (2200-1550 B.C.)
Remains from the two main phases of this period, MB I (2200-2000
B.C.) and MB II (2000-1550 B.C.) have been unearthed at numerous
sites throughout Tel Aviv-Jaffa.S
During the MB I phase, nomadic shepherd tribes invaded the coun-
try armed with superior bronze weapons - daggers, lances and battle-
axes. They spread out through the entire country including the Negev
regions. Excavations at various sites indicate that their occupation re-
mains are few and meager. However, numerous tombs from this period
5. On the new dates for MB I and MB IIA, see B. Mazar, IEJ, XVIII (1968), 97, and
Kaplan, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, XXX (1971), 293-307;
74 THE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST (Vol. XXXV,
are found throughout the country, the majority being rock-hewns haft-
graves although tumuli are also widespread.S everalM B I sites have been
excavatedi n the Tel Aviv area. At Tell Grisam eagero ccupationr emains
were found and elsewhere- at Abattoir Hill, Pinkas Street,R amat-Aviv,
Sdeh Dov and Petakh Tikvah Road - the remains were shaft-tombs
(Fig. 6). Some of the tombs were empty but in others were found dis-
integratedh uman bones, a few pottery funeraryv esselsa nd sundryb ronze
weapons. In a cave excavateda t Ramat ha-Khayil,T el Aviv, an MB IIA
burial was found overlying an earlier burial dating to MB I. It may be
assumed that the MB IIA people were responsiblef or the destructiono f
the MB I culture, and apparently made use of the tombs of the former
where these could be detected on the surface. This phenomenon has also
been found in tumuli burials of the MB I period.
lit
?qo
fl.il
f: ..... .. .. . IVY
Xx
.41
Fig. 6. Open section of MB I tomb. The upper part is the shaft which leads to the cave-chamber
(lower).
The MB II period may be subdivided into three phases, MB IIA,
B and C. It seems that during the MB IIA phase (2000-1800B .C.) the
western Semites-Amoritems igrated in waves from Mesopotamiat o Pales-
tine, bringing small groups of permanent settlers who established new
religious centers and strongholds.S imultaneouslyo r perhaps somewhat
earlier, hordes of semi-nomadst ogether with their families and animals
reached this country where they built beaten-earthr ampart enclosures
for defensivep urposes,c overingh undredso f acres.
Apparentlyt wo cities were built during this period, one at Jaffa and
the other at Tell Grisa. The eastern sector of the tell of Jaffa with its
prominent and still visible slope is actually part of an enormous earth
rampart, oriented north-south, on the northern sector of which stand