An ancient, 1,300-year-old planned industrial and commercial complex, with streets, kilns, and industrial facilities, was uncovered in recent months during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Winter Stadium parking lot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The excavations were conducted in preparation for the construction of a large bus terminal at the site by the Ayalon Routes Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""Although, in the past, structures and artifacts from ancient periods have been discovered in the area, the results of the current excavation exceeded all expectations," say Dr. Yoav Arbel and Lior Rauchberger, the excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""The excavation uncovered an organized and planned complex that includes straight and intersecting streets. Along the streets, a series of rooms were uncovered that served as shops or warehouses, plastered industrial facilities, artisan kilns, and more.". <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""The main phase of the site was planned in advance in detail by engineers, and was built with the knowledge of the regional authorities - and perhaps even on their initiative and with their funding. The location of the site was also probably not coincidental: the site was located near the main road that connected Jaffa, Ramla - the capital of the district at that time - and Jerusalem. It is possible that it stood on a secondary road that branched off from this central route. The area also had fertile agricultural land and available water sources.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, the complex may have served as a large trading and industrial station; another possibility is that it was part of a nearby settlement, which has not yet been uncovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The complex, which was built in the 7th or 8th century AD, operated for about 150 years before being abandoned, under circumstances that remain unknown at this point. In the 10th century AD, the site was reoccupied. Residential buildings and production facilities were built there, and numerous tabuns - clay baking ovens - were installed. In the late 11th century, before the Crusader conquest, the site was abandoned and never inhabited again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to the impressive building remains, dozens of pottery vessels and intact oil lamps were found, numerous tableware and makeup utensils made of bronze, many iron pickaxe heads, sickles, and nails, dozens of coins, and a large quantity of fragments of local and imported pottery and glass vessels, which well reflect the culture, trade, and economy of the period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 1,300-year-old planned complex dates back to the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, while the later residential settlement existed during the Fatimid period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The population of the Land of Israel during these periods was diverse, and included Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Samaritan communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ramla, the provincial capital, was home to a Muslim community, while the Yarkon region was apparently home to many Samaritans - descendants of a large population that flourished in the area during the Byzantine period, which preceded the Muslim conquest in the 7th century AD. However, the excavations themselves did not uncover any finds that clearly indicate the ethnic or religious identity of the local residents.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u05de\u05ea\u05d7\u05dd \u05ea\u05e2\u05e9\u05d9\u05d9\u05ea\u05d9 \u05d5\u05de\u05e1\u05d7\u05e8\u05d9 \u05de\u05ea\u05d5\u05db\u05e0\u05df \u05e7\u05d3\u05d5\u05dd \u05d1\u05df 1,300 \u05e9\u05e0\u05d4, \u05d5\u05d1\u05d5 \u05e8\u05d7\u05d5\u05d1\u05d5\u05ea, \u05db\u05d1\u05e9\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d5\u05de\u05ea\u05e7\u05e0\u05d9 \u05ea\u05e2\u05e9\u05d9\u05d9\u05d4, \u05e0\u05d7\u05e9\u05e3 \u05d1\u05d7\u05d5\u05d3\u05e9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d7\u05e4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea \u05e8\u05e9\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05e2\u05ea\u05d9\u05e7\u05d5\u05ea \u05d1\u05d7\u05e0\u05d9\u05d5\u05df \u05d0\u05e6\u05d8\u05d3\u05d9\u05d5\u05df \u05d5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d8\u05e8. \u05d4\u05d7\u05e4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea \u05e0\u05e2\u05e8\u05db\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e7\u05e8\u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05e7\u05de\u05ea \u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05e3 \u05d0\u05d5\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1\u05d5\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd \u05d2\u05d3\u05d5\u05dc \u05d1\u05de\u05e7\u05d5\u05dd \u05e2\u05dc \u05d9\u05d3\u05d9 \u05d7\u05d1\u05e8\u05ea \u05e0\u05ea\u05d9\u05d1\u05d9 \u05d0\u05d9\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05df. \"\u05d0\u05de\u05e0\u05dd, \u05d1\u05e2\u05d1\u05e8 \u05db\u05d1\u05e8 \u05d4\u05ea\u05d2\u05dc\u05d5 \u05d1\u05d0\u05d6\u05d5\u05e8 \u05de\u05d1\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05de\u05de\u05e6\u05d0\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05ea\u05e7\u05d5\u05e4\u05d5\u05ea \u05e7\u05d3\u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05ea, \u05d0\u05d1\u05dc \u05ea\u05d5\u05e6\u05d0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d7\u05e4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05db\u05d7\u05d9\u05ea \u05e2\u05dc\u05d5 \u05e2\u05dc \u05db\u05dc \u05d4\u05de\u05e6\u05d5\u05e4\u05d4\", \u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d3\"\u05e8 \u05d9\u05d5\u05d0\u05d1 […]","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":1061745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[66333,6772],"class_list":["post-1061744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-95","tag-66333","tag-6772"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n