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‘Atiqot 74 (2013)
ISBN 2948-040X
A Thirteenth-Century BCE Site on the Southern Beach of Ashdod
(with contributions by Yossi Nagar, Shlomit Israeli, Hamoudi Khalaily, Dror Segal and Israel Carmi, Dalia Hakker-Orion, Eldad Barzilay, Pirhiya Nahshoni and Eyal Tishler)
(pp. 59–122)
Pirhiya Nahshoni
Keywords: Mediterranean coast, maritime trade, agriculture, wine production, trading port, commerce, tramping, flint, stones, fauna, archaeozoology, physical anthropology, radiocarbon dating
The site is located approximately 4 km west of Tel Ashdod, about 50 m from the shoreline. Two areas were excavated: in Area A, installations identified as winepresses, as well as occupation levels, were found; in Area B, a mud-brick complex was uncovered. One tomb (T1) was discovered, and traces indicating the presence of other tombs were discerned north of the site. In the building and in the vicinity of the winepresses numerous pottery sherds were found, of locally-produced vessels, as well as Cypriot, Mycenean and Egyptian imports. Other finds included an Egyptian scarab, spindle whorls and loomweights, metal fishhooks, needles for mending fishing nets, and stone and lead weights for the nets. Based on the architectural evidence and the finds, this is a single-period site that existed for a short period of time during the later part of the thirteenth century BCE. The winepresses were set up together with the building to form an industrial-administrative complex that was primarily engaged in the production and marketing of wine. The site was abandoned at the end of this period for unknown reasons; there is no evidence that it came to a violent end.