View of standing architecture at Achziv. Wikimedia Commons
Posted on 04/21/2012 8:10:52 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The ruins of the site rest atop a sandstone hill, hugging the far northern coast of the current State of Israel near the border with Lebanon. One can see later-period standing structures that provide the backdrop for what is now a national park and beach resort. But below the surface, and beneath the ocean waves, lie the remains of an ancient harbor town that reach back in history to as long ago as Chalcolithic times (4500 -3200 BC)...
Known today as Tel Achziv, its remnants have been explored and excavated before, by Moshe Prausnitz from 1963 through 1964 and, in the vicinity of the site, by E. Ben-Dor, M. Prausnitz and E. Mazar, who uncovered large-scale Phoenician cemeteries. Anciently, it was a fortified Canaanite harbor city protected by a massive rampart, rising to prominence as a major Phoenician port for maritime commerce, connected to a coastal road for trade. The city flourished under the Phoenicians during the ninth century, was conquered by King Sennacherib of Assyria at the end of the eighth century, and continued to function as an important port city during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The city was mentioned in the writings of Josephus Flavius, who referred to it as the place where Herod's brother was captured, and was also referrenced by Plinius (23-79AD) and appears in the Claudius Ptolemy World map (~150AD). It functioned later as an administrative center during Crusader times.
...students and volunteers under the directorship of Dr. Gwyn Davies of Florida International University and Dr. Assaf Yasur-Landau of the University of Haifa will return to the site for inaugural excavations of unexplored remains, hoping to shed new light on an ancient city...
(Excerpt) Read more at popular-archaeology.com ...
View of standing architecture at Achziv. Wikimedia Commons
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Wow. Those people from Phoenix went all the way over there and built a shrine to breasts. You gotta love those Phoenixians. They should turn the lights around, though.
4500 BC... That is old, even for the Middle East.
The problem with digging in that area of the world is that each layer has its own history, because it has usually been continuously occupied. So to “uncover one era” you have to remove the later eras.
It’s not a shrine to breasts, it’s a temple to Baalzeboob.
That’s not a problem to archaeologists, but an asset. :’) But well said.
Village life in the Middle East goes back to the Natufian (modern name, obviously), who remained somewhat nomadic, but lived for long periods in one place (long enough to leave considerable strata). The first towns (including Jericho) known (so far) are about 8000 BC. A preceramic group left the mainland about that time and built a village on Cyprus, taking the local cuisine (they took their herd animals, which are all mainland species) with them, by boat. Not bad.
Lean real close to your screen so I can backhand you upside the head.
;D
That was a Moeloch, Larryloch, and Curlyloch moment. ;’)
*groan*
10,000 comedians out of work and you guys gotta be funny...
Well, “funny” is perhaps a stretch, but...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2874828/posts?page=3#3
Yah. See? You are SOOO busted!
Is that dome Islamic or Phoenician?
Since it’s a restoration, it’s supposed to be ancient Phoenician — and since it’s in Israel, that’s probably what it is. Islamic countries don’t have much interest in any of it. Years ago the local museum had a visiting exhibit of Egyptian stuff. Instead of authentic papyrus scrolls (which are pretty rare and fragile) modern versions by Egyptians were substituted. But they were useless tourist-stand items which had been Islamicized (and I don’t mean merely that nudity had been excised, although that was the first thing I noticed) and had no place in that or any other exhibition.
Interesting and my wonder is that the dome we now associate with Islamic architecture was actually Phoenician? I’d thought it to be Byzantine Christian.
Islam’s cultural contributions can be listed inside the “o” in those quote marks.
Is that a net/net zero or an absolute zero? You must be using hyperbole. Islamic scholars do deserve some credit for preserving and transferring classical knowledge and innovation. Ibn Battuta’s travels have historical value, no? Or are you arguing that “Islamic” scholarship occurred outside of and in contravention to Islam (Islamic Law per the imams)? That is that this scholarship occurred despite Islam not because of it. This being in contrast to Christianity.
...this scholarship occurred despite Islam not because of it.That is exactly what I'm saying, with a big "of course" at the beginning. :')
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