Tel Ashkelon

תל אשקלון

Israel · Southern District

Ancient cityIntermittent excavation
Approximate period3,500 BCE — 1,300 CEChalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine and medieval periods See on the map ↓

In brief

Ashkelon on the Mediterranean coast was a port and trading city used over a long period. The Leon Levy Expedition's 1985–2016 excavations investigated remains especially from the Canaanite, Philistine, Roman and Byzantine periods.

What was found?

  • 1Arched Canaanite city gate

    It is an arched entrance structure belonging to the ancient city's defenses. It documents the use of the arch in early urban architecture.

  • 2Philistine cemetery

    A cemetery associated with the ancient Philistine community has been uncovered. It provides an opportunity to study burial practices directly within their archaeological contexts.

  • 3Roman basilica

    It is a large public building consisting of a central hall and side halls. It reveals the setting for business, social gatherings and legal activities in the city.

  • 4Odeon

    It is a small theater building uncovered near the basilica. It documents the city's public performance venues.

  • 5Marble statues and columns

    Depictions of Nike, Atlas and İsis, along with decorated column capitals, were found. The marble, brought by sea from Asia Minor, demonstrates the city's trade connections.

What does it point to?

Aşkelon's public buildings and imported marble indicate how a port city connected to Mediterranean trade used its resources. Alongside the monumental buildings, the cemetery brings people's practices surrounding death into the investigation.

What did it teach us?

  1. Provided a direct field of research into the burial practices of the Philistine community.
  2. Showed that Roman public buildings were furnished with marble supplied from overseas.
  3. Revealed that the basilica area was converted into a production area in later periods and that building elements were reused.

Images

Ashkelon – The Canaanite city gate and ramparts
Aaadir · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Latest news / selected archive

In 2021, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced the remains of a Roman basilica and odeon approximately 2,000 years old, uncovered in recent excavations.

Record

Culture
Canaanite, Philistine, Roman, Byzantine and medieval communities
First modern dig
1815
Team / historical
Israel Antiquities Authority; earlier long-term research was conducted by the Leon Levy Expedition
Coordinates
31.6622°, 34.5455°

Sources

  1. sites.bu.edu
  2. parks.org.il
  3. moses.creighton.edu
  4. levantineceramics.org
  5. getty.edu

Nearby excavations


—
—
12.000

From beneath the soil: latest discoveries

  • Rare Messapic inscriptions found in a 2,300-year-old tomb in Italy

    Two Messapic inscriptions were found on the cover slabs of a rock-cut tomb in Manduria. According to researchers, the texts may indicate that the woman associated with the tomb held a religious role; a connection to priesthood and the cult of Demeter has not yet been confirmed.

    Heritage Daily ↗
  • Main sewer line and inscriptions describing Roman rituals found at Aquinum

    Investigations at Aquinum uncovered the main sewer line, a group of 120 coins and religious inscriptions. The finds help researchers understand water management in the Roman city and practices such as consecrating places struck by lightning.

    Heritage Daily ↗
  • Analysis of Inca mummies detects traces of coca, alcohol and harmine

    Hair and nail analyses of eight Inca mummies from Peru and Argentina identified evidence of coca consumption, alcohol in four individuals and traces of harmine in the Ampato mummy. According to researchers, the use of different substances shows that sacrificial ceremonies varied according to local traditions.

    Arkeofili ↗
  • Object from a 5,300-year-old grave in Russia identified as a kidney stone

    Analyses of an object measuring approximately 2.1 centimeters, found in a Bronze Age grave in the Stavropol Upland, revealed a mineral composition consistent with a kidney stone. According to researchers, the find indicates that the man buried in the grave had a chronic infection, providing direct evidence of diseases of the period.

    Arkeofili ↗
  • 3,000-year-old bronze objects found during battlefield survey in Hungary

    A survey of the Mezőkeresztes battlefield uncovered a large bronze vessel and two decorated spiral arm ornaments. The objects, dated to the 13th–11th centuries BC, were recovered with their original positions preserved, allowing researchers to study Bronze Age practices of burying valuable objects.

    Heritage Daily ↗
  • 2,600-year-old mudbrick structure identified beneath the city of Buto in Egypt

    The walls of a large mudbrick structure identified through satellite and geophysical surveys were confirmed by a trial excavation. According to the researchers, a layer of sand placed beneath the foundations may have helped protect the structure in the waterlogged ground of the Nile Delta.

    Heritage Daily ↗ · Excavation notebook
  • Celtic woman's grave containing jewelry and animal remains found in Germany

    A woman's skeleton, heavy bronze anklets, a sapropelite arm ring, and the remains of a lamb or kid were found in the grave in Bavaria. According to the researchers, placing the animal in the grave as a food offering represents an unusual example of Celtic funerary practices in the region.

    Arkeofili ↗
  • Cupboard containing personal belongings, childhood amulets and coins found in Pompeii

    Grooming items, 38 bronze coins and a necklace made up of at least 24 amulets were found in a cupboard in a house in Pompeii that had remained closed since the eruption in AD 79. The preservation of these objects together provides detailed information about everyday life and personal mementos in Roman times.

    Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook

    All excavation sites (395)

    Türkiye

    Kazakhstan

    Federated States of Micronesia

    Guatemala

    Honduras

    North Macedonia

    Sri Lanka