An excavation near the Winter Stadium uncovered a planned commercial and industrial complex from the early Islamic period. The site was probably located near the road that connected Jaffa, Ramla, and Jerusalem, but the identity of its residents is still unknown.
A planned commercial and industrial complex dating back some 1,300 years, with straight intersecting streets, rows of rooms, industrial facilities and kilns for making pottery, has been uncovered in a parking lot near the Winter Stadium in Ramat Gan. The excavations were conducted in recent months by the Israel Antiquities Authority, in preparation for the construction of a large bus terminal on the site by the Ayalon Highways Company.
According to Dr. Yoav Arbel and Lior Rauchberger, the excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the scope of the complex and its degree of planning exceeded expectations. The streets were built in straight lines and intersected with each other, and along them were revealed rooms that were probably used as shops or warehouses. Plastered industrial facilities and kilns were also found.
The site's orderly structure indicates that it did not develop randomly. Researchers estimate that its main phase was planned in advance by those with engineering knowledge and built with the knowledge of the regional authorities—and perhaps even at their initiative and funding.
On the road between Jaffa, Ramla and Jerusalem
The location of the complex may also explain its character. During the time it was active, a major route passed through the area that connected Jaffa, Ramla—which was the capital of the district—and Jerusalem. The site may have stood on a secondary road that branched off from this route.
The proximity to roads, along with fertile agricultural lands and available water sources, suited commercial and industrial activity. One possibility that the researchers are raising is that the complex served as a large trading and manufacturing station. Another possibility is that it was the industrial area of a nearby settlement, the other parts of which have not yet been uncovered.
Abandoned, resettled, and abandoned again
The planned complex was built in the seventh or eighth century CE, during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods. It operated for about 150 years and was then abandoned for reasons that are still unknown.
In the 10th century, the site was reoccupied. At this stage, dating back to the Fatimid period, residential buildings and production facilities were built and many tabuns—baking ovens made of clay—were installed. In the late 11th century, before the Crusader conquest, the site was abandoned once again and no longer inhabited.
The excavation therefore makes it possible to follow the changes that occurred at the site over several centuries: from a planned center of commerce and industry, through a period of abandonment, to the later establishment of a residential and manufacturing area.
Oil candles, makeup tools and coins
Alongside the remains of the streets and buildings, dozens of pottery vessels and intact oil lamps, tableware, bronze makeup tools, pickaxe heads, sickles, and numerous iron nails were discovered. Dozens of coins and a large quantity of pottery and glass fragments were also found, some of which were made in Israel and others were imported from other places.
The totality of the findings may help reconstruct daily life at the site, the economic activity that took place there, and the trade relations of its residents.
The population of the Land of Israel during the Umayyad, Abbasid, and Fatimid periods was diverse and included Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Samaritans. There was a large Muslim community in Ramla, and many Samaritans probably lived in the Yarkon region. However, no findings have been found in the excavation itself that would allow us to clearly determine the religious or ethnic identity of the people who lived and worked at the site.
The site will be open for one day and then covered.
The Israel Antiquities Authority will hold an open day at the site on Wednesday, August 19. After the visit, the remains will be covered to protect them, and at the same time, the possibility of presenting some of the findings to the public in the future will be examined.
Admission to the open day is conditional. by pre-registration.
Questions and Answers
What was discovered near Winter Stadium? A planned commercial and industrial complex with intersecting streets, rooms that were probably used as shops or warehouses, industrial facilities, and kilns for the production of pottery.
How old is the complex? Its main phase was established in the seventh or eighth century AD, about 1,300 years ago, and operated during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods.
Is it known who lived there? No. The population of the area was diverse, but the excavation did not find any findings that clearly determine the religious or ethnic identity of the site's residents.
Is it possible to visit the excavation? Yes. The Israel Antiquities Authority will hold an open day on August 19, with advance registration. After that, the site will be covered for preservation purposes.
More on the subject on the science website
- A 1,300-year-old lead pendant with the Menorah symbol was discovered near the Temple Mount.
- A cache of oil candle molds was uncovered in an archaeological excavation in Tiberias.
- Evidence of agricultural and industrial activity was uncovered in Ramat Hasharon as early as 1,500 years ago
- A huge wine factory from the Byzantine period was uncovered in Yavne
- A cache of 44 gold coins dating back some 1,400 years was discovered in the Hermon River.
