Archaeologists Uncover 1,300-Year-Old Ramat Gan Complex With 150 Years of Trade
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 30
Archaeologists Uncover 1,300-Year-Old Ramat Gan Complex With 150 Years of Trade
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 30
Summary
Ramat Gan excavations ahead of a new bus terminal exposed a 1,300-year-old industrial and commercial complex with planned streets, shops, warehouses and pottery kilns, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.
The seventh- to eighth-century site sat near a main route linking Jaffa, Ramla and Jerusalem, suggesting it served regional trade; excavation directors said its organized layout points to engineering oversight and possible official backing.
Dozens of coins, bronze tableware and cosmetic tools, iron pickaxe heads, a sickle, nails, and imported pottery and glass fragments indicate a busy commercial economy during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods.
The complex operated for about 150 years, was later resettled in the 10th century with homes and production facilities, then was abandoned again in the late 11th century before the Crusaders arrived.