Archaeologists Unearth Canaanite Settlement from 3100-2900 Bce

An archaeological team sponsored jointly by Haifa University and the University of Marburg in West Germany has unearthed the remains of a Canaanite settlement dating from approximately 3100-2900 BCE at Tel Acco, near Acre north of Haifa bay.

According to Prof. Moshe Dothan, head of Haifa University’s archaeological department, who directed the dig, the various clay vessels found indicate the settlement pre-dates earlier estimates by about 1,000 years. He noted that “this early settlement was not fortified and was probably agricultural in nature.”

The skeleton of a horse was found in a layer of rubble dating from the middle Canaanite period. Dothan called that discovery “one of the most remarkable finds ever made in Israel.” Graves from the late Bronze Age were also uncovered at the site, several containing clay vessels including very rare pieces decorated in two tones. A jar in a style known as “chocolate and white” is only the second piece of its kind to be found in Israel, Dothan said.

One grave yielded scarabs, some of them combined with gold rings. In another, clay vessels were found similar to those of Syrian or Turkish origin. In other areas of the hill, relics were found dating from the Iron Age and late Canaanite period, including clay vessels the archaeologists associate with the Shardan people, sea-faring mercenaries who settled the coastal area at about 1200 BCE.

Among the rare pieces found were an ivory cosmetic container in the shape of a duck and a bronze image of the ancient diety, Baal, which are believed to date from the 13th century BCE, The archaeologists from the two universities were assisted in the digging by volunteers from the U.S., England, West Germany and Denmark,