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5,500-year-old find gives ‘clearest evidence yet’ of detail in Bible

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Archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of a 5,500-year-old ancient blade factory in Israel and say that it could offer the clearest evidence yet of the Canaanites – people who were described in the Bible. Researchers in Kiryat Gat, about 40 miles south of Tel Aviv, uncovered the first-ever Canaanite workshop in the region, but what did they find? (Picture: Israel Antiquities Authority)
An ancient blade manufacturing workshop was uncovered in Kiryat Gat?The first ever discovered in southern Israel In an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority prior to building a new Kiryat Gat neighborhood -Carmei Gat, an advanced flint industry dating back approximately 5,500 years was uncovered ? evidence of specialization in a unique technology. The items, including the flint cores from which the blades were made, are being shown for the first time this summer as part of the tours at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. Near Kiryat Gat, a 5,500-year-old flint blade production workshop was discovered ? the first ever discovered in southern Israel. The discovery ? evidence of the technological sophistication already at the Early Bronze Age?s onset, includes long flint blades, and even ? a rare occurrence ? the large stone cores used to produce them were also found. These findings were unearthed in a large Israel Antiquities Authority salvage excavation at the Na?al Qomem site (aka Gat-Govrin, Zeita), funded by the Israel Lands Authority in advance of constructing a new city neighborhood - Carmei Gat. This summer, these rare finds will enjoy their first public display, at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Martin David Pasternak, Shira Lifshitz and Dr. Nathan Ben-Ari, Excavation Directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, ?This is the first time such a workshop has been discovered in southern Israel. Although evidence of the Canaanite blade industry has been discovered in the country?s center and north, there are almost no known workshops for their systematic production. The discovery of a sophisticated workshop indicates a society with a complex social and economic structure already at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. This is an important find in that it deepens the understanding of both the beginnings of urbanization and of professional specialization in the Land of Israel ? phenomena that led to the establishment of large settlements and that catalyzed the creation of new social structures.? According to Israel Antiquities Authority prehistorians Dr. Jacob Vardi and Dudu Biton, ?An advanced industry was revealed at the site, requiring an extremely high level of expertise. Only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades. This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization.?
The site produced flint blades and massive stones which the researchers say were used to shape and mold weapons with precision. They also found hundreds of underground pits, some lined with mud bricks, which the archaeologists say served as storage areas, dwellings, workshops and even ritual spaces. The researchers say that the scale and sophistication of the site reveals that the Canaanites were organised, specalised in crafts and built thriving trade networks (Picture: Israel Antiquities Authority)
An ancient blade manufacturing workshop was uncovered in Kiryat Gat?The first ever discovered in southern Israel In an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority prior to building a new Kiryat Gat neighborhood -Carmei Gat, an advanced flint industry dating back approximately 5,500 years was uncovered ? evidence of specialization in a unique technology. The items, including the flint cores from which the blades were made, are being shown for the first time this summer as part of the tours at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. Near Kiryat Gat, a 5,500-year-old flint blade production workshop was discovered ? the first ever discovered in southern Israel. The discovery ? evidence of the technological sophistication already at the Early Bronze Age?s onset, includes long flint blades, and even ? a rare occurrence ? the large stone cores used to produce them were also found. These findings were unearthed in a large Israel Antiquities Authority salvage excavation at the Na?al Qomem site (aka Gat-Govrin, Zeita), funded by the Israel Lands Authority in advance of constructing a new city neighborhood - Carmei Gat. This summer, these rare finds will enjoy their first public display, at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Martin David Pasternak, Shira Lifshitz and Dr. Nathan Ben-Ari, Excavation Directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, ?This is the first time such a workshop has been discovered in southern Israel. Although evidence of the Canaanite blade industry has been discovered in the country?s center and north, there are almost no known workshops for their systematic production. The discovery of a sophisticated workshop indicates a society with a complex social and economic structure already at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. This is an important find in that it deepens the understanding of both the beginnings of urbanization and of professional specialization in the Land of Israel ? phenomena that led to the establishment of large settlements and that catalyzed the creation of new social structures.? According to Israel Antiquities Authority prehistorians Dr. Jacob Vardi and Dudu Biton, ?An advanced industry was revealed at the site, requiring an extremely high level of expertise. Only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades. This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization.?
The researchers say the glimpse into their daily lives show a tangible link between the archaeological record and the society described in the Old Testament. In the Bible, the Canaanites are the original inhabitants of the Promised Land before the Israelites arrived and took the territory. And the Israel Antiquities Authority said the discovery shows the beginnings of urbanisation and professional specialisation in the ancient land (Picture: Israel Antiquities Authority)
An ancient blade manufacturing workshop was uncovered in Kiryat Gat?The first ever discovered in southern Israel In an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority prior to building a new Kiryat Gat neighborhood -Carmei Gat, an advanced flint industry dating back approximately 5,500 years was uncovered ? evidence of specialization in a unique technology. The items, including the flint cores from which the blades were made, are being shown for the first time this summer as part of the tours at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. Near Kiryat Gat, a 5,500-year-old flint blade production workshop was discovered ? the first ever discovered in southern Israel. The discovery ? evidence of the technological sophistication already at the Early Bronze Age?s onset, includes long flint blades, and even ? a rare occurrence ? the large stone cores used to produce them were also found. These findings were unearthed in a large Israel Antiquities Authority salvage excavation at the Na?al Qomem site (aka Gat-Govrin, Zeita), funded by the Israel Lands Authority in advance of constructing a new city neighborhood - Carmei Gat. This summer, these rare finds will enjoy their first public display, at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Martin David Pasternak, Shira Lifshitz and Dr. Nathan Ben-Ari, Excavation Directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, ?This is the first time such a workshop has been discovered in southern Israel. Although evidence of the Canaanite blade industry has been discovered in the country?s center and north, there are almost no known workshops for their systematic production. The discovery of a sophisticated workshop indicates a society with a complex social and economic structure already at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. This is an important find in that it deepens the understanding of both the beginnings of urbanization and of professional specialization in the Land of Israel ? phenomena that led to the establishment of large settlements and that catalyzed the creation of new social structures.? According to Israel Antiquities Authority prehistorians Dr. Jacob Vardi and Dudu Biton, ?An advanced industry was revealed at the site, requiring an extremely high level of expertise. Only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades. This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization.?

So what was found?

The archaeologists unearthed large flint cores which produced sharp, uniformly shaped blades which were used as knives for cutting and butchering, and as harvesting tools, like sickle blades. The researchers say that the production was extremely advanced and included the use of a kind of crane to exert precise pressure on the flint, which they say were a never-before-seen technology during that time period (Picture: Israel Antiquities Authority)
An ancient blade manufacturing workshop was uncovered in Kiryat Gat?The first ever discovered in southern Israel In an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority prior to building a new Kiryat Gat neighborhood -Carmei Gat, an advanced flint industry dating back approximately 5,500 years was uncovered ? evidence of specialization in a unique technology. The items, including the flint cores from which the blades were made, are being shown for the first time this summer as part of the tours at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. Near Kiryat Gat, a 5,500-year-old flint blade production workshop was discovered ? the first ever discovered in southern Israel. The discovery ? evidence of the technological sophistication already at the Early Bronze Age?s onset, includes long flint blades, and even ? a rare occurrence ? the large stone cores used to produce them were also found. These findings were unearthed in a large Israel Antiquities Authority salvage excavation at the Na?al Qomem site (aka Gat-Govrin, Zeita), funded by the Israel Lands Authority in advance of constructing a new city neighborhood - Carmei Gat. This summer, these rare finds will enjoy their first public display, at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Martin David Pasternak, Shira Lifshitz and Dr. Nathan Ben-Ari, Excavation Directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, ?This is the first time such a workshop has been discovered in southern Israel. Although evidence of the Canaanite blade industry has been discovered in the country?s center and north, there are almost no known workshops for their systematic production. The discovery of a sophisticated workshop indicates a society with a complex social and economic structure already at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. This is an important find in that it deepens the understanding of both the beginnings of urbanization and of professional specialization in the Land of Israel ? phenomena that led to the establishment of large settlements and that catalyzed the creation of new social structures.? According to Israel Antiquities Authority prehistorians Dr. Jacob Vardi and Dudu Biton, ?An advanced industry was revealed at the site, requiring an extremely high level of expertise. Only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades. This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization.?
Israel Antiquities Authority prehistorians Dr Jacob Vardi said: ‘This is a sophisticated industry – not only because of the tools themselves, but also because of what is not found. The waste fragments, the debitage, were not scattered outside the site – perhaps to better protect and preserve the professional knowledge within the group of experts. Today, we understand that this site served as a center, from which Canaanite blades were distributed across broad regions in the Levant’ (Picture: Israel Antiquities Authority)
An ancient blade manufacturing workshop was uncovered in Kiryat Gat?The first ever discovered in southern Israel In an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority prior to building a new Kiryat Gat neighborhood -Carmei Gat, an advanced flint industry dating back approximately 5,500 years was uncovered ? evidence of specialization in a unique technology. The items, including the flint cores from which the blades were made, are being shown for the first time this summer as part of the tours at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. Near Kiryat Gat, a 5,500-year-old flint blade production workshop was discovered ? the first ever discovered in southern Israel. The discovery ? evidence of the technological sophistication already at the Early Bronze Age?s onset, includes long flint blades, and even ? a rare occurrence ? the large stone cores used to produce them were also found. These findings were unearthed in a large Israel Antiquities Authority salvage excavation at the Na?al Qomem site (aka Gat-Govrin, Zeita), funded by the Israel Lands Authority in advance of constructing a new city neighborhood - Carmei Gat. This summer, these rare finds will enjoy their first public display, at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Martin David Pasternak, Shira Lifshitz and Dr. Nathan Ben-Ari, Excavation Directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, ?This is the first time such a workshop has been discovered in southern Israel. Although evidence of the Canaanite blade industry has been discovered in the country?s center and north, there are almost no known workshops for their systematic production. The discovery of a sophisticated workshop indicates a society with a complex social and economic structure already at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. This is an important find in that it deepens the understanding of both the beginnings of urbanization and of professional specialization in the Land of Israel ? phenomena that led to the establishment of large settlements and that catalyzed the creation of new social structures.? According to Israel Antiquities Authority prehistorians Dr. Jacob Vardi and Dudu Biton, ?An advanced industry was revealed at the site, requiring an extremely high level of expertise. Only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades. This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization.?
In the Early Bronze Age, humans used tools made from natural raw materials: flint, bone, stone and ceramics, but in this period the Canaanite blades were the main cutting tools. Dr Vardi and co-worker Dudu Biton said: ‘An advanced industry was revealed at the site, requiring an extremely high level of expertise. Only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades. This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organised and complex, and had professional specialisation’ (Picture: Israel Antiquities Authority)
An ancient blade manufacturing workshop was uncovered in Kiryat Gat?The first ever discovered in southern Israel In an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority prior to building a new Kiryat Gat neighborhood -Carmei Gat, an advanced flint industry dating back approximately 5,500 years was uncovered ? evidence of specialization in a unique technology. The items, including the flint cores from which the blades were made, are being shown for the first time this summer as part of the tours at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. Near Kiryat Gat, a 5,500-year-old flint blade production workshop was discovered ? the first ever discovered in southern Israel. The discovery ? evidence of the technological sophistication already at the Early Bronze Age?s onset, includes long flint blades, and even ? a rare occurrence ? the large stone cores used to produce them were also found. These findings were unearthed in a large Israel Antiquities Authority salvage excavation at the Na?al Qomem site (aka Gat-Govrin, Zeita), funded by the Israel Lands Authority in advance of constructing a new city neighborhood - Carmei Gat. This summer, these rare finds will enjoy their first public display, at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Martin David Pasternak, Shira Lifshitz and Dr. Nathan Ben-Ari, Excavation Directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, ?This is the first time such a workshop has been discovered in southern Israel. Although evidence of the Canaanite blade industry has been discovered in the country?s center and north, there are almost no known workshops for their systematic production. The discovery of a sophisticated workshop indicates a society with a complex social and economic structure already at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. This is an important find in that it deepens the understanding of both the beginnings of urbanization and of professional specialization in the Land of Israel ? phenomena that led to the establishment of large settlements and that catalyzed the creation of new social structures.? According to Israel Antiquities Authority prehistorians Dr. Jacob Vardi and Dudu Biton, ?An advanced industry was revealed at the site, requiring an extremely high level of expertise. Only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades. This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization.?
The researchers say that the ancient tools aligned with the material culture of Canaan during Abraham’s era. During this time, it was the Middle Bronze Age (roughly 2100-1900 BC), when the biblical patriarch Abraham is said to have lived and migrated to Canaan. The researchers said: ‘This archaeological site we excavated was used as an active settlement continuously for hundreds of years – from the Chalcolithic period through to the Early Bronze Age. The excavation shows that the settlement covered a much larger area than previous estimates – over half a kilometer – and it includes hundreds of underground pits, some lined with mud bricks. These pits served a variety of purposes: storage, dwellings, production crafts and cultic/social rituals’ (Picture: Israel Antiquities Authority)



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