The remains of what are believed to be the second oldest fortifications in the Palestine area, dating back 3,000 years B. C. E., have been discovered at Tel Gat, southwest of Ashkelou, the Israel Antiquities Department reported today. The oldest fortifications discovered here are the remains of ancient Jerichu.
The fortification walls at Tel Gat, site of the Biblical city of Gat, were 16 feet thick, S. Yeivin, director of the Antiquities Department said. The excavations were conducted by the department in cooperation with the Middle East Art History Department of Rome’s Oriental Institute.
He said that many vessels found in the Tel Gat diggings indicated close associations with pre-dynastic Egyptian culture. In higher layers, representing a later period, many small sculptures and ornaments, including some gold earrings, were found.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
