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Tel Ashdod
Archaeological Excavations

The Dead Sea Scrolls North Tel Ashdod excavation – summary of two
Collectors seaso
Events Institution: IAA
Press Office Excavators:
Elena Kogan Zahavi
Archive Perchia Nahshoni
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Plan
management of Elena Kogan Zahavi (first season) and Elena Kogan Zahavi
and Perchia Nahshoni (second season), found evidence of Assyrian presence
in Tel Ashdod. The site is located some 200 m north of Tel Ashdod and its
area is about 10 dunams.

Historical background
Following the expansion of Assyrian Empire to our
region (734 – 627 BC) Philistia in general and Ashdod
in particular became a target for Assyrian armies for its
economic status as a coastal city with a nearby port Area C
(Ashdod Yam) and strategic location on the sea route to Egypt.
From the Bible and written Assyrian source we know about two uprisings in
Ashdod against the Assyrian occupation that happened in the period of
Assyrian king Sargon II (722 – 705 BC). Following the uprisings Ashdod was
conquered and made Assyrian vassal city-state headed by an Assyrian
governor.
Where was the governor's residence?
Excavations carried out by professor Moshe Dotan found evidence of
destruction of Ashdod by the Assyrians, but no trace of their construction.
Excavation description
Four excavation areas (A,B,C,D) exposed a large
structure which we relate to a palace from the Assyrian
period.

Layer 5: Exposed remains of a structure built in typical stone basin

Assyrian style. The building stands on a podium made of square sun dried
bricks. The walls are made of square bricks and are some 3 m thick. Some kiln
fired bricks were found in the ruins.
In area C we exposed remains of podium and wall that enclosed the palace
from the west (fig. 2). The remains were in bad condition due to peneplain. A
test section west of the wall showed a moat that was dug out for defense in
this direction.

East to the wall and north-west to the structure we found the most surprising
discovery of this excavation – three basins in two partly exposed rooms.

The floor and walls of the eastern room was plastered and on west side we
found a plastered niche with terracotta basin.
The western room revealed two more basins on plastered floor. One of the
basins was made of terracotta . The second basine was made of stone and
plastered inside. There were signs of ruination in the rooms end the basins
were moved from their original places. It is possible that the rooms were
bathrooms and the basins were used as bathtubs although similar basins were
used in Assyria as coffins for burial.

In area A south of area C we exposed a large yard (in north area), possibly
square in shape (30 m from north to south) which was built on manmade
landfill. West of the yard we found parts of two elongated rooms positioned in
east-west direction. South of the yard there were more halls or rooms built on
a podium.

In area B north of area A we exposed the wide brick

wall positioned east-west built on a podium. On north
this wall approached by other walls from the north
which enclosed elongated rooms. The rooms evidently
were used for storage at the basement level of the
palace. The rooms were made of mud walls 1.2 m thick Area A
built on a podium. Walls of 4 rooms could be noticed of which one was
completely excavated and found devastated by fire.

The small finds included various ceramics among them some utensils typical
to Assyrian palaces, terracotta figurine and terracotta mould of figurine and
metal utensils.
Layer 4: This layer relates to the period of activity and
building following destruction of the palace In areas C
and D . We discovered remains of buildings and walls
based on foundations made of stones and dirt floors. The
walls were preserved only to the plinth level. The
finding included numerous ceramics on the floors dated Area B
to 8 th– 7 th century.
 Layer 3: A finding from the Persian period dated the remains on this level.
Preservation was very poor due to construction in the Hellenistic period.
In area B the Persian findings were discovered only in the rubbish pits. In the
area C we found part of a stone wall foundation directed from east to west and
a hole which was apparently used for archives. In the hole we found ceramics
fragments of ritual pedestal with integrated male and female images and two
imported lekythoi.

Layer 2: This layer was dated to the Hellenistic period. It included fragmented
remains of buildings, which did not enable us to understand the whole
complex.
In the area B we found remains of walls in two stages directed from east to west. In both
stages we exposed floors approaching each wall. Ceramics and coins found on the floors
were dated to the Hellenistic period. We also found a rubbish pit from the same period.
In the
area C
we found
a wall
section
directed The president of Israel Mr. Katsav with the archeologist E.Kogan Zahavi
from east to west (wall 101 on the left). Approached by a floor and water ditch
built east of the wall. The water ditch was not connected to the wall. The find
included numerous ceramics.
In the area A, south of the site we found five kilns that were excavated in the
previous seasons (two of the kilns were excavated by Daniel Varga of IAA,
southern district).

Layer 1: This layer relates to a vaulted grave in southern side of Area A (fig 2). The grave
was cast as one concrete block into a large pre-made hole and only its face was exposed
above the ground. The grave comprised of one central vaulted room and six burial niches
on two of its sides. The grave was not excavated due to objections from the Ministry of
Religious Affairs. A similar grave that was excavated in Ashkelon was dated to 200 -300
AD. The grave construction ruined a brick wall of an Assyrian building. Two ark graves
made of stone and covered with stone plates were found east of the vaulted grave. The
graves were not excavated.

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