Excavating Ashdod-Yam: Current Aims

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The Ashdod-Yam archaeological project intends to study the archaeology and history of this site in the years to come. For a preliminary report (PDF file), click here!

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• At the beginning of the project, which has been initiated in 2013, we intend to concentrate our main excavation efforts in the area inside the enclosure. At the southern part of the enclosure, there is a relatively small but high mound of earth (some 120 X 80 m – mentioned as citadel on Kaplan's maps), adjoining the inside of the southern fortifications. Kaplan has reasonably suggested that this mass of earth probably conceals the remains of the 'citadel' of Ashdod-Yam. If so, this artificial mound may supply us with stratigraphically positioned remains for both the late 7th century BCE and the late 8th – early 7th centuries BCE settlements. In addition to excavating of the city's acropolis and based on the results of geophysical survey, the initial excavations will also try to detect the Iron Age gate and a number of residential quarters.

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In the initial stage, the project is designed for 5 excavation seasons with the following intentions:

• To excavate the Iron Age compound of Ashdod-Yam, in order to arrive at a better understanding of socio-political processes that took place along the southern coast of Israel during the period of Assyrian domination and shortly thereafter. To this end, we hope to discover an Assyrian emporion at Ashdod-Yam. Such a discovery will shed more light on modes of imperial control of subjected areas (needless to say, we are anticipating the discovery of a number of Assyrian tablets!).

• To see what kind of maritime trading activities took place at this site, which served as a place of interaction between different peoples (Philistines, Phoenicians, Judeans, Cypriots, Assyrians, Egyptians, Iranian deportees, and possibly Greeks).

• Given the surviving historical sources, it is probable that we will be able to track and distinguish the so-called 'intermediate' pottery assemblages from the first half of the 7th century BCE (still poorly understood).

• Given the location of the site, approximately equidistant between Ashkelon and Mezad Hashavyahu, we have good reasons to anticipate the discovery of an additional stronghold along the sea-coast, manned by Greek mercenaries, who might have been stationed there on behalf of Egyptian rule during the last third of the 7th century BCE.

• Given the mentioning of Ashdod in the Istanbul prism of Nebuchadnezzar II (598 BCE), it is possible that we will be able to shed more light on the material culture of Philistia during the 6th century BCE (that is to say during the period of Neo-Babylonian domination).
At the end of the initial stage and based on the results, it is rather plausible that the excavations will be extended to the lower city, with the aim of exposing remains from the later periods as well.