| Popis: |
From the second millennium BCE onwards, Aphek-Antipatris is mentioned in ancient written sources. Situated at the headwaters of the Yarkon River, its strategic position at the bottle-neck, through which passed all routes linking the major powers of the ancient Near East, led to the growth of flourishing cities at Tel Aphek (formerly known as Ras el'Ain). Almost continuous habitation from the Chalcolithic to Ottoman periods produced a 12 hectare mound standing 15 m above its surroundings. This volume presents the historical background and describes the results of the first five seasons of excavation at this site. Sparse remains of the first fortified city dated to the EB I were found, but more extensive areas of the Middle Bronze Age layers were exposed. Analysis of the stratigraphy together with the ceramic typology clarified the phasing of the MB IIA in the Levant. The results of this in-depth research provide significant reference material for scholars dealing with this period. |
