A burial cave from the time of the pharaoh was unexpectedly discovered in the Palmachim National Park

The cave was accidentally discovered by a tractor that hit a rock during development work.

It was breached for the first time since it was closed by people about 3,300 years ago - during the reign of King Ramses II.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery"

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09/18/2022

Sunday, September 18, 2022, 08:36 Updated: 08:52

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A cave from the time of Pharaoh II was discovered in the Palmachim National Park (Uzi Rothstein, Israel Antiquities Authority)

A burial cave from the time of Pharaoh Ramses II, containing dozens of intact objects, was unexpectedly discovered last week in the Palmachim National Park.

During work by the Nature and Parks Authority to develop the garden last Wednesday, a tractor hit a rock, unexpectedly revealing the ceiling of an ancient burial cave.

Dror Citron, inspector of the Antiquities Authority, was the first to recognize the space.

Archaeologists from the Antiquities Authority were called to the place, who descended a ladder into an incredible space that seemed frozen in time.

In the cave were placed many dozens of innocent (whole) pottery and bronze vessels;

Just as they were placed in their place during the burial ceremony, about 3,300 years ago.

These vessels were burial offerings - they were buried with the dead in the belief that they would be used by them in the next world.

The cave was carved in the shape of a square, and in the center of its ceiling was a pillar.

An accidental and amazing discovery.

Palmachim National Park (Photo: Shlomi Eran, Nature and Parks Authority)

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime find! It's not every day you see an Indiana Jones set - a cave with tools on the floor that haven't been touched in 3,300 years," said Dr. Eli Yanai, an expert on the Bronze Age at the Antiquities Authority, "We're talking about a period The late bronze.

These are precisely the days of the famous king, Ramses II.

The fact that the cave was sealed, and was not looted in later periods, allows us, with the scientific means available today, to extract a great deal of information from the objects and materials that survived on them, and which are not visible to the eye, including organic materials.

The cave can provide us with a complete picture of burial customs in the Late Bronze Age.

In the cave, mainly dozens of pottery vessels of different sizes and shapes were left.

Among them, there are deep and shallow bowls, some of which are painted red, set (bowls with a high leg) cooking pots, jugs and clay candles that contained oil for light."

According to Dr. Yanai, some of the jugs were produced on the coasts of Lebanon and Syria. Next to the jugs, small storage vessels were found - mainly pitchers and pitchers, which were intended to store and trade precious materials in small quantities. These vessels were imported from the area of ​​Tyre, Sidon and other port cities on the coast of Lebanon. Also, Many pottery vessels were found that were imported from Cyprus. According to Dr. Yanai, vessels of this type were imported to Israel in large quantities, and were common by-products for burial.

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Like entering the set of Indiana Jones.

The tools discovered in the cave (Photo: Emil Elgam, Antiquities Authority)

Next to the pottery, bronze arrowheads or spearheads were found in the cave.

According to their position, they were found in garbage from organic material that did not survive.

"The finds in the cave date back to the 13th century BCE," said Dr. Yanai.

During this period - in the days of the 19th Egyptian dynasty, the days of Ramses II, there was an Egyptian administration in the land, which allowed safe conditions for large-scale trade.

These economic and social processes are well reflected in the finds of the cave: the pottery brought from Ugarit in the north, from Cyprus and the nearby coastal cities - mainly Jaffa, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza and Tel Ajul, testify that the residents of Yavne-Yam (Palmahim coast) were integrated into the lively trade that was conducted throughout In

the

short period of time before the opening was sealed, and despite security measures, one or more people entered the cave and rummaged in several places. The absolute majority of the tools remained in place, but it appears that several items were stolen. The circumstances of the case are being investigated.

According to Eli Escozido, director of the Antiquities Authority, and Raya Shurki, director of the Nature and Parks Authority, "The discovery in the Palmachim National Park is unique and particularly exciting. Rumors about the discovery of the cave spread through the scientific world like wildfire, and we receive many requests from researchers to join the expected archaeological dig. Unfortunately, during the time period "Shortly before the cave was sealed, and despite guarding it, a number of archaeological items were stolen from the cave, and the issue is under investigation. In the coming days, we will formulate together the method of carrying out the required research and conservation at the unique site, which is a celebration of the archaeological world and the ancient history of the Land of Israel."

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