Excavations in area N1e began in 2021, 2023 being its third excavation season.
We inspected the massive tower from the Middle Bronze Age that is located in the northeast corner of the site and in the area, above a large water reservoir that has collapsed over the years, and with an excellent view of and control over the roads that pass under the site already in 2016.
In 2023 we finished uncovering and cleaning the tower from all its sides. Now the task of summarizing its different stages and its connection to the fortification system that was established at the site in the Middle Bronze Age I and continued to develop in the Middle Bronze Age II begins.
Area N1e’s tower and the other towers found on the Tel became part of the surface and landscape of Azekah even in its later periods. It is possible that from the point of view of the residents of the place, the towers were the face of the natural mound, on which they lived and continued to build their houses.
But the biggest surprise the area concealed was revealed to us in the 2022 excavation season – and we continued to try and understand it in the 2023 season as well: to the west of the tower, an industrial area of unclear purpose was discovered, and in it, another curious find was unearthed: a large and very rare lump of a metallic substance called antimony.
As far as we know, this is the only piece of antimony that was ever found in archaeological excavations in the Eastern Mediterranean, and so its finding is the beginning of a journey: of a new area of study. Our student Ronen Rumelt will write his thesis on this subject and begin to develop it, so stay tuned !
Do you want to know more about the antimony mystery? Check out the post we wrote about it: Area N1e’s Antimony Mystery !
The Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition 