In order to reveal more of the western wall of the citadel on Azekah’s acropolis, to find where exactly and what parts of it Bliss and Macalister have excavated, and most importantly – to reveal the ancient acropolis surrounding the citadel to the west, we decided to open in the 2023 excavation season two new excavation areas expanding the 2022 season area A1: A1s to its south, and A1n to its north.
During the excavations, we learned where Bliss and Macalister have excavated, and where it is worthwhile and necessary to dig further now and in the future within the areas they did not reach.
In the places we excavated outside the citadel, west of its western wall, our expectations were surpassed: A long alley was found along the citadel’s wall, used in the Iron Age II and probably also in the Persian period.
To the west of the alley, many buildings and findings were discovered, including finds that we expected and hoped for in an Acropolis, like weights and many stamp impressions (especially exciting were the rosette stamp impressions from the Iron IIC).
We now understand that there were at least four layers of settlement one above the other in the acropolis, from the Iron Age IIB, IIC, the Persian period and the Hellenistic period (and it seems perhaps there was more than one Hellenistic phase).
There were many pottery sherds from the Early Bronze Age, the Middle Bronze Age, and the Late Bronze Age found during the excavations, and we look forward to continuing and deepening them to see what was there during these periods.
We are excited to announce that in the upcoming 2025 season, excavations of the Acropolis will resume after a one-year gap! This season’s goal is to further investigate the citadel to the south and north, gaining a deeper understanding of its phases and exposing its monumental architecture for future preservation.
The Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition 