At least four Early Bronze Age phases existed at Tel Azekah through the third millennium BCE, starting with the earliest and almost unknown phase of the Early Bronze Age I and continuing into Early Bronze II–III, from which we have more information.
The “window” that we opened in Area S1 allows for a better and clearer understanding of the chronology of these phases. They have been studied at Tel Azekah for many years, and our knowledge about them has been collected little by little.
Among other things, in the 2016 season, we found in this area a thick floor under which two young donkeys were buried. Before their burial, they were slaughtered, and their heads were placed on their bodies upside down by 180 degrees. you can read more about them in the following published article: Sapir-Hen, L., Gadot, Y., and Lipschits, O. 2017. Ceremonial Donkey Burial, Social Status and Settlement Hierarchy in the Early Bronze III: The Case of Azekah. in: Lev-Tov, J., Hesse, P., and Gilbert, A., eds. The Wide Lens in Archaeology. Honouring Brian Hesse’s Contributions to Anthropological Archaeology. Atlanta: 259-270.
Currently, we are working on the analysis of the last 2023 season’s finds from the area, and are trying to better understand these ancient periods in the history and archaeology of Tel Azekah. We will certainly return to excavate here in the coming seasons.
For now, we know a little more about two significant discoveries found in this area: the Middle Bronze Age destruction at Tel Azeka, and a Middle Bronze Age fortification Tower.
The Middle Bronze Age destruction at Tel Azkah in area S1 was further studied in the last 2023 season, as one of the season’s general goals, and for area S1 in particular, was to locate the transition phase from the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age. The destruction layer from the end of the Middle Bronze Age was discovered already in the 2022 season, and the 2023 season we finished uncovering it and collecting all the information it contains. Many jars full of charred seeds were found, and along with many other finds they will help us analyse, study and understand this fascinating period.
The tower excavated in area S1 is part of the Middle Bronze Age fortifications at Tel Azeka, which are a central issue in the investigation of the site in almost all the excavation areas. After many seasons of research and excavation, we are beginning to understand and publish our conclusions on the subject, and in the last 2023 season, we continued with the exposure of one of the towers built in the Middle Bronze Age II around the southwest corner of the site, apparently outside the wide wall that surrounded the top of the mound in the Middle Bronze Age I. This tower joins another tower that was excavated nearby in previous seasons, and is part of a collection of towers that existed around the Tel.
The Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition 