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Yavneh-Yam 1992-1999 |
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Stratum X (Iron Age II, 10th-8th century BCE) Remains of this period were retrieved in Area A and C (Fig. 4). In Area C, a segment of a massive wall, ca. 2 m thick has been uncovered. Judging from the pottery, it probably represented the fortification wall of the settlement from the 10th/9th to the 8th/7th century BCE. Stratum IX (Iron Age III, second half of the 7th century BCE) Remains of a monumental structure were retrieved in Area A (Fig. 4). The walls of it were built with marginally dressed ashlars, arranged in the “headers-and-stretchers” technique, whose upper layers were probably of sundried mud bricks, as evident from the rich brick debris covering the area, recalling the technique of many Iron Age structures throughout Israel; a channel crosses both walls and floor (Fig. 5). So far it cannot be attributed to any defined building type, yet an official building having the control over the harbor area should not be excluded. Its pottery assemblage contains both local and imported East Greek pottery typical of the 8th and mainly late 7th centuries BCE material (Fig. 6), yet it lacks East Greek pottery decorated with goats (“wild goat style”), unlike Mazad Hashavyahu, which is only ca. 1.5 kms far from Yavneh-Yam. Among the finds are also scarabs and Judean stone weights, one with the Hebrew inscription pym (which is part of one sheqel) (Fig. 7). Based on these finds and parallels from contemporary sites, it seems that the end of Yavneh-Yam Stratum IX may be similarly set at 604 BCE (Babylonian military activities also destroying Ashkelon), without excluding, however, an earlier date such as that of Psammetich’s campaign in the twenties of the 7th century BCE or Pharaoh Necho’s military activities in the year 609 BCE. Stratum VIII (Babylonian period, first half of the 6th century BCE) Remains of this stratum have been retrieved only in the western part of Area A. Stratum VII (Persian period, 6th – 4th centuries BCE) Remains from this period were retrieved both in Area A and B; that from Area A (Fig. 8) was built over the leveled mud brick debris of Stratum IX. It consisted of two walls creating an elongated courtyard with some smaller walls attached to the latter. Both here and in the southwestern corner of Area B (see Fig. 21: Plan of Area B), the walls are built according to the Phoenician building technique of combining ashlar piers of the local kurkar with fieldstone fills; the Yavneh-Yam find so far represents the southernmost point along the Phoenician-Palestinian coast (Fig. 9). The finds include a large inventory of both local and imported pottery. The local ware consisted of the well-known repertoire of Persian period Palestine. Imported pottery consists of amphorae and mainly black and red-figure pottery of 5th- and 4th-centuries-BCE Attic style (Fig. 10). In addition, some terracotta figurines of Greek-Persian style and Milesian and Phoenician coins of the 4th century BCE can be mentioned, such as one from Sidon in Lebanon (Fig. 11Aa-b). Attic pottery in the Persian period Yavneh-Yam seems to reflect intensive commercial ties with the Greek world, without excluding a presence of Greek factors at the site. Stratum VI (Hellenistic period, 3rd –1st centuries BCE) After it had assimilated the interaction of Oriental and Greek culture, Yavneh-Yam became together with other maritime sites the bulwark of Hellenistic rule in the country. This period is marked at Yavneh-Yam by a fragmentary Greek inscription (Fig. 12) representing the correspondence between the Seleucid king King Antiochus (V) Eupator and the citizen of Yavneh-Yam, with the mention of the exact date: the month Loos of year 149 of the Seleucid calendar (June-July 163 BCE). It reads:
These letters should be seen against the background of the struggle between Greeks and Jews since it seems that both Yavneh-Yam’s Graecized population was frightened by the Maccabean impetus as well as the Seleucid king. Yavneh-Yam had a good reason to do so, as can easily be substantiated with the passage from II Maccabees 12: 9, 39-46 about the fire set by Judas Maccabaeus on the ships in the harbor of Yavneh-Yam (the opening passage of this essay). Even if disputable, this event reflects a certain atmosphere occurring during this time. Remains from the Hellenistic period were retrieved in Yavneh-Yam mainly in Area A, consisting of a reuse of previous walls and building material which was now partly covered with painted plaster, sometimes even modeled for specific architectural decoration such as the fragment of a triglyph. A violent destruction put an end to this stratum. The pottery includes imported fine/table ware, amphorae, and local, semi-fine and everyday ware. The fine ware contains the main types of the Hellenistic repertoire such as moldmade bowls, red-glossed dishes, thin-walled drinking cups, etc. (Fig. 13). Hellenistic imported amphorae, which can be recognized by a great variety of stamped handles (Fig. 14), and coins of the Seleucid ruler Antiochus VII Sidetes (Fig. 15) imply the economic organization of the Hellenized cities. A large number of muricid shells (Fig. 16) have been found in this stratum, reflecting one of the main sources of income for which the Phoenicians became so famous, namely the production of purple. A terracotta statuette of a harp-playing girl (Fig. 17) and a glass pendant of Harpokrates (Fig. 18) also point to the Graecized character of the population of the site. Judging from the finds corroborated with historical sources, it seems likely that Hellenistic Yavneh-Yam was destroyed by the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus towards the end of the 2nd century BCE, as were other Palestinian Grecized towns such as Marisa, Samaria, and Scythopolis. Stratum V (Early Roman period, 1st century BCE – 2nd century CE) Only some finds can be sofar attributed to this period: “Herodian” bow-shaped nozzle lamps and Roman “discus” lamps, stone measuring vessels, and four ossuaries (Fig. 19) from the Kaplan excavations, all of which point to the Jewish presence at the site. Stratum IV (Late Roman period, 3rd – 4th centuries CE) Remains of this stratum have been notified only in Area B. They include a larger building and water and sewage channels. Remains of horrea (storehouses) with mosaic pavements yielded some lamps of the Beit Nattif type and quite a large number of coins from the 4th and 5th centuries CE. Stratum III (Byzantine period, 5th-7th centuries CE) A real revival of the site can be dated to the Byzantine period, mainly the 5th and 6th centuries CE, reflecting the peak of development of the Land of Israel since The Holy Land now enjoyed the economic advantages of pilgrimage. In Area A, segments of an elaborated mosaic pavement are noteworthy (Fig. 20) and can be dated to the 6th century CE; they could have been part of a church. Monumental marble bases and columns and a marble bowl reused in Early Islamic structures could also have belonged to the latter. This mosaic pavement was partly unearthed in 1995 and then covered by sand in order to preserve it. It waits for a systematic uncovering for which financial means and volunteers are needed. View Yavneh Yam maps and sketchesView Yavneh Yam Photo Gallery
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