User:Archaeobuf/sandbox/Ajjul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tell el-ʿAjjul, Tall al-ʿAjjul, or Tell el-ʿUjul (تل العجول) is an important Bronze Age archaeological site in the Gaza Strip. It is located on the northern bank of the Wadi Ghazzah at 31.46775˙N, 34.404297˙E (OIG 09325 09756), approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of the town of Gaza and 1.8 km (1.1 mi) from the Mediterranean coast.[1]. The site includes a large occupation mound or tell surrounded by ancient cemeteries to the north, west, and east of the tell. The importance of the site lies in its size, the extensive nature of the excavations, and the exceptional wealth and richness of the finds. These include large quantities of gold and silver jewelry, decorated and imported pottery, and scarab-shaped stamp seals and amulettes. It is conjectured[2] that Tell el-ʿAjjul may have been the site of Sharuhen, the last refugee of the "Hyksos" 15th dynasty of Egypt.
This is a user sandbox of Archaeobuf. A user sandbox is a subpage of the user's user page. It serves as a testing spot and page development space for the user and is not an encyclopedia article. Create or edit your own sandbox here. This user's sandboxes: User:Archaeobuf/sandbox/Ajjul User:Archaeobuf/sandbox/hyksos Other sandboxes: Main sandbox | Template sandbox Finished writing a draft article? Are you ready to request review of it by an experienced editor for possible inclusion in Wikipedia? Submit your draft for review! |
It has been suggested that this page be merged into Tell el-Ajjul. (Discuss) Proposed since September 2020. |
تل العجول | |
Alternative name | Tall al-ʿAjjul Tell el-ʿUjul |
---|---|
Location | Gaza Strip |
Region | Southern Levant (Middle East) |
Coordinates | 31.467665°N 34.404297°E / 31.467665; 34.404297 |
Type | Tell and Cemeteries |
Area | 12 ha (30 acres) |
History | |
Founded | Middle Bronze Age IIB |
Abandoned | Iron Age |
Periods | Bronze Age |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1931-1934,1938,1998-2000 |
Archaeologists | William Flinders Petrie, Ernest H. MacKay, Margaret A. Murray, Peter M. Fischer, Moain Sadeq |
Tell el-ʿAjjul was excavated by the British School of Archaeology in Egypt under the directorship of Sir William Flinders Petrie from 1930-1935. The excavation results were promptly published by the British School in a set of four volumes under the name "Ancient Gaza"[3]. A fifth season of excavation, directed by Ernest H. MacKay and Margaret A. Murray, took place in 1938, but the results were not published until 1953[4]. In 1998, a new Swedish/Palestinian expedition began working at the site under the leadership of Peter M. Fischer and M. Sadeq. Only two seasons of excavation were completed. So far, only preliminary reports have appeared [5].
Petrie's excavations at Tell el-ʿAjjul took place almost a century ago, when Syro-Palestinian Archaeology was still in its infancy. Appropriate archaeological techniques were still under development, and the archaeological chronology of what is now Israel and Palestine was just then being worked out. Consequently, Petrie's original chronology has had to be revised several times [6], and there is still much uncertainty as to the stratigraphy and history of the site. Nevertheless, the many and varied finds from his excavations are still central to studies of Middle and Late Bronze burial practices [7], trade relations with Cyprus[8] , decorated pottery [9], scarab seals and amulettes [10], jewellery [11], figurines, and other subjects.
The Swedish/Palestinian expedition excavated only a very small area, but its results provide a much more secure, finer-grained stratigraphic framework. Architectural remains span the interval from the Middle Bronze II C period (beginning c. 1600 BCE) in Horizon H8 through the Late Bronze II A period (ending c. 1300 BCE) in Horizon H2, with some later finds in Horizon H1[12]. Substantial quantities of imported Cypriot, Egyptian, and Jordan Valley pottery were discovered[13] along with pumice from the volcanic eruption of Thera, in the Aegean sea[14]. These discoveries are particularly helpful for cross-correlating the archaeological chronologies of Southwestern Palestine, the Jordan Valley, Cyprus, Egypt, and the Aegean[15]
During the Medieval Islamic period, Tell el-ʿAjjul was re-occupied and served as a station on the pigeon post between Baghdad and Cairo[16]. Al-Kamil established a camp on the site during the Sixth Crusade, which came to an end with the Treaties of Jaffa and Tell Ajul in 1229.