Archaeologists in Gaza unearth large cemetery containing rare lead sarcophagi


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Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip have found dozens of ancient graves, including two sarcophagi made of lead, in a cemetery dating back about 2,000 years to the Roman Empire.

Archaeologists described the site as the largest cemetery discovered in Gaza.

Workers found the site in 2022 during the construction of an Egyptian-funded housing project near Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Since then, crews have worked to excavate the 2,700-square-metre site with the support of French experts.

Now, what was once an inconspicuous construction lot – surrounded by a grove of nondescript blocks of flats – has become a gold mine for archaeologists looking to understand more about the Gaza Strip.

Gaza, a coastal enclave home to about 2.3 million people, has a rich history stemming from its location on ancient trade routes between Egypt and the Levant. But a number of factors – Israeli occupation, Hamas’ 16-year control of the territory and rapid urban growth – endanger many of the besieged strip’s archaeological treasures.

The discovery of 60 graves at the site in January marked a major finding, archaeologists said. That number has swelled to 135.

The ancient cemetery was uncovered in 2022 during construction of a housing project. AP
The ancient cemetery was uncovered in 2022 during construction of a housing project. AP

Rene Elter, a French archaeologist leading the dig, said researchers have studied more than 100 of the graves.

“All of these tombs have almost already been excavated and have revealed a huge amount of information about the cultural material and also about the state of health of the population and the pathologies from which this population may have suffered,” said Mr Elter, the head of archaeology for Intiqal, a programme managed by the French non-profit Premiere Urgence Internationale.

He pointed to the sarcophagi made of lead – one featuring ornate grape leaves, the other with images of dolphins – as exceptional finds.

“The discovery of lead sarcophagi here is a first for Gaza,” he said.

'Gazans deserve to tell their stories'

Given the rarity of the lead tombs, Palestinian archaeologists, including Fadel Al Otul, suspect that social elites are buried there.

Mr Al Otul said the cemetery probably used to be in a city, as Romans used to place cemeteries near urban centres.

Alongside the sarcophagi, Mr Elter’s team is restoring unearthed skeletons and piecing together shards of clay jars.

The skeletons discovered at the site will be sent out of Gaza for additional analysis, Mr Al Otul said. The remains are set to return to the Hamas-led Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism.

Mr Elter said the territory needs a dedicated team to oversee archaeological activity in Gaza.

“The Gazans deserve to tell their stories,” he said. “Gaza boasts a plethora of potential archaeological sites, but monitoring each one, given the rapid pace of development, is no small feat.”

The biog

Name: Abeer Al Bah

Born: 1972

Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992

Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old

Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school

 

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Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

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Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
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Sector: FinTech
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Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

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Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

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Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

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Updated: September 25, 2023, 3:36 AM`