Discovery of First Cemetery of Ancient Inhabitants of Palestine
Researchers in Israel say they have discovered the first cemetery of ancient inhabitants of the southern Canaanite region, also known as Palestine.
This discovery, which was made in 2013 and whose results were announced on Sunday, may help clarify the question of who were the people that lived in this land approximately three thousand years ago.
A excavation team has been working in this area for thirty years.
The managers of this team say that they have found the remains of 145 bodies in various graves. Some of them had food, perfume, jewelry, and even weapons placed beside them.
It is believed that the bodies belong to the eleventh to eighth centuries before Christ.
Daniel Master, one of the managers of this team, says: “After decades of effort to know what the ancient Palestinians left behind, we finally came face to face with them.”
He added that with this discovery “we are getting closer to decoding their authenticity.”
Researchers kept this discovery secret for three years and until the end of the excavation period to avoid attracting the attention of ultra-Orthodox Jews to the excavation. They, who have previously protested at archaeological sites, are concerned about the destruction of people’s graves.
Mr. Master says: “We had to keep our tongues in check for a long time.”
Researchers differ on the geographical origin of the people known as “ancient Palestinians.” The lands that are currently being debated over are these: Greece, the islands of Crete or present-day Cyprus, and Anatolia.
Researchers are now testing the DNA of the remains obtained from underground to find the origin of the remains and trying to estimate their age through radiocarbon dating.
According to these researchers, next to most of the bodies there was not much, but next to some, there were perfume bottles and earthen bowls and pitchers.
Some were buried with bracelets and earrings, and some even with their weapons.
Adam Aja, an archaeologist who collaborated on this project, says this was the method of ancient Palestinians for burying their dead, and this same burial custom is a code that can reveal their secrets.
In the Christian Bible, it is written that ancient Palestinians were great enemies of ancient Israelites. It is believed that they migrated from western lands to the lands of ancient Israel twelve centuries before Christ.
The most famous ancient Palestinian is named Goliath or Jalut (a giant warrior) who, according to the Bible, was defeated by David; before David came to kingship.
Source: BBC
