Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis

Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis
Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis
Shown within State of Palestine
LocationJabaliya, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Coordinates31°32′55″N 34°27′59″E / 31.54872°N 34.46628°E / 31.54872; 34.46628
TypeInhumation cemetery
Area4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) (estimated)[1]
History
PeriodsRoman
Site notes
Discovered2022
Excavation dates2023
ArchaeologistsRené Elter[2]

The Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis was a Roman cemetery in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The known extent covers an estimated 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) and is the largest cemetery to have been discovered in Gaza. It is thought to have been in use from the 1st century AD to the 3rd century AD and was close to the Roman town of Anthedon.

The necropolis was discovered in 2022 during building works in Jabaliya. Archaeologist began excavating the following year and had discovered 135 graves by the time investigations were cut short by the outbreak of the Gaza war. The cemetery was one of hundreds of cultural heritage site damaged during the war.

Background

The Ard al-Moharbeen necropolis is close to the location of Anthedon (also known as Blakhiya) and was likely used as its cemetery.[3] Anthedon was a coastal town and port inhabited from about 800 BC to 1100 AD, spanning the Iron Age to the early Muslim period.[4]

Preliminary works for construction projects in the Gaza Strip have often encountered archaeological remains, and much of the archaeology in the region has related to salvage excavations such as the works at Tell es-Sakan and Anthedon.[5] The blockade of the Gaza Strip has hampered archaeological work by restricting access to necessary tools; from 2017 Première Urgence Internationale began training students in Gaza and providing fieldwork opportunities.[6]

Discovery and investigation

The cemetery was discovered in early 2022 during construction work for a housing project in Jabaliya.[note 1] A team of archaeologists led by René Elter and Première Urgence Internationale and with funding from the École Biblique began excavations in July 2023.[2][8] By the time the discovery was announced later in 2023, the archaeologists had found 125 tombs in an area of 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft).[7][9] 30 graduates from the University of Palestine and the Islamic University of Gaza were involved in the excavation.[10] The team had been training to investigate the Saint Hilarion Monastery as part of a long-term archaeological project.[11]

The Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip beginning in October 2023 led to hundreds of heritage sites being damaged.[12] Using satellite imagery dated to 8 October research group Forensic Architecture identified craters at the archaeological site left by exploded rockets.[13] In November 2023, Jehad Yasin of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reported that the cemetery was "almost completely destroyed".[14] The Israeli military told the BBC that it had targeted "a Hamas military compound used for operational purposes".[15]

UNESCO conducted remote monitoring of cultural heritage sites in the Gaza Strip and confirmed damage to the cemetery in its January 2024 assessment.[16][note 2] A 2025 report by the Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation judged the site to be severely damaged, with a combination of bomb and bulldozer damage, while the demolition of nearby structures is expected to have left additional debris at the cemetery.[18]

Cemetery features

The Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis is the largest cemetery discovered in Gaza and 135 graves have been identified.[2] The tombs themselves were typically made from stone or mud-brick, and one contained painted plaster. Others were built with a pitched roof creating a gable effect.[3] Most of the graves still contained human remains. Some of the graves contained objects buried with the dead (grave goods); the objects include clay pots,[7] perfume bottles,[19] and some skeletons were found with coins in their mouths. The latter was a Greco-Roman practice and was intended to secure the deceased's entry to the underworld.[10][20] The grave goods provided evidence of Gaza's trade connections as they were produced in the Mediterranean and Nabataea.[3]

Amongst the burials were two lead sarcophagi, the first to be discovered in Gaza.[7][2] They date to the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD,[6] and likely belonged to wealthier people than others buried in the necropolis.[3] One of the sarcophagi was taken to Qasr al-Basha, a museum in Gaza, for display to the public.[21] It is thought that some of the burials are of high-status Roman officials.[9] According to Elter, the burials are thought to date from the 1st century AD to the 3rd century AD.[3][note 3] Several burials were looted during the 8th and 9th centuries.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ There are conflicting reports of the discovery date: January 2022 according to The Art Newspaper;[6] late January according to the archaeologist who led the excavations, René Elter;[3] and February 2022 according to Reuters.[7]
  2. ^ Qasr al-Basha was also damaged by Israeli bombardment.[17]
  3. ^ Preliminary interpretations in 2023 suggested a range of 1st century BC to 2nd century AD.[22]

References

  1. ^ Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation (January 2025). Damage and Risk Assessment of Cultural Heritage Under Attack in the Gaza Strip (PDF) (Report). State of Palestine Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. p. 452. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-07-29. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  2. ^ a b c d Adwan, Issam (23 September 2023). "Archaeologists unearth the largest cemetery ever discovered in Gaza and find rare lead sarcophogi". AP News. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Elter, René (18 May 2025). "n° 037 – Nécropole romaine d'Ard-al-Moharbeen" [n° 037 – Roman necropolis of Ard-al-Moharbeen]. Gaza Histoire, inventaire d'un patrimoine bombardé (in French). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  4. ^ "Anthedon Harbour". UNESCO. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  5. ^ Armaly, Fareed (2008). "Crossroads and contexts: interviews on archaeology in Gaza". Journal of Palestine Studies. 37 (2): 52–54, 72. doi:10.1525/jps.2008.37.2.43.
  6. ^ a b c Ditmars, Hadani (26 July 2023). "'Rare intact Roman burial site' with more than 125 tombs discovered in the Gaza Strip". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (24 July 2023). "At least 125 tombs discovered at Roman-era cemetery in Gaza". Reuters. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  8. ^ McKernan, Bethan (2023-09-03). "'We can't take any of this for granted': Gaza's fight to keep its treasures safe at home". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  9. ^ a b Francis, Ellen (25 July 2023). "125 tombs found after chance discovery of ancient Roman-era cemetery in Gaza". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  10. ^ a b Velie, Elaine (27 July 2023). "Over 100 Tombs Unearthed in Roman Cemetery in Palestine". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  11. ^ Snaije, Olivia (2024-01-25). "The Past Is Being Destroyed in Palestine — As Well as the Present". New Lines Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  12. ^ Ahmed, Kaamil (28 April 2024). "'Everything beautiful has been destroyed': Palestinians mourn a city in tatters". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 27 March 2024. A recent report by the Palestinian culture ministry into Israeli damage to Palestinian heritage said Israel's bombardment of Gaza had destroyed 207 buildings of cultural or historical significance, including 144 in the old city and 25 religious sites.
  13. ^ Saber, Indlieb Farazi (14 January 2024). "A 'cultural genocide': Which of Gaza's heritage sites have been destroyed?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  14. ^ Geranpayeh, Sarvy (28 November 2023). "Bombing of Gaza has damaged or destroyed more than 100 heritage sites, NGO report reveals". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  15. ^ Knell, Yolande (16 September 2025). "The frantic race to protect historic treasures from Israeli bombs - BBC News". News. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  16. ^ "Gaza Strip: Damage assessment". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  17. ^ "Destruction of the Palestinian cultural heritage of Gaza – in pictures". The Guardian. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  18. ^ Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation (January 2025). Damage and Risk Assessment of Cultural Heritage Under Attack in the Gaza Strip (PDF) (Report). State of Palestine Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. pp. 452–454. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-05-29. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
  19. ^ Jacobs, Phie (3 August 2023). "Roman aristocrats bought passage to the underworld at this cemetery in Gaza". www.science.org. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  20. ^ Stevens, Susan T. (1991). "Charon's Obol and Other Coins in Ancient Funerary Practice". Phoenix. 45 (3): 215–229. doi:10.2307/1088792. JSTOR 1088792.
  21. ^ "Archaeological new from Gaza". École Biblique. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  22. ^ "Roman-era graves unearthed during excavations in Gaza's Roman Cemetery". WAFA News Agency. 23 September 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
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