Bronze Age necropolis of Byblos

The Bronze Age necropolis of Byblos is a group of eight Bronze Age underground rock-cut tombs that were discovered undisturbed in Byblos (modern Jbeil), a coastal city in Lebanon, and one of the oldest continuously populated cities in the world.

Located 33 km (21 mi) north of Beirut,^[1] ancient Byblos/Gebal (modern name: Jbeil/Gebeil) lies south of the city's medieval center. It sits on a seaside promontory consisting of two hills separated by a dell. A 22 m (72 ft) deep well provided the settlement with fresh water.^[2] The highly defensible archeological tell of Byblos is flanked by two harbors that were used for sea trade.^[2] The entrances to the Bronze Age necropolis of Byblos is located just outside the southern gate of the ancient acropolis. This area revealed a series of rock-cut tombs extending beneath the walls of the sacred precinct, towards the large temple complexes.^[3]

Byblos (Jbeil), a city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984, has been continuously inhabited since the Neolithic period _around nine thousand years. During the Middle Bronze Age (the second millennium BC), Byblos experienced intense commercial activity and cultural interaction with Ancient Egypt.^[4]

The necropolis was uncovered during archaeological excavations begun in 2019.^[3] The discovery was made while researchers were investigating a previously unexplored area of the ancient acropolis of Byblos.^[3] From 2019 and for three consecutive years, excavations were carried out, in collaboration with the French archaeologist Julien Chanteau from the Louvre Museum.^[4] The underground tombs, known as hypogea, were carved into the soft rock and arranged both side by side and stacked vertically, connected by passages and staircases.^[3] The tombs were the subject of a documentary by Philippe Aractingi and Jonas Rosales, titled Lebanon, Secrets of the Kingdom of Byblos (Liban, les secrets du Royaume de Byblos), broadcast on Arte.^[4]

The necropolis consists of a series of undisturbed interconnected underground rock-cut tombs, designed to house the elite of Byblos during the Bronze Age. The tombs were strategically placed just outside the sacred acropolis, where the temples and royal palaces were located, but extended beneath the walls towards the temple complexes. This positioning was intentional, as it allowed the elite to be buried as close as possible to their rulers, symbolizing their status both in life and in death. The layout of the tombs also suggests a possible connection to the temple of the Obelisks, one of the largest temples on the acropolis, which may indicate a link to an ancestor cult.^[3][5]

The necropolis dates back to the Bronze Age, a period during which Byblos was a thriving trade hub, particularly known for its export of Lebanese cedar wood to Egypt. The tombs have yielded numerous valuable and finely crafted artifacts.^[3][6] Historical finds recovered during the last few years from the "elite tombs" support evidence of this commercial and cultural exchange with Ancient Egypt.^[4]

• Royal necropolis of Ayaa – Phoenician necropolis in Lebanon
• Royal necropolis of Byblos – Phoenician necropolis in Lebanon

• Aractingi, Philippe (director) (5 January 2025). Liban, Les secrets du royaume de Byblos [Lebanon, the secrets of the kingdom of Byblos] (Television production) (in French). ARTE. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025.
• Ayoub, Elie (23 January 2025). "بيبلوس تعبق برائحة التاريخ وبجانب سورها القديم وُجدت مجموعة مقابر لأكابر القوم" [Byblos is steeped in the scent of history, and beside its ancient wall, a group of tombs of nobles was found]. Monte Carlo Doualiya (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
• Lendering, Jona (2020). "Byblos". Livius. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
• Newson, Paul (15 September 2024). "Byblos: A Legacy Unearthed". Current World Archaeology (Book review) (127). Retrieved 10 February 2025.
• Sparks, Rachael Thyrza (5 July 2017). Stone Vessels in the Levant. Oxford: Routledge. ISBN 9781351547789. OCLC 994205911.
• Vermeulen, Joost (5 November 2022). "Antieke haven en meer rijkdom gevonden in 's werelds oudste havenstad Byblos" [Antique port and more wealth found in the world's oldest port city of Byblos]. Het Parool (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
• Zaven, Tania; Chanteau, Julien (2024). "A New Middle Bronze Age necropolis on the Byblos acropolis". In National Museum of Antiquities (The Netherlands); Ministry of Culture/Directorate General of Antiquities (Lebanon) (eds.). Byblos: A Legacy Unearthed. Leiden: Sidestone Press. pp. 145–152. ISBN 9789464262209.