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Tiberias - Gane Hammat

Gane Hammat Excavation Area of Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)

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Introduction
Introduction

The area of Gane Hammat was situated between the towns of Tiberias in the north and Hammat in the south (Onn and Weksler-Bdolah, 2016).

Excavations

Three areas were opened (1,030 sq m; A and B2 supervised by Najar, and B1 supervised by Onn) c. 150 m west of the Sea of ​​Galilee and 400–500 m south of Tiberias’ southern gate (Roman–Byzantine periods). The excavation final report, found amongst Onn’s scientific papers after his death, was prepared for preliminary publication by the author of this article. The original report and findings from the excavation will be published shortly (Onn, forthcoming; Onn, Weksler-Bdolah and Di Segni, in press).

The excavation area (Figs. 1, 2) was c. 50–100 m west of the synagogue that N. Slouschz unearthed in 1921 (Slouschz 1921; Vincent 1922). Near the synagogue, Slouschz discovered Roman-period sarcophagi. Additional sarcophagi were found south of the synagogue by A. Ovadiah (1967). In 1970, E. Oren conducted excavations west of the synagogue, where he discovered and re-excavated the synagogue’s northwestern wing. Also uncovered were several dwellings and industrial installations from the Early Islamic period that were separated from the synagogue by a paved street (Oren 1971a; Oren 1971b; Fig. 1: A-242/1973). A workshop where pottery vessels were glazed was discovered inside one of the buildings, alongside tools, plastered installations and a pit that contained dozens of intact pottery and glass vessels. This dwelling quarter was dated from the Umayyad period to the eleventh century CE, when it was abandoned.

In 1973 and 1974, G. Foerster excavated north and south of Tiberias’ southern city wall (Foerster 1993; Stacey 2004:23–88; Fig. 1: A-22/1973). Tiberias’ southern gate was built as a free-standing city gate in the Roman period, and from the Byzantine period (sixth century CE) was incorporated into the city wall. Remains of several residential buildings from the Early Islamic period (eighth–eleventh centuries CE) were revealed outside the city wall, c. 150 m to the south. Those dwellings consisted of several rooms and had sophisticated water systems; some of the structures had a second story. Several simple cist graves devoid of any funerary offerings, dating from the late Byzantine or the beginning of the Islamic period, were discovered beneath some of the buildings.

The area of Gane Hammat was apparently situated between the towns of Tiberias in the north and Hammat in the south.

Tiberias - Introduction Webpage

Maps,Aerial Views. and Plans
Maps, Aerial Views, and Plans

Maps and Aerial Views

  • Fig. 1 Location map from
    Figure 1

    Location map: the excavation areas on the map of Tiberias and Hammat in the Roman-Byzantine period (based on a survey map of Tiberias).

    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • Fig. 2 Location map from
    Figure 2

    Location map: the Gane Hammat excavation

    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • Gane Hammat Excavation Area
    Gane Hammat Excavation Area of Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)

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    of Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016) on Google Earth
  • Gane Hammat Excavation Area
    Gane Hammat Excavation Area of Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)

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    of Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016) on govmap.gov.il

Plans

Normal Size

  • Fig. 3 Area A plan from
    Figure 3

    Area A, cist graves and a structure above them, plan and section

    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • Fig. 4 Area B plan from
    Figure 3

    Area B, Buildings 3 (Area B1) and 5 (Area B2), plan.

    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)

Magnified

  • Fig. 3 Area A plan from
    Figure 3

    Area A, cist graves and a structure above them, plan and section

    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • Fig. 4 Area B plan from
    Figure 3

    Area B, Buildings 3 (Area B1) and 5 (Area B2), plan.

    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
    Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)

Chronology
Phasing

Gane Hammat

Stratum Period Date Range (CE) Notes
I 11th c. perhaps after 1070 CE comprised a layer of ash that covered the buildings of Phase IIc and was devoid of any architectural remains. The layer was dated to the eleventh century CE (1033–1070 CE) based on the ceramic finds. In the excavator’s opinion, the destruction of the Fatimid settlement was apparently the result of the Seljuk conquest.
IIc Fatimid ? 11th c. perhaps 1033 - 1070 Building 5 in Area B (Fig. 8) was renovated and continued to be used with changes and additions: new walls were erected in place of the destroyed walls, new floors were laid at a higher level, and the water system was repaired. This phase was dated to the second half of the eleventh century, after the earthquake of 1033/4 CE.
IIb Fatimid ? 10th c. - 1033 In the tenth century CE, changes and modifications were made to some of the buildings. ... All of the buildings were destroyed at the end of Phase IIb, probably by the strong earthquake that struck the region in 1033/4; both historical sources and the remains in other cities attest to this event. Following the earthquake, some of the buildings were left in ruins, but others were rebuilt. The buildings in Area A, for example, was never restored: the columns that had collapsed in the earthquake were discovered toppled on the floors of the courtyards belonging to the Phase IIb building.
IIa Fatimid ? 2nd half of 9th c. - 10th c.
II Fatimid ? 2nd half of 9th c. - 10th-11th c. The main construction period at the site, which began in the second half of the ninth century and continued until the tenth–eleventh centuries, is ascribed to Stratum II, in which three phases (IIa, IIb, IIc) were identified. During this phase, large private dwellings, separated by wide alleys, and a central square were erected (Figs. 8, 9). A sophisticated drainage system comprising water channels, cisterns and cesspits, was discovered beneath the floors of the buildings and under the alleys. The building foundations were set above the tombs of Strata IV and V and over the construction remains of Stratum III. During this period, changes were made to the structures, and some of them went out of use while others were built in their place.
III Abbasid 2nd half of 8th c. - 2nd half of 9th c. A thin layer of ash covered the tombs. Above it were the remains of walls and pebble floors. This layer represents an Early Islamic habitation that dates from the second half of the eighth century CE, probably after the earthquake of 749 CE, until the first half of the ninth century CE, when it reached its peak. A destruction layer, possibly caused by the earthquake that struck in 853 CE, sealed the buildings.
IV Byzantine/Umayyad 4th c. - 2nd half of 7th c. yielded eight tombs that were dated to the second half of the seventh century CE. ... These tombs [] were first installed in Stratum V, and were reused in Stratum IV.
V Late Roman 3rd-4th centuries CE Thirty built cist tombs—12 in Area A (Figs. 3, 4), and 18 in Area B—were ascribed to this layer; they were all disturbed in the past. The tombs were rectangular (length 2.0–2.6 m, width c. 1 m, height 0.6 m), and arranged in rows of up to five side-by-side cists. The adjacent cists shared a common wall. The walls of the tombs were constructed of fieldstones that were plastered on both sides, and the tombs were covered with stone slabs. Two of these tombs were built one on top of the other, whereby the covering slabs of the bottom tomb served as the floor of the upper tomb (Fig. 5). All of the tombs were aligned in a northwest–southeast direction, and were probably parallel to the road that led to the city gate or to some other prominent topographic feature, such as the shoreline of the Kinneret. Generally speaking, no artifacts were found inside the tombs. However, the shape of the tombs and a coin of the emperor Elagabalus (218–222 CE; IAA 884/4) discovered in the plaster that covered a wall in one of the tombs suggest that the cemetery was in use during the Late Roman period (third–fourth centuries CE).

All of Tiberias

Stratum Period Date Notes
I Late Fatimid 11th century CE construction above the collapse caused by an earthquake (in 1033 CE?)
II Early Fatimid 9th - 10th centuries CE continued use of the street with shops.
III Abbasid 8th - 9th centuries CE a row of shops, the basilica building was renovated.
IV Byzantine–Umayyad 5th - 7th centuries CE the eastern wing was added to the basilica building; the paved street; destruction was caused by the earthquake in 749 CE.
V Late Roman 4th century CE construction of the basilica complex, as well as the city’s institutions, i. e., the bathhouse and the covered market place.
VI Roman 2nd - 3rd centuries CE establishment of the Hadrianeum in the second century CE (temple dedicated to Hadrian that was never completed) and industrial installations; the paving of the cardo and the city’s infrastructure.
VII Early Roman 1st century CE founding of Tiberias, construction of the palace with the marble floor on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, opus sectile, fresco.
VIII Hellenistic 1st - 2nd centuries BCE fragments of typical pottery vessels (fish plates, Megarian bowls).

End of Stratum III destruction layer - ~9th century CE

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016) wrote the following about the end of Phase III

A thin layer of ash covered the tombs. Above it were the remains of walls and pebble floors. This layer represents an Early Islamic habitation that dates from the second half of the eighth century CE, probably after the earthquake of 749 CE, until the first half of the ninth century CE, when it reached its peak. A destruction layer, possibly caused by the earthquake that struck in 853 CE [i.e., Tiberias Landslide Quake], sealed the buildings.

End of Phase IIb destruction layer - ~11th century CE

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016) wrote the following about the end of Phase IIb

All of the buildings were destroyed at the end of Phase IIb, probably by the strong earthquake that struck the region in 1033/4 [i.e., the 11th century CE Palestine Quakes]; both historical sources and the remains in other cities attest to this event. Following the earthquake, some of the buildings were left in ruins, but others were rebuilt. The buildings in Area A, for example, was never restored: the columns that had collapsed in the earthquake were discovered toppled on the floors of the courtyards belonging to the Phase IIb building.

Seismic Effects
End of Stratum III destruction layer - ~9th century CE

Damage Type Location Image(s) Comments
Destruction Layer              Area A ?
Figure 3

Area A, cist graves and a structure above them, plan and section

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • A thin layer of ash covered the tombs. Above it were the remains of walls and pebble floors. This layer represents an Early Islamic habitation that dates from the second half of the eighth century CE, probably after the earthquake of 749 CE, until the first half of the ninth century CE, when it reached its peak. A destruction layer, possibly caused by the earthquake that struck in 853 CE [i.e., Tiberias Landslide Quake], sealed the buildings. - Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)

End of Phase IIb destruction layer - ~11th century CE

Damage Type Location Image(s) Comments
Collapsed walls - building destruction           Areas A and B
Figure 3

Area A, cist graves and a structure above them, plan and section

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
Figure 3

Area B, Buildings 3 (Area B1) and 5 (Area B2), plan.

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • All of the buildings were destroyed at the end of Phase IIb, probably by the strong earthquake that struck the region in 1033/4 [i.e., the 11th century CE Palestine Quakes]; both historical sources and the remains in other cities attest to this event. Following the earthquake, some of the buildings were left in ruins, but others were rebuilt. The buildings in Area A, for example, was never restored - Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
Fallen columns Area A
Figure 3

Area A, cist graves and a structure above them, plan and section

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • The buildings in Area A, for example, was never restored: the columns that had collapsed in the earthquake were discovered toppled on the floors of the courtyards belonging to the Phase IIb building. - Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)

Intensity Estimates
End of Stratum III destruction layer - ~9th century CE

Damage Type Location Image(s) Comments Intensity
Destruction Layer suggests collapsed walls Area A ?
Figure 3

Area A, cist graves and a structure above them, plan and section

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • A thin layer of ash covered the tombs. Above it were the remains of walls and pebble floors. This layer represents an Early Islamic habitation that dates from the second half of the eighth century CE, probably after the earthquake of 749 CE, until the first half of the ninth century CE, when it reached its peak. A destruction layer, possibly caused by the earthquake that struck in 853 CE [i.e., Tiberias Landslide Quake], sealed the buildings. - Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
 VIII+
The archeoseismic evidence requires a minimum Intensity of VIII (8) when using the Earthquake Archeological Effects chart of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224). The excavators did not provide conclusive evidence for destruction by landlside but hinted at it when they said that Phase III buildings were sealed by a destruction layer.

End of Phase IIb destruction layer - ~11th century CE

Damage Type Location Image(s) Comments Intensity
Collapsed walls - building destruction           Areas A and B
Figure 3

Area A, cist graves and a structure above them, plan and section

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
Figure 3

Area B, Buildings 3 (Area B1) and 5 (Area B2), plan.

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • All of the buildings were destroyed at the end of Phase IIb, probably by the strong earthquake that struck the region in 1033/4 [i.e., the 11th century CE Palestine Quakes]; both historical sources and the remains in other cities attest to this event. Following the earthquake, some of the buildings were left in ruins, but others were rebuilt. The buildings in Area A, for example, was never restored - Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
 VIII+
Fallen columns Area A
Figure 3

Area A, cist graves and a structure above them, plan and section

Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
  • The buildings in Area A, for example, was never restored: the columns that had collapsed in the earthquake were discovered toppled on the floors of the courtyards belonging to the Phase IIb building. - Onn and Weksler-Bdolah (2016)
 V+
The archeoseismic evidence requires a minimum Intensity of VIII (8) when using the Earthquake Archeological Effects chart of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224).

Notes and Further Reading
References

Articles and Books

Onn, A. and Weksler-Bdolah, S. (2016) Tiberias, Gane Hammat Preliminary Report Hadashot Arkheologiyot v. 128