The excavation (c. 100 sq m: Figs. 1, 2) was conducted at the foot of a hill, west of the Galē Kinneret Hotel, where building remains dating to the Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic and Crusader periods, as well as the modern era, were discovered (Strata 1–5).
The finds in the excavation corroborate the supposition that the Roman-period city in Tiberias did not extend as far as the shore of the Kinneret; rather, it was situated on a higher level. A stadium that Josephus mentioned was built near the shore, outside the limits of the city. The city had expanded as far as the shore of the lake in the Byzantine period. Building remains from the Byzantine and Umayyad periods were discovered in the excavation area. The city suffered tremendous damage in the earthquake of 749 CE. It seems that this earthquake also destroyed buildings in the excavation area, although this cannot be confirmed as yet.
Stratum | Period | Date Range (CE) | Description |
---|---|---|---|
5 | Roman-Early Byzantine | 2nd-4th centuries CE |
Description
Gray soil that contained a mixture of numerous potsherds, mostly Kefar Hananya type ware (second–fourth centuries CE) was exposed in the earliest stratum. In addition, two short sections of poorly preserved walls (W4, W12; Figs. 3, 4) that may have belonged to buildings from this period were exposed. |
4 | Late Byzantine-Umayyad | 6th-8th centuries CE |
Description
A wall (W8) of a pool, coated with gray plaster (L115; Fig. 5), was exposed. A shallow channel (L116), possibly one that conveyed the overflow from the pool, crossed the top of the wall. Ceramic finds from the Byzantine and Umayyad periods (sixth–eighth centuries CE) were discovered in the pool, which was damaged by later construction. |
3 | Abbasid and Fatimid | 9th-11th centuries CE |
Description
Remains of well-built walls were exposed; however, they were damaged by the construction of a later pool (L126; see Stratum 2 below) in the west and by modern earthmoving work in the south. Two construction phases were discerned in the walls (Fig. 6). Three walls (W5B, W11, W14) were ascribed to the early phase and three walls (W5A, W7, W13)—to the later phase; in addition, another wall (W3) exposed in the south of the area probably also belonged to the late phase. The finds close to the walls from both phases and within the walls themselves dated to the Abbasid and Fatimid periods (ninth–eleventh centuries CE). |
2 | Crusader | 11th-12th centuries CE |
Description
Two non-contiguous building complexes were discovered. Remains of a pool (L126) were uncovered in the north of the area; two of its walls were preserved, and only one was excavated (W6). The pool was covered with a vault, into which an opening was cut allowing the water to flow in (Figs. 7, 8). A multitude of potsherds from the eleventh and twelfth centuries CE was discovered in the pool. The most prominent of these finds is a glazed bowl decorated with a drawing of a Crusader soldier (Fig. 9). Two perpendicular walls (W1, W10) were discovered in the south of the area. The course of Wall 1 was not straight (exposed length c. 8 m) and a small elliptical pool (L103) was adjacent to its northeastern side. The floor of the pool and the lower parts of its walls were plastered. The plaster also covered a section of W1, indicating that the wall and the pool were used at the same time. The ceramic finds in the south of the area dated to the eleventh and twelfth centuries CE and included another fragment of the decorated bowl that was discovered in the north of the area. The Crusader-period pottery consists of a homogenous assemblage from the pool, which is unique and important for the study of the ceramic repertoire of Tiberias in this period. |
1 | Modern |
Description
Remains of a modern building, including a wall foundation (W9) and a concrete floor, were exposed. Most of the building is completely destroyed. The entire excavation area was disturbed in the modern era. |
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). |
Zingboym and Hartal (2011) wrote that
it seems that this earthquake [one of the
749 CE Sabbatical Year Quakes] also destroyed buildings in the excavation area, although this cannot be confirmed as yet
.
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Hartal, Moshe (2008), Tiberias, Galei Kinneret,
Hadashot Arkheologiyot - Excavations and Surveys in Israel, Volume 120 Year 2008
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Zingboym O. and Hartal M. (2011) Tiberias Preliminary Report Hadashot Arkheologiyot v. 123