Sidon

Sidon

Fig. 3

Sidon and Zire (from [31]). In the foreground, Sidon’s outer harbour lies in the shadow zone of Zire island. The promontory of Sidon separates two coves, the northern harbour and Poidebard’s Crique Ronde.

Marriner et al (2006)

Names

Transliterated Name	Source	Name
Sidon	English
Sayda	Arabic	صيدا
Saida	Modern Arabic	صيدا
Ṣaydūn	Classical Arabic	صَيْدونْ
Ṣidon	Syriac	ܨܝܕܘܢ
Sidṓn	Greek	Σιδών
Sidon	Latin
Colonia Aurelia Pia Sidon	Roman colony
Sagittus	Crusader Latin
Saete, Sayette, or Sagette	Crusader French
Ṣīdūn	Phoenician
Djedouna	Papyrus Anastasi I
Ṣīḏōn	Biblical Hebrew	צִידוֹן

Introduction

Introduction and History

Marriner (2006) provides the following background information

The Sidone-Dakerman area chronicles a long history of human occupation stretching back to the Neolithic [67]. Canaan’s oldest city according to Genesis, the tell occupies a modest rocky promontory that overlooks a partially drowned sandstone ridge and two marine embayments. During the Iron Age, this geomorphological endowment allowed Sidon to evolve into one of Phoenicia’s key city-states, producing and transiting wealthy commodities to trading partners in Assyria, Egypt, Cyprus and the Aegean. This trading ascendancy is corroborated by the Old Testament’s use of the term Sidonian to encapsulate all Phoenicians. Sidon enjoyed its apogee during the sixth to fifth centuries BC, at which time it superseded Tyre as Phoenicia’s principal naval base.

Issam Ali Khalifeh in Meyers et al (1997) notes that the historical name for Sidon is probably derived from sayd, Semitic for fishing. and that Sidon's history, including the glorious Phoenician period, Assyrian and Persian domination, and Greek and Roman rule, is fairly well known from written sources, local finds, and archaeological work in Sidon and neighboring areas.

Maps, Aerial Views, Plans, and Paintings

Maps

Normal Size

Fig. 2 Sidon’s coastal bathymetry

Fig. 2

Sidon’s coastal bathymetry

Marriner et al (2006)

from Marriner et al (2006)

Magnified

Fig. 2 Sidon’s coastal bathymetry

Fig. 2

Sidon’s coastal bathymetry

Marriner et al (2006)

from Marriner et al (2006)

Aerial Views

Normal Size

Fig. 3 Aerial Photograph of

Fig. 3

Sidon and Zire (from [31]). In the foreground, Sidon’s outer harbour lies in the shadow zone of Zire island. The promontory of Sidon separates two coves, the northern harbour and Poidebard’s Crique Ronde.

Marriner et al (2006)

Sidon and Zire from Marriner et al (2006)
Sidon in Google Earth

Sidon

click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth

Magnified

Fig. 3 Aerial Photograph of

Fig. 3

Sidon and Zire (from [31]). In the foreground, Sidon’s outer harbour lies in the shadow zone of Zire island. The promontory of Sidon separates two coves, the northern harbour and Poidebard’s Crique Ronde.

Marriner et al (2006)

Sidon and Zire from Marriner et al (2006)
Sidon in Google Earth

Sidon

click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth

Plans

Site Plans

Normal Size

Fig. 1 Location of cores

Fig. 1

Sidon’s ancient harbour areas and location of cores

Marriner et al (2006)

from Marriner et al (2006)

Magnified

Fig. 1 Location of cores

Fig. 1

Sidon’s ancient harbour areas and location of cores

Marriner et al (2006)

from Marriner et al (2006)

Area Plans

Harbour

Normal Size

Fig. 1.3 Plan of

Figure 1.3

Plan of the inner harbour at Sidon

(after Poidebard & Lauffary 1951)

Raban et al. (2009)

the inner harbour at Sidon from Raban et al. (2009)

Magnified

Fig. 1.3 Plan of

Figure 1.3

Plan of the inner harbour at Sidon

(after Poidebard & Lauffary 1951)

Raban et al. (2009)

the inner harbour at Sidon from Raban et al. (2009)

Paintings

Normal Size

Painting of Sidon from 1857

Painting of Sidon from 1857 by C.M.W. van de Velde

click on image to examine a high res magnifiable version in a new tab

Charles William Meredith van de Velde's in Le Pays d'Israel - Public Domian from Wikipedia

Magnified

Painting of Sidon from 1857

Painting of Sidon from 1857 by C.M.W. van de Velde

click on image to examine a high res magnifiable version in a new tab

Charles William Meredith van de Velde's in Le Pays d'Israel - Public Domian from Wikipedia

Cores

Fig. 4 Sedimentology of core BH I

Fig. 4

Sedimentology of core BH I (northern harbour).

Marriner et al (2006)

(northern harbour) from Marriner et al (2006)
Fig. 5 Molluscan macrofauna from

Fig. 5

Molluscan macrofauna from core BH I (northern harbour).

Marriner et al (2006)

core BH I (northern harbour) from Marriner et al (2006)
Fig. 6 Ostracod microfauna

Fig. 6

Ostracod microfauna from core BH I (northern harbour)

Marriner et al (2006)

from core BH I (northern harbour) from Marriner et al (2006)
Fig. 7 Sedimentology of core

Fig. 7

Sedimentology of core BH IX (northern harbour).

Marriner et al (2006)

BH IX (northern harbour) from Marriner et al (2006)
Fig. 8 Molluscan macrofauna

Fig. 8

Molluscan macrofauna from core BH IX (northern harbour).

Marriner et al (2006)

from core BH IX (northern harbour) from Marriner et al (2006)
Fig. 9 Ostracod microfauna

Fig. 9

Ostracod microfauna from core BH IX (northern harbour).

Marriner et al (2006)

from core BH IX (northern harbour) from Marriner et al (2006)
Fig. 10 Sedimentology of

Fig. 10

Sedimentology of core BH XV (northern harbour).

Marriner et al (2006)

core BH XV (northern harbour) from Marriner et al (2006)
Fig. 11 Molluscan macrofauna from

Fig. 11

Molluscan macrofauna from core BH XV (northern harbour).

Marriner et al (2006)

core BH XV (northern harbour) from Marriner et al (2006)

Chronology

Tsunamis in the 1st millennium BCE

Marinner et al (2006) and Carayon et al (2011) reported on 15 cores taken around the northern harbor and four around the cirque ronde. There is no mention of tsunamogenic evidence in the cores. Marinner et al (2006:1521) noted that in Unit B2 (Closed Phoenician to Roman harbours) persistent age-depth anomalies concur analogous data in Tyre’s ancient harbour where strong chronostratigraphic evidence for dredging has been detailed from the Roman period onwards. This may indicate that, like at Tyre, any evidence of a 1st millennium BCE tsunami may have been removed by dredging.

551 CE tsunami

Marinner et al (2006) and Carayon et al (2011) reported on 15 cores taken around the northern harbor and four around the cirque ronde. There is no mention of tsunamogenic evidence in the cores.

Notes and Further Reading

References

Articles and Books

Carayon, N. and N. Marriner (2011). "Geoarchaeology of Byblos, Tyre, Sidon and Beirut." Rivista di studi fenici XXXIX: 55-66.

Marriner, N., et al. (2006). "Geoarchaeology of Sidon's ancient harbours, Phoenicia." Journal of Archaeological Science 33(11): 1514-1535.

Raban, A., Artzy, M., Goodman, B., and Gal, Z. (eds.) (2009) The Harbour of Sebastos (Caesarea Maritima) in its Roman Mediterranean Context , BAR International Series 1930, Archeopress, 222 p.

Bibliography from Meyers et al (1997)

Chehab, Maurice. "Tombs pheniciennes Majdalouna." Bulletin du Musee de Beyrouth 4 (1940): 37-53 . Phoenician tombs and their contents in the environs of Sidon.

Contenau, Georges. "Mission Archeologique a Sidon, 1914. " Syria 1 (1920): 198-229, 287-317 . Still a good reference as the first attempt to excavate in Sidon.

Contenau, Georges. "Deuxieme Mission Archeologique a Sidon, 1920, " Syria 4 (1923): 261-281 ; 5 (1924): 9-23, 123-134 .

Dunand, Maurice. "Rapport preliminaire sur les fouilles de Sidon." Bulletin du Musee de Beyrouth 19 (1966): 103-105 ; 20 (1967): 27-44; 22 (1969): 101-107 , The primary sources for archaeology atthe site.

Guigues, P, E. "Lebe'a, Kafer-Garra, Qraye: Necropoles de la region sidonienne." Bulletin du Musee de Beyrouth 1 (1937): 35-76; 2 (1938): 27-72; 3 (1939): 53-63. Useful reference for excavations in the environs of Sidon.

Jidejian, Nina. Sidon through the Ages. Beirut, 1971 . The history of Sidon.

Poidebard, Antoine, and Jean Lauffray. Sidon: Amenagements antiques du Port de Saida. Beirut, 1951 . The only useful source on the port excavations.

Renan, Ernest. Mission de Phenicie. Paris, 1864. Pioneering work at the necropolei of Sidon.

Saidah, Roger. "Chronique fouilles de Sidon." Bulletin du Musee de Beyrouth 20 (1967): 162-165 .

Saidah, Roger. "Archaeology in the Lebanon, 1968-1969. " Berytus 18 (1969): 119-142 . Covers the archaeological activities in the city itself, the Temple of Eshmun, the necropolei, and the Chalcolithic settlement.

Wikipedia Page for Sidon

from wikipedia