Ottoman Era Fisherman’s House and Implements Discovered in Israel
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Naomi Zeveloff September 22, 2016
Remains of an Ottoman-era fisherman’s house and tools were among the findings of recent excavation in Ashkelon, a southern Israeli coastal city which has been used as a port for thousands of years.
The three-room house house was full of fishing implements such as metal hooks, lead weights, a bronze bell and a stone anchor. The building’s entrance is on the north side in order to block off high winds from the sea.
Archaeologists also discovered the remains of a lookout tower nearby, which archaeologists think could have been a lighthouse looking over the beach and the Mediterranean Sea.
The excavation was conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority with the help of a youth program meant to expose young people in Ashkelon and the surrounding areas to their city’s long-distant past.
It was in an area of Ashkelon where a new neighborhood is slated for development. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, the fisherman’s house will be preserved and showcased in the new development.
Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected] or on Twitter @naomizeveloff
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