Ottoman Era Fisherman’s House and Implements Discovered in Israel

Federico Kobrin, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, near the lookout tower in Ashkelon. Image by Clara Amit, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority

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.

Federico Kobrin, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, near the lookout tower in Ashkelon. Image by Clara Amit, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority

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