The Excavation Of Tel Hazor

In 1928 John Garstang scouted the area and identified it as the major biblical-era city. The site was largely left untouched until the late 1950s and 1960s where major excavations began sponsored by the Hebrew University. 1991 saw the re-excavation of Tel Hazor followed by the immediate finding of the "Tablets of Tel Hazor". Two years later, archaeologists began a series of digs that uncovered the Palace of Kings, Arguably the most intriguing finding of the entire excavation. Over the next few decades they uncovered another throne room, several more bi-segments of rooms that connected into other buildings, a drainage system, and more signs of domestication.

Who Was Excavating

18th Century BC - Canaanites Establish Tel Hazor Upper City13th Century BC - Israelites Conquer Tel Hazor and Establish Lower City732 BC - Assyrians Destroy Tel Hazor1928 - First Scouting of Location1955 - First Major Archaeological Dig1991 - Resurgence of Excavations

John Garstang - SurveyorYigael Yadin - Hebrew UniversityJames A. de Rothschild - SponsorAmnon Ben-Tor - University of Madrid Students from each of theses institutions as well as historians and scholars helped the digs through their time, knowledge, and energy.

Major Artifacts

- The Tablets of Tel Hazor - Assorted pots and tools demonstrating Early Bronze Age - Fragments of stone statues - Clay dolls or figuirines - Stamped handle thought to be the first representation of Neo-Hittite writing - Basalt and Limestone Pillars - 2 large rows of pithoi

Citations

- http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist%20Information/attractions/Pages/Tel%20Hazor%20National%20Park.aspx- http://hazor.huji.ac.il/

The Excavation ofTel Hazor

Key Findings

Timeline