Stratigraphic Study Of Area I Northwest At Tell El Burak South Lebanon

The site of Tell el-Burak is located on the Lebanese coast on the shores of Addusieh 9km south of Sidon. A joint expedition by a Lebanese (American University of Beirut) German (University of Tubingen and the German Archaeological Institute) team was launched in 1997 to investigate its occupational sequence. During 5 excavation seasons (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 & 2008) five areas have been excavated and three major building periods have been identified: Mamluk/Early Ottoman, Iron Age II and Middle Bronze Age II. --This study deals with the detailed stratigraphic analysis of the soundings that were made in squares 29/27, 29/28, 30/27 & 30/28 in Area I. The analysis of the excavation results followed the guidelines established by Edward C. Harris in his work Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy (1989). As a result a matrix illustrating the physical relationship between the excavated contexts was created. In total, six phases of building, occupation and abandonment have been identified in the four squares under study. The thesis also examined the pottery and artifacts retrieved in these squares to establish the dating of the occupational phases.--As a result of this study the two construction and occupation phases of the mudbrick structure, and in the light of the new evidence, are dated to the Middle Bronze Age IIA. Furthermore, two later phases were dated to the Mamluk period. This thesis contributed to a better understanding of the occupation history of Area I of Tell el-Burak.

Tell el- Burak is located in southern Lebanon, between Saida and Sarafand. Excavations by a joint AUB- University of Tubingen- GAI expedition started in September 2001. The aim of this archaeological project was to investigate settle ment formation on the Lebanese coast. Tell el- Burak has been the focus of three continuous excavation seasons (2001- 2003) that have uncovered three areas of architectural finds, dating to the Mamluk/ Ottoman Period, and the Iron and Middle Bronze Ages. In Area I a Mamluk/ Ottoman Period structure was found overlaying a monumental mud- brick building. Area II yielded a massive wall that was first built in the Middle Bron ze Age and rebuilt later in the Iron Age. In Area III buildings dating from the Middle Iron Age (c. 800 B.C.) through to the Late Persian Period (c. 400 B.C.) were uncovered. Nearly 20, 000 sherds of pottery that belong to the Middle Bronze Age were found during the course of the exacavations. These were examined for chronologic al and geological information, to help understand the settlements historical contex t and economic role within the MBA. This study has helped confidently date the mud- brick building of Area I and retaining wall of Area II to the MBA II. In addition, this study has also improv ed our understanding of some the manufacturing traditions of ceramics during the MBA at Tell el- Burak and their relationship to the later Iron Age ones.

A unique monumental building dating to the early part of the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1900-1700 BCE) was uncovered at the southern Lebanese coast by the joint Lebanese-German excavation project at Tell el-Burak. The impressive architecture of the building was exposed in eight excavation seasons during the years 2001-2011. Inside the largest room of the Monumental Building at Tell el-Burak the excavations brought to light the sensational discovery of Middle Bronze Age mural paintings in situ on lime plaster covering the inner faces of its completely preserved mud-brick walls. This volume edited by Jens Kamlah and Helene Sader consists of the final publications of all excavation results concerning the Middle Bronze Age at Tell el- Burak. It furthermore includes an introduction into the joint Lebanese-German excavation project, chapters related to the site and the final publication of the excavated remains of the Late Medieval Period.

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