On Sunday, Israeli archaeologists reported the “once-in-a-lifetime” discovery of a burial cave from the reign of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses II, complete with dozens of ceramic and bronze objects.
The cave was discovered on a beach on Tuesday, when a mechanized excavator operating in the Palmahim national park struck the cave’s roof, allowing archaeologists to descend down a ladder into the large, square, man-made tunnel.
In a video produced by the Israel Antiquities Authority, astonished archaeologists beam spotlights on dozens of clay pieces going back to the reign of the ancient Egyptian king who passed away in 1213 B.C.
מפקח רשות העתיקות, עוזי רוטשטיין, בשיחה עם מפקחים מחוץ למערת קבורה מימי פרעה רעמסס השני by Israel Antiquities Authority Official Channel on YouTube
The authority stated in a Facebook post that the burial cave “resembles a ‘Indiana Jones’ movie set.”
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Organization traveled to the site and descended a ladder into the space, which looked to be frozen in time, according to a statement from the authority.
Cave floor resembling a scene from a ‘Indiana Jones’ movie – don’t miss this exceedingly unusual opportunity to view it!
Israel Antiquities Authority published the notice on Sunday, September 18, 2022.
In the cave, there were red-painted and bone-filled bowls, chalices, cooking pots, storage jars, lanterns, and bronze arrowheads or spearheads.
The artefacts were set there approximately 3,300 years ago as funeral offerings to accompany the deceased on their final journey to the afterlife; they were discovered intact.
Additionally, at least one relatively complete skeleton was discovered in two rectangular plots in the cave’s corner.
IAA Bronze Age scholar Eli Yannai stated, “The cave may provide a complete picture of the Late Bronze Age’s burial practices.”
It is a “very unusual… once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” according to Yannai, who noted that the cave was sealed until its recent discovery.
The artifacts were unearthed during the time of Rameses II, who ruled over Canaan, a region that roughly comprised modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The origins of the ceramic vessels – Cyprus, Lebanon, northern Syria, Gaza, and Jaffa — are evidence of “vigorous trading activity along the coast,” according to an IAA statement by Yannai.
David Gelman, an additional IAA archaeologist, postulated about the identities of the bones in the cave, which is located on what is now a popular beach in central Israel.
“The fact that these people were buried with weaponry, including complete arrows, suggests that they may have been warriors or ship guards,” he added. “This may explain how they were able to acquire vessels from all around the region.”
Regardless of who inhabited the cave, Gelman described the discovery as “extraordinary.”
“Burial caverns are already uncommon, but finding one that hasn’t been disturbed since it was first utilized 3,300 years ago is extremely unique,” he explained.
“It feels like something out of an Indiana Jones movie: diving into the ground and finding everything in its original state, including intact ceramic pots, weaponry, bronze vessels, and tombs.”
The cave has been resealed and is under surveillance while an excavation strategy is developed, according to the IAA.
It was reported that “a few objects” had been stolen from the site between its discovery and closing.
This is the most recent in a series of recent archaeological discoveries in Israel.
Scientists discovered a beautiful 1,200-year-old home in Israel’s southern desert two months after discovering a rare medieval mosque in the same location.
Archaeologists claimed in August that they just uncovered the enormous tusk of a prehistoric elephant near a kibbutz in southern Israel.
Archaeologists are ecstatic over the recent discovery of an elaborate Byzantine mosaic in Gaza, which was uncovered less than a half mile from the Israeli border. But it is also prompting calls for better conservation of Gaza’s antiquities, a fragile collection of sites threatened by a lack of awareness and funding, as well as the potential of violence between Israel and local Palestinian militants.