Citizens map out Gaza’s history
Major archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip have been subject to looting and neglect, not to mention destruction from razing and urban sprawl.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Tall al-Ajjul, south of Gaza City, is one of the oldest archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip. The site is a mound on the north bank of Wadi Gaza, where the old town of Beth-Eglaim was located during the days of the Mamluks and Ayyubis.
In 2200 B.C., this town represented ancient Gaza, which was located during the Canaanite era in 3000 B.C. in the middle of what is now Gaza City.
Its important geographic location between Asia and Africa made it a battlefield for most empires of the ancient and new worlds, such as the Assyrians, pharaohs, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Crusaders.
Tall al-Ajjul was an extension of a large commercial port during the early Iron Age (1200 B.C.) and maintained broad trade relations with Egypt, Syria and the Mediterranean islands. In 1933, British archaeologist William Matthew Flinders Petrie discovered gold jewelry, ornamental objects, palaces and horse stables there.
