Location:

Located in the central Coastal Plain of Israel, Tel Aphek (Tel Afek, Antipatrias) was occupied intermittently from the Chalcolithic period to the Ottoman period. The site is strategically located near springs that fed into the Yarkon River and controlled the narrow path traveling from the coast to the hill country as well as the important north-south route, the Via Maris (Gadot 2006: 23–24; ibid 2010: 49). Today, Tel Aphek can be easily identified by the Ottoman fortress sitting on top of the tell overlooking the valley. The site is mentioned in several historical texts including the Execration Texts and Tutmoses III’s topographical list as well as several mentions in the Old Testament (Kochavi 1975: 17–20; Kochavi 1981; Goren et al. 2006). 

History:

Small-scale salvage excavations were conducted on and around the tell prior to the 1970s. In 1972 and 1973 major excavations occurred at the site conducted by the Tel Aviv University Institute of Archaeology in conjunction with the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The expedition worked under the support of the Petah Tiqva Park Authority which purchased the land to develop into a national park. The salvage excavations combined with the Tel Aviv University expedition revealed occupation layers at the site from every major time period, particularly the Early Bronze, Middle Bronze, Late Bronze and Iron ages (Kochavi 1975: 17–20). The site was fortified during the Early Bronze and Middle Bronze age phases. During the MB IIA three small settlements surrounded the main tell which was typical in Canaan during this time (Gadot 2010: 49). When Egyptian campaigns swept through the Levant during the end of the Middle Bronze age and throughout the Late Bronze age, Aphek was one of over a dozen sites in central Canaan to surrender to Amenhotep II. Following the seemingly peaceful surrender to Amenhotep II, Aphek fell under Egyptian rule as is evident by archaeological evidence from Palace 4430 and Building 1104 which was coined the “Egyptian Governor’s Residence” (Gadot 2010: 52–59). While the role and degree of Egyptian presence at the site (specifically the function of Building 1104) is debated (see Gadot 2010), Egyptian influence on the material culture yielded from the Late Bronze age strata at Aphek is clear by the locally produced Egyptian-style pottery (Gadot 2010: 57–62). 

Geology:

Petrographic analysis of pottery from Tel Aphek reflects the geological layout surrounding the site and means that most of the ceramic assemblages were locally produced. Tel Aphek is situated in the central Coastal Plain of Israel at the convergence of the Yarkon-Ayalon River Basin. The seasonal flooding of these riverbeds created pools and swamps in the region. Kurkar ridges to the west provided fertile lands for agriculture (Gadot 2010: 49).

Contributor: Emily Anderson September 2021       

See also:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOt0Szkg6Y4

https://www.parks.org.il/new/telafek-armon-2/