Location: Tel Aphek (Tel Afek, Antipatrias) is located in the central Coastal Plain of Israel. The site 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
Summary of Excavations at Tel Aphek: Middle Bronze Age I to IIA (Strata A XV–A XIV) and Middle Bronze IIB (Strata A XIII–A XII)
Excavation Overview
Excavations at Tel Aphek (Antipatris) uncovered important remains from the Middle Bronze Age (MB IIA and MB IIB), reflecting significant urban development, architectural innovations, and shifts in settlement patterns. Clear archaeological strata indicate transitions from a modest settlement to a substantial fortified urban center featuring monumental palatial complexes.
Stratum A XV (Pre-Palace Phase)
Main Findings:
Preceded monumental palace construction.
Characterized by domestic and minor administrative installations, including grain silos, domestic ovens, storage pits, and an infant burial.
Architecture:
Fragmentary remains; significantly disturbed by later construction activities.
Predominantly domestic or small-scale administrative structures.
Ceramics:
Predominantly storage jars with globular or ovoid bodies, folded rims, and rounded bases.
Cooking pots primarily have everted, rounded, or triangular rims.
Open bowls with simple rounded or slightly carinated profiles are prevalent.
Early carinated bowls, initially without slip, appear during this phase.
Some juglets with red slip and red-painted decoration also appear.
Stratum A XIV
Main Findings:
Significant urban expansion phase marked by the construction of a monumental palatial complex (Palace 60).
Architecture:
Monumental palace with robust pebble foundations, plastered floors, extensive courtyard spaces, and pillar-supported structures.
Multiple construction phases reflect ongoing urbanization and administrative complexity.
Ceramics:
Continuation and elaboration of MB IIA traditions.
Increase in high-quality pottery with refined surfaces, occasionally with red slip and burnishing.
Typical forms include globular storage jars, carinated bowls, and cooking pots with triangular or thickened rims.
Strata A XIII–A XII
Main Findings:
Continuous palace use, followed by alterations and reconstructions.
Palace III (Stratum A XIII, mid-18th to 17th centuries BC):
Largest MB palace at Aphek, notable for massive walls.
Structural modifications due to subsidence.
Palace IV (Stratum A XII, mid-17th to mid-16th centuries BC):
Rebuilt with smaller subdivisions including specialized cultic areas.
Rich burial assemblages beneath floors and house interiors.
Final destruction possibly linked to Egyptian military incursions.
Ceramics:
Marked decline in decorated vessels, notably red-burnished ware.
Transition from closed vessel forms to more open forms, especially carinated bowls and cooking-pots.
Decline of long folded rim storage jars; rise in pithoi numbers and types.
Small, closed carinated or round bowls specific to Aphek and vicinity appear, while handmade cooking-pots common elsewhere are notably absent.
Summary:
Stratum A XV: Initial urbanization from rural settlement to structured domestic and administrative setting.
Stratum A XIV: Monumental urban expansion and centralized political authority through palace construction.
Strata A XIII–A XII: Continued palatial activity, showing progressive decline and eventual reduction in site importance due to external disruptions.
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See also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOt0Szkg6Y4
https://www.parks.org.il/new/telafek-armon-2/
