Eight students from the University of Manitoba, and some $2.7 million in funds from the Canadian government, are helping unearth secrets from an ancient civilization.
character Goliath © Bar Ilan University
The Canadian students join others from Israel, the US, China, and elsewhere.
The site is now called Tell es-Safi, a bronze-age site dating back as far as 5,000 years ago. It is also said to include the Philistine city of Gath, allegedly the home of the fabled Goliath of the biblical story.
The site is located south of the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Prof. Haskel Greenfield of the University of Manitoba’s Department of Anthropology, says most people today don’t live in rural situations but rather in large urban settings. He says, “This [idea] has its origins here in the Middle East. And getting at a site like Tell es-Safi gives us an opportunity to try to understand that kind of lifestyle.”
of years, and includes the remains of a Crusader
castle: tower shown here © Bar Ilan University
r. Greenfield says studying these ancient societies opens a window on how modern cultures evolved – and how we live today. He notes that as is often the case today, it appears that the kitchen was the centre of these ancient households. Hearths have been discovered in many rooms, some for cooking, others apparently for heating.
University of Manitoba grad student Jeremy Beller, says the opportunity to work at the dig is “the opportunity of a lifetime”.
The grant from Canadian Social Science and Humanities Research Council will allow students such as Beller to have hands-on experience at the Tell es-Safi site for the next seven years. It has also paid for high-tech scanners and computer equipment to map the digitally for future study.
“The money from the federal government is essential,“ Dr. Greenfield said. “Without the money from the federal government, this could not happen.”
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