Neolithic Ashkelon
As a result of development work in the Israeli coastal town of Ashkelon, salvage excavations were conducted in 1997 and 1998 in an area in which Neolithic remains had been uncovered in the 1950s by Jean Perrot. The new excavations achieved a horizontal exposure of some 800 square meters and revealed, apart from meager material of the Epi-Paleolithic, Late Chalcolithic, and Roman/Byzantine periods, an extensive occupation dating from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C. This occupation was characterized by a single wall and numerous pits, hearths and animal bones. The excavated area yielded a large sample of flint items, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the industry. The numerous mammal bones shed light on the rise of pastoral societies in the southern Levant. The assemblage of fish bones points to the beginning of intensive exploitation of marine resources. Human remains attest to mortuary practices. Exotic and other imported items reflect long-distance exchange networks. Altogether, the excavation of Ashkelon has brought to light a vivid picture of a PPNC community that lived on the Mediterranean coast some nine thousand years ago.