Tel Aviv courtesy treybarrow.com

Just last year, 2009, Tel Aviv celebrated its centennial. But that is the modern city.

Who would think of Tel Aviv as hiding old treasures? Of having people living there thousands of years ago?

During the preparation for construction of a new apartment complex in the Ramat Aviv neighborhood of Tel Aviv, remains of prehistoric buildings were uncovered. The buildings are estimated to be 7.800-8.400 years old. Artifacts estimated to be between 13.000 and 100.000 years old were also found.

They were excavated by Ayelet Dayan on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). According to Dayan these find are both “important and surprising” for understanding this period.

“For the first time, we have encountered evidence of a permanent habitation that existed in the Tel Aviv region 8,000 years ago,” she said. “The site is located on the northern bank of the Yarkon River, not far from the confluence with Nahal Ayalon. It is assumed that this fact
influenced the ancient settlers in choosing a place to live. The fertile alluvium soil along the fringes of the streams was considered a preferred location for a settlement in ancient periods.”

The building uncovered had at least three rooms, and is from the neolithic period (New Stone Age), a time when man was beginning to move from a nomadic life style of hunting and gathering to a settled life style, based on agriculture.

Among the artifacts found were flint tools such as sickle blades and flakes, the left-overs from tool production. Other finds are a basalt bowl and animal bones and teeth, including hippopotamus teeth.

Blessed be modern development for bringing another important archaeological site to light.

I have not been able to find pictures of the reported finds to show you.