SYRO-BELGIAN
EXCAVATIONS AT TELL TWEINI ,
SYRIA
My southern
neighbours were also active on the Syrian coast!
The site
Tell Tweini
is situated in the coastal area of Syria ,
30 kilometres south of the harbour town of Latttakia Jebleh
The project
The
excavations are part of the Jebleh project directed by Prof.Dr.Michel
Al-Maqdissi (Directorate-General of Antiquities, Syria )
and Prof.Dr.Karel van Lerberghe (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Historical
Implications
In the
Middle Bronze Age it was usual to bury the dead under the floors of the houses.
An extraordinary find was a large common grave from ca.1700 BC. It contained
the skeletons of 42 adults and 16 children; 160 well-preserved ceramic pots,
vases, bronze pins and various figurines served as burial gifts. Another tomb
was the burial of a young woman with her child.
The Late
Bronze Age II occupation levels (7A-B-C) evidence a wide variety of
architectural constructions and, in addition to a broad range of local
ceramics, imports from all over the Eastern Mediterranean .
Among the more remarkable small finds are several seals from the Middle and
Late Bronze Age and a Hittite-Luwian hieroglyphic inscription from the Late
Bronze Age II context. The material culture of Late Bronze Ade Tweini suggests
a web of international relations. In the 14/13th century BC Tweini,
most probably ancient Gibala, formed part of the Ugaritic kingdom and was
located at its south western border. In the archives of Ugarit Gibala is
mentioned in the treaty between the Hittite king Mursili II and Niqmepa, king
of Ugarit Ugarit (c.1350 BC)
we encounter the name of the town Gibala during the reign of King Niqmepa of Ugarit
Around 1200
BC the state of Ugarit
In the
following period of decline during the Iron Age I only poor architectural
features are attested at Tweini. It would appear that the city underwent a
similar process of limited continuity and reoccupation of Late Bronze Age
structures, to that observed at other Syrian coastal settlements at the 2nd
millennium, such as Ras ibn Hani, Ras el-Bassit, Tell Kazel and Tell Sukas. At
Tweini the earliest Early Iron Age I re-occupation is founded on the remains of
Late Bronze Age structures and reuses several walls.
Due to the
limited nature of the archaeological evidence information on urban development
at the beginning of the Iron Age is restricted. Throughout Iron Age I the tell
seems to have been only partially inhabited, as shown by the first construction
phase of House 3. For the end of Iron Age I several occupation floors are
attested and a large variety of ceramics and objects were found in situ. Wether
this discontinuity of habitation is a result of intentional destructions, is
not clear. At around the same time, after the midst of the 9th
century BC, the urban plan of Tell Tweini was profoundly changed. New, big
houses are constructed directly above the Late Bronze Age remains. A new city
The revival
of urban culture at Tell Tweini and the coastal region of Northern Phoenicia
may be linked to a developing economic network connecting Cyprus , Phoenicia
and the inland of Syria
During the
early Iron Age Ugarit Arwad takes a dominant position in this region and Gibala
will be part of the kingdom Arwad. That changes when the Assyrians transformed
the Gabla plain to their own province. In the Persian time Arwad resumes
however his old dominant position in this region.
During the
Bronze Age was Gibala connected to the sea through an estuary. By the silting of
the estuary in the Iron Age atoned Tweini increasing in significance. By the
end of the Iron Age inhabitants left the city and settled on the coast to
Gabala and that is the current Jebleh.
In the
Hellenistic era Gabala goes to mint his own coins (letters GB) and becomes an
independent city. As such, the site is listed on the Tabula Peutinger.
In de Midden Bronstijd was het de gewoonte de overledenen
onder de vloeren van de huizen te begraven. Een buitengewone vondst was een
groot gemeenschappelijk graf uit ca.1700 v.Chr. Het bevatte de skeletten van 42
volwassenen en 16 kinderen; 160 goed bewaarde keramieken potten, vazen, bronzen
pinnen en diverse figuurtjes dienden als grafgiften. Een ander graf betrof de
begraving van een jonge vrouw samen met haar kind.
Op een tablet uit de archieven van Ugarit (c.1350 v.C) komen
we de plaatsnaam Gibala tegen tijdens de regering van koning Niqmepa van
Ugarit. Niqmepa maakt dan een verdrag met Abdianati, de koning van Sianu
vlakbij Gibala, dat de grensplaats was.
Op de westelijk punt van de tell, aan het uiteinde van de
hoofdstraat, stond een breedkamerige tempel uit de 6e eeuw v.C.
Gedurende het begin van de ijzertijd neemt Arwad de positie
Ugarit in deze streek over en Gibala gaat onderdeel uitmaken van het koninkrijk
Arwad. Dat verandert wanneer de Assyriërs de Gabla vlakte omvormen tot een
eigen provincie. In de Perzische tijd herneemt Arwad echter weer zijn oude
dominante positie in deze streek.
Tijdens de bronstijd was Gibala verbonden met de zee via een
zeearm. Door de verzanding van deze zeearm in de ijzertijd boette Tweini steeds
meer aan betekenis in. Tegen het eind van de ijzertijd verlieten de inwoners de
stad en vestigden zich aan de zeekust te Gabala en dat is het huidige Jebleh.
In de Hellenistische tijd gaat Gabala zijn eigen munten (GB)
slaan en wordt een onafhankelijke stad. Als zodanig wordt de plaats vermeld op
de Tabula Peutinger.
