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Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis

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Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis
Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis is located in Palestine
Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis
Shown within Palestine
Alternate nameRoman Cemetery Beit Lahia[1]
LocationJabaliya, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Coordinates31°32′55″N 34°27′59″E / 31.54872°N 34.46628°E / 31.54872; 34.46628
TypeInhumation cemetery
Area4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) (estimated)[1]
History
PeriodsRoman
Site notes
Discovered2022
Excavation dates2023
ArchaeologistsRené Elter[2]

The Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis was a Roman cemetery in Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The known area covers an estimated 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) and it is the largest cemetery to have been discovered in Gaza. It was close to Anthedon, a Roman town, and was probably used from the 1st century AD to the 3rd century AD.

The cemetery was discovered in 2022. Archaeologists led by René Elter started digging the following year. They had discovered 135 graves by the time digging was stopped by the start of the Gaza war. The graves included two lead sarcophagi which were the first found in Gaza and likely belonged to rich people. The cemetery was one of hundreds of important places damaged in the war.

Key dates

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  • 1st century: the cemetery was established
  • 3rd century: the cemetery was abandoned
  • 8th–9th centuries: some graves were looted
  • 2022: the cemetery was rediscovered
  • 2023: archaeologists began digging
  • 2023–25: the site was damaged during the Gaza war

Background

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Ard al-Moharbeen was probably the cemetery for Anthedon,[3] a nearby a coastal town and port. The town was lived in from about 800 BC to 1100 AD.[4] Many archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip have been found during building projects.[5] The blockade of the Gaza Strip has made archaeology more difficult because there are not enough tools. Première Urgence Internationale has been helping students in Gaza learn about archaeology.[6]

Discovery and investigation

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The cemetery was found in early 2022 when a housing project was being built in Jabaliya.[7] Archaeologists led by René Elter began digging in July 2023.[2][8] 30 graduates from the University of Palestine and the Islamic University of Gaza were involved in the excavation.[9]

Hundreds of heritage sites were damaged during the Gaza war.[10] Exploded rockets left craters at Ard-al-Moharbeen.[11] Bulldozers also damaged the site.[12] Jehad Yasin of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said that the cemetery was "almost completely destroyed".[13] The Israeli military said that it had targeted "a Hamas military compound used for operational purposes".[14]

Summary of finds

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  • 135 graves
  • 2 lead sarcophagi
  • Some graves included items buried with the dead

Cemetery features

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The Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis is the largest cemetery discovered in Gaza. 135 graves have been found in an area of 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft).[15][2] The burials are thought to date from the 1st century AD to the 3rd century AD.[3] The tombs were usually made from stone or mudbrick, and one contained painted plaster.[3] When they were found, most of the graves still contained human remains. Some of the graves contained objects buried with the dead (grave goods); the objects include clay pots,[7] perfume bottles,[16] and some skeletons were found with coins in their mouths. Putting a coin in the mouth of a dead person was a Greco-Roman practice referred to as "Charon's obol". The coin was to pay the ferryman Charon for dead person's entry to the underworld.[9][17] The grave goods show that Gaza had trade connections with the Mediterranean and Nabataea.[3]

The burials included two lead sarcophagi which were the first to be discovered in Gaza.[7][2] They were made the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD,[6] and likely belonged to wealthier people than others buried in the cemetery.[3] Some of the burials are of important Roman officials.[15] Several burials were looted during the 8th and 9th centuries.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation (January 2025). Damage and Risk Assessment of Cultural Heritage Under Attack in the Gaza Strip (PDF) (Report). State of Palestine Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. p. 452. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-07-29. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Adwan, Issam (23 September 2023). "Archaeologists unearth the largest cemetery ever discovered in Gaza and find rare lead sarcophogi". AP News. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elter, René (18 May 2025). "n° 037 – Nécropole romaine d'Ard-al-Moharbeen" [n° 037 – Roman necropolis of Ard-al-Moharbeen]. Gaza Histoire, inventaire d'un patrimoine bombardé (in French). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Anthedon Harbour". UNESCO. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  5. ↑ Armaly, Fareed (2008). "Crossroads and contexts: interviews on archaeology in Gaza". Journal of Palestine Studies. 37 (2): 52–54, 72. doi:10.1525/jps.2008.37.2.43.
  6. 1 2 Ditmars, Hadani (26 July 2023). "'Rare intact Roman burial site' with more than 125 tombs discovered in the Gaza Strip". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (24 July 2023). "At least 125 tombs discovered at Roman-era cemetery in Gaza". Reuters. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  8. ↑ McKernan, Bethan (2023-09-03). "'We can't take any of this for granted': Gaza's fight to keep its treasures safe at home". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  9. 1 2 Velie, Elaine (27 July 2023). "Over 100 Tombs Unearthed in Roman Cemetery in Palestine". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Ahmed, Kaamil (28 April 2024). "'Everything beautiful has been destroyed': Palestinians mourn a city in tatters". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 27 March 2024. A recent report by the Palestinian culture ministry into Israeli damage to Palestinian heritage said Israel's bombardment of Gaza had destroyed 207 buildings of cultural or historical significance, including 144 in the old city and 25 religious sites.
  11. ↑ Saber, Indlieb Farazi (14 January 2024). "A 'cultural genocide': Which of Gaza's heritage sites have been destroyed?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  12. ↑ Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation (January 2025). Damage and Risk Assessment of Cultural Heritage Under Attack in the Gaza Strip (PDF) (Report). State of Palestine Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. pp. 452–454. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-05-29. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
  13. ↑ Geranpayeh, Sarvy (28 November 2023). "Bombing of Gaza has damaged or destroyed more than 100 heritage sites, NGO report reveals". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  14. ↑ Knell, Yolande (16 September 2025). "The frantic race to protect historic treasures from Israeli bombs". BBC News. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  15. 1 2 Francis, Ellen (25 July 2023). "125 tombs found after chance discovery of ancient Roman-era cemetery in Gaza". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  16. ↑ Jacobs, Phie (3 August 2023). "Roman aristocrats bought passage to the underworld at this cemetery in Gaza". www.science.org. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  17. ↑ Stevens, Susan T. (1991). "Charon's Obol and Other Coins in Ancient Funerary Practice". Phoenix. 45 (3): 215. doi:10.2307/1088792. JSTOR 1088792.
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