Early Canaanite Village Exposed

Photo by Isranet/IAA

According to Karen Covello-Paran, director of the excavation, “We discovered a wide rare bracelet made of bronze. The ancient bracelet, which is extraordinarily well preserved, is decorated with engravings and the top of it is adorned with a horned structure. At that time, horns were the symbol of the storm-god, and they represented power, fertility, and law. The person who could afford such a bracelet was apparently very well off financially, and it probably belonged to the village ruler. It is interesting to note that in the artwork of neighboring lands, gods, and rulers, were depicted wearing horned crowns; however, such a bracelet…has never been found here.”

The bracelet was found inside an estate house dating to the Canaanite period (the Late Bronze Age, 1550–1200 BC). The building was made of indigenous limestone and included a paved central courtyard surrounded by rooms. According to Covello-Paran, “This is the first time that a 3,500-year-old village has been excavated and exposed in the north of Israel. To date, only the large cities have been excavated in the region, such as Tel Megiddo and Tel Hazor. Here, we have gained a first glimpse of life in the ancient rural hinterland in the north. It seems that the small village at Ramat Razim constituted part of the periphery of Tel Hazor, the largest and most significant city in the Canaanite region at the time.