‘Umayri 2000: An Update on the Latest Season

The accompanying article describes many of the key finds made at ‘Umayri over the past dig seasons, particularly the two very impressive domestic buildings. Now let’s bring the picture up to date by looking at some of the important discoveries made just last summer. Field directors Larry Herr and Douglas Clark and administrative director Warren Trenchard point to four major finds made in 2000.

The excavators uncovered the remains of a large Late Bronze Age building dating to about 1350–1300 B.C.E. (photo at top). Located in its time at the highest point of the tell, the building still stands to a height of more than 10 feet; it originally had a second story made of mudbrick, which collapsed and covered the stone walls of the first story. “The high walls make the ‘Umayri building one of the best-preserved structures from its time anywhere in the Holy Land,” said Clark. The building’s location and height and the thickness of its walls (more than 3 feet) make it likely that it was a public building—perhaps a governor’s palace—rather than merely a home. The excavators dug down to floor level but were disappointed not to find any artifacts that could shed light on the structure’s purpose. They did, however, discover three pieces of Mycenaean pottery, indicating contact between ‘Umayri and places that traded with Greece.