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Abstract

Four areas were excavated northwest of Tel Lod (Areas A–D), exposing remains from three strata: Stratum III, dating from the late Byzantine to the Umayyad periods (sixth–eighth centuries CE; Stratum II, dating to the Abbasid period (eighth–tenth centuries CE)—the primary layer at the site; and Stratum I, dating from the medieval period—from the end of the Crusader to the beginning of the Mamluk period (second half of the thirteenth century CE). The plans of the Stratum II buildings are uniform, probably alluding to a well-planned residential quarter during the Abbasid period. The finds from Stratum II include pottery, glass and coins, as well as some unique specimens, such as a decorated bread stamp, a bird figurine, a potsherd engraved with two animals eating a plant and a zir handle adorned with a monogram. The results of this excavation are evidence that although the city of Lod decreased in importance at the beginning of the Early Islamic period with the rise of Ramla as the district’s capital, life in the city continued uninterruptedly throughout the Abbasid period.

Keywords

Naḥal Ayyalon, geomorphology, numismatics, urban planning

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