Abstract
Salvage excavations at Khirbat Shumeila identified four strata spanning the late Persian, early Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. The primary remains comprise two structures: Building 25, which features two distinct construction phases dating to the late Persian and early Hellenistic periods, and Building 6, dating to the Hellenistic period. These buildings, along with the installations uncovered within and around them, indicate intensive agricultural activity, suggesting their function as farmsteads. Their proximity to additional adjacent farmsteads implies their integration into a regional agricultural network established during the fourth-century BCE Persian administrative reorganization—a configuration that continued uninterrupted into the early Hellenistic period. The abandonment and subsequent reuse of Building 25, together with the construction of Building 6, may reflect political instability in the region during the second century BCE.
Keywords
Judean Shephelah, Persian period, Hellenistic period, farmstead, Ramat Bet Shemesh, agricultural installations, quarries, cist graves, columbarium
Recommended Citation
Kogan-Zehavi, Elena
(2026)
"Khirbat Shumeila: Buildings from the Persian and Hellenistic Periods and Installations in Their Surroundings / ח'ירבת שומילה: מבנים מהתקופות הפרסית וההלניסטית ומתקנים בסביבתם,"
Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel: Vol. 2, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/3078-8528.1054
Available at:
https://publications.iaa.org.il/qadum/vol2/iss1/10
Included in
Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons
