Tombs from theMiddle Bronze Age and Late Bronze Ages have been excavated here.[2]
A number of burial caves cut into chalk-like bedrock are dated to Middle Bronze Age IIA and are believed to have been reused during Late Bronze Age II. The pottery assemblage consists of vessel types from the Early, Middle and Late Bronze periods, with the later pottery finds presenting both local types and imports, such as Cypriot ‘milk bowls’ and bilbils as well as a few Mycenaean vessels.[3]
Pottery from theCrusader times have been found here.[7]In the Crusader era, it was known asRecordane, and in 1154, the mill and village was acquired theHospitalliers.[8] The Hospitalliers owned the water mills here for a number of years.[9] Between 1235 and 1262 the Hospitalliers had a dispute with theTemplars about water rights.[10]
Twoaqueducts, dating from this era, have been excavated.[2]
In 1283 it was still part of the Crusader states, as it was mentioned as part of their domain in thehudna between the Crusaders based inAcre and theMamluk sultanQalawun.[11][12]
Incorporated into theOttoman Empire in 1517, it appeared under the nameKufrdani in thecensus of 1596, located in theNahiya ofAcca of theLiwa ofSafad. The village was noted as "hali" (empty), but taxes were paid, a total of 1,800akçe. All of the revenues went to awaqf.[16][17] The stair to the tower roof of the mill, and two more wheel-chambers in the southern part of the mill was added in the Ottoman period.[15]
In 1875Victor Guérin visited, and noted aboutTell el-Kerdaneh: "To the north and bottom of thistell, along the marsh, we observe the remains of an enclosure which measured 54 steps long by 40 wide, and which seems to have been that of a fortifiedkhan. All the walls have been removed; the inner blockage alone partly remained."[19] About the surrounding march, and mill, he noted that it was the origin of theNahr Na'min, and "These springs, at their origin, are immediately abundant enough to form a considerable river and to turn the millstones of a millstone. Near this mill, we note the lower foundations of an old bridge and the remains of a tower pierced with loopholes andogival vaults. It had two floors, and was built withashlars on which many crosses were traced, and some at a height that the hand cannot reach. Therefore, these crosses could not be engraved there by passing travelers, who would have needed a ladder to place them so high, but they must go back to the time when this tower was occupied by Christians, and most likely date from the time of the Crusades. Above the front door was a mâchecoulis balcony, the trace of which is very visible."[20]
In 1881, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) found atKh. Khurdaneh (east of the mill) only heaps of stones.[21] The name, Kh. Kurdâneh was taken to meanthe ruin of Kurdâneh, p.n.[22]
The area was acquired by the Jewish community under theSursock Purchase. In 1925 a Zionist organisation purchased 1,500dunums inKordaneh, from Alfred Sursuk, of theSursuk family ofBeirut. At the time, there were 20 families living there.[24]
^Avner Kessler and Uri Kafri (2007). "Application of a cell model for operational management of the Na'aman groundwater basin, Israel".Israel Journal of Earth Sciences.56:29–46.doi:10.1560/ijes.56.1.29.
^Note that Rhode, 1979, p.6Archived 2019-04-20 at theWayback Machine writes that the Safad register that Hütteroth and Abdulfattah studied was not from 1595/6, but from 1548/9.
Abu Raya, Rafeh; Porat, Leea (2012-09-19)."Tel Afeq (Northeast)".124. Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
Accos, Iris (2000). "Tel Afek" (112). Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
Barag, Dan (1979). "A new source concerning the ultimate borders of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem".Israel Exploration Journal.29 (3/4):197–217.JSTOR27925726.
Khamisy, Rabei G. (2014). "The Treaty of 1283 between Sultan Qalāwūn and the Frankish Authorities of Acre: A New Topographical Discussion".Israel Exploration Journal.64, 1:72–102.
Ornan, Tallay, 2007, "Labor Pangs: The Revadim Plaque Type", inBickel, S., Schroer, S. and Uehlinger, Ch. (eds.),Bilder als Quellen / Images as Sources. Studies on Ancient Near Eastern Artefacts and the Bible inspired by the work of Othmar Keel, OBO Special Volume, Fribourg and Göttingen, 2007, pp. 215–235, pl.XXIV.ISBN978-3-7278-1613-0
