تل كزل | |
  Tell Kazel Shown within Syria | |
| Region | Tartus Governorate |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°42′29″N35°59′10″E / 34.708056°N 35.986111°E /34.708056; 35.986111 |
| Type | Tell |
| Part of | Ancient city |
| Length | 350 m |
| Width | 325 m |
| Area | 11 ha (27 acres) |
| History | |
| Material | Stone, flints, pottery |
| Periods | Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1956, 1960–1968, 1985-2001 |
| Archaeologists | Maurice Dunand, Nassib Saliby, ‘Adnān Bounnī,Leila Badre,Assaad Seif |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Management | Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums |
| Public access | Yes |
Tell Kazel (Arabic:تل الكزل,romanized: Tall al-Kazil) is an oval-shapedtell that measures 350 m × 325 m (1,150 ft × 1,070 ft) at its base, narrowing to 200 m × 200 m (660 ft × 660 ft) at its top. It is located in theSafita district of theTartus Governorate inSyria in the north of theAkkar plain on the north of the al-Abrash River approximately 18 km (11 mi) south ofTartus.[1]
The tell was first surveyed in 1956 after which a lengthy discussion was opened byMaurice Dunand and Nassib Saliby identifying the site with the ancient city variously named Sumur, Simyra orZemar (EgyptianSmrAkkadianSumuru orAssyrianSimirra).[1]
It was a major trade center and appears in theAmarna letters;Ahribta is named as its ruler. It was under the guardianship ofRib-Hadda, king ofByblos, but revolted against him and joinedAbdi-Ashirta's expanding kingdom ofAmurru. Pro-Egyptian factions may have seized the city again but Abdi-Ashirta's sonAziru recaptured the city.
A large amount of importedpottery fromCyprus, known asCypriot bichrome ware, was found dating between the 14th and 12th centuries BC and contrasting to other sites in theHoms gap. The city was destroyed during the Late Bronze Age, after which localMycenaean ceramics,Handmade burnished ware andGrey ware replaced the imported pottery.[1] Architectural remains at the site include apalace complex andtemple that were dated towards the end of theLate Bronze Age. The temple contained a variety of amulets, seals and glazed ware that showed similarities with the culture ofUgarit.
A laterIron Age settlement was detected between the 9th and 8th centuries BC which was brought to an end with evidence of burnt destruction caused by a currently unidentifiedAssyrian invasion.[2]
The ancient city is mentioned in theBible,Book of Genesis (Genesis 10:18) and1 Chronicles (1 Chronicles 1:16) as the home of the Zemarites, an offshoot of theCaananites.[3]
A warehouse and defensive installation made out ofashlar blocks were found dating to the Persian period with further evidence of Hellenistic occupation evidenced by a large cemetery in the northeast of the site.[2]
The site was surveyed in 1956.[4] The tell was first excavated between 1960 and 1962 byMaurice Dunand, Nassib Saliby and Adnān Bounni who determined a sequence between theMiddle Bronze Age through to theHellenistic civilization.[5] The most important occupations were determined to have taken place during theLate Bronze Age andPersian Empire.[1]
In 1985, new excavations began in partnership between theArchaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut and theDirectorate-General of Antiquities and Museums in Syria under the directorship ofLeila Badre. Excavations continued for 18 seasons until 2001.[6][7][8]
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