Lhe square-shaped cave, supported by a pillar in the center of the ceiling, is in the ancient port city of Yavne-Yam and was unearthed during work in the Palmachim Beach National Park, south of Tel- Aviv, the IAA said.
Entire pottery and bronze vessels were discovered on the floor of the cave, in the very place where they were laid during the ancient burial ceremony.
Vessels of various shapes include deep and shallow bowls, some of which are painted red, pedestal chalices, cooking pots, jugs, and clay candles that held oil for lighting.
According to IAA archaeologists, some of these jars were produced on the coasts of Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus, particularly in the regions of Tyre, Sidon and Ugarit.
Such vases were brought in large quantities, commonly used for funerary objects.
Next to the jugs, small storage vessels have been found, mainly flasks and jugs, which were intended to store and exchange precious materials in small quantities. Arrowheads were also found at the site.
Finds in the cave date back to the Late Bronze Age, when an Egyptian administration had existed in ancient Israel since the time of Pharaoh Ramses II, which provided secure conditions for large-scale trade, concluded the archaeologists.
(With MAP)
