Ancient grave reveals 4,000-year-old Canaanite warrior in Lebanon

Beirut (Lebanon), August 7 : An archaeological excavation team from the British Musuem in Sidon, Lebanon, have unearthed a new grave containing human skeletal remains belonging to a Canaanite warrior, dating back to 4,000 years.

According to a report in The Daily Star, the delegation made the discovery at the "Freres" excavation site near Sidon's crusader castle.

"This is the 77th grave that we have discovered at this site since our digging activities has started ten years ago with Lebanese-British financing," said archeology expert and field supervisor Claude Doumet Serhal.

According to Serhal, the remains go back to 2000 B.C., with a British archeologist saying the warrior had been buried at the age of 15 to 20 along with a spear and two stamps.

"We have discovered earlier this year a jar also belonging to the Canaanite period i.e. to 2,000 years B.C. where a skeleton for a newborn baby had been found," she said.

"We can say that through the discoveries we have been making at this site, we will be able to draw a graph showing the history of this ancient Mediterranean merchant city since 3000 BC," she added.

So far, 10 years of excavation have revealed discoveries like tombs and burial jars for children and adults, jugs, pieces of pottery with Phoenician inscription, bronze weapons for warriors in addition to jewelry.

"Last year, for example, we found tons of wheat going back to 3000 BC," said Serhal.

Serhal said that the British delegation would continue its work until the first of September "when we will announce the discoveries we have made."

ANI