Archaeologists Excavate Most Ancient City Gate in Israel, Dates Back to 5,500 Years

A glimpse of the ancient past has emerged within a short distance from an industrial park filled with modern machinery and factories.

Tel Erani is a 150-dunam (37-acre) site associated with the ancient Philistines. The city, located on the present-day outskirts of Kiryat Gat, was destroyed in the 6th century BCE.

The findings

In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists have found the oldest known gate in Israel. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, this is a 5,500-year-old imposing stone and mud-brick passageway to the ancient city of Tel Erani.

Researchers were excavating near Kiryat Gat's industrial zone in Israel just before the installation of a water pipeline.

Before this discovery, the record-holder for the oldest gate in Israel was identified in Tel Arad and was dated about 300 years later than this gate.

The discovered gate is 1.5 metres (4 feet 11 inches) tall and flanked by two towers made of large stones attached to the city walls, which were uncovered in previous excavations. Carving through the middle of the gate is a road built of large stones that leads into the ancient city.

Alongside the gate, the team has discovered a portion of a fortification system, all dating to the Early Bronze Age. According to the Antiquities Authority, the discovery provides valuable insights into the development of urban centres and their strategic defence in ancient times.

Statement from Emily Bischoff

According to Emily Bischoff, Director of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "This is the first time that such a large gate dating to the Early Bronze has been uncovered. To construct the gate and the fortification walls, stones had to be brought from a distance, mud-bricks had to be manufactured, and the fortification walls had to be constructed. The fortification system is evidence of social organisation that represents the beginning of urbanisation."

The Israel Antiquities Authority's statement

"It is probable that all passers-by, traders or enemies, who wanted to enter the city had to pass through this impressive gate," said Martin-David Pasternak, an Israel Antiquities Authority researcher of this period.

Dr. Yitzhak Paz, an Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist specialising in the Early Bronze Age period, said, "Tell Erani site was part of a large and important settlement system in the southwestern area of the country during this period. Within this system, we can identify the first signs of the urbanisation process, including settlement planning, social stratification, and public building."

"The newly uncovered gate is an important discovery that affects the dating of the beginning of the urbanisation process in the country," he added.