antiquities

A routine salvage excavation ahead of construction of a new bus terminal in Ramat Gan, Israel, revealed a surprising discovery: an industrial and commercial complex dating back 1,300 years to the early Islamic period. Digging for several months in the parking lot of the city’s Winter Stadium, archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) uncovered evidence of workshops, trade, and economic activity. According to Yoav Arbel, one of the excavation directors, this find offers insight into the economic activities of the Umayyad and later Abbasid Caliphates. So far, archaeologists have exposed only part of the complex, leaving its true size and purpose unclear. Unexpected Discovery Reveals a Vast Early Islamic Commercial Complex Arbel, who led the excavation along with Lior