Nokia sponsors the archaeological excavations in Saidon, Lebanon

Findings include tombs dating back to Bronze Age.

 

(September 25, 2001) Nineteen ancient tombs dating back to the Bronze Age have been uncovered in old Saidon by a team of expert archaeologists. In a collaborative effort between Lebanon and Britain, experts from the British Museum and the Culture Ministry’s Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) have been working at the site of a former school and discovered the tombs, which date between 4000-2000 BC. The findings were announced during a press conference.
The head of the archaeological expedition, Dr. Claude Doumit Serhal said the current team is made up of seven archaeologists from the British Museum, assisted by 10 archaeology students from the Lebanese University and 90 volunteers.
It was the first time ancient sites dating back to the Bronze Age have been uncovered in Saidon. The findings help restore knowledge of the past history of Saidon which has been lost for years and shed light on the eras between 4000 BC and 2000 BC. Among the oldest remains are the stone foundations and mud brick walls of houses, complete with kitchen, basin and a stone mill for grinding corn, all dating back as far as 3500 BC. The tombs contained skeletons surrounded by objects like stones, pottery and sometimes Bronze Age weapons and tools, including axes and spearheads. In three graves, an image of a scarab – Egypt’s holy beetle – was found, illustrating the lively trade and cultural relationships that existed between the Nile Kingdom and Lebanon’s independent city-states. Having worked on the site over the past three years, the archeologists hope to continue their work next year and thanked the Lebanon’s Directorate General of Antiquities for their support and cooperation, as well as their sponsors: the British Museum, the Hariri Foundation, Byblos Bank and Nokia.