Construction crews working in Israel’s Palmachim Beach National Park found a cave from the time of King Rameses II, revealing “what looks like an ‘Indiana Jones’ movie set,” according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. The discovery was made Sept. 14, when excavation equipment created a hole that offered a view into a mysterious room, officials said. Palmachim Beach National Park is located south of Tel Aviv, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. “Archaeologists … descended a staircase into the amazing site that seemed frozen in time,” the authority said in a Facebook post. “The carved cave was square in shape with a central supporting pillar. Several dozen intact vessels and bronze objects were placed in the cave, just as they had been arranged in the burial ceremony some 3,300 years ago. These vessels were funerary offerings that accompanied the deceased in the belief that they would serve the dead in the afterlife.” Officials did not say if there were bones or other human remains among the artifacts, which included pottery and bronze objects. The cave has been dated to the time of King Ramses II, “the pharaoh associated with the Biblical Exodus from Egypt,” officials said. “The fact that the cave was sealed … will allow us to use the modern scientific methods available today to recover a lot of information from the artifacts … not visible to the naked eye,” according to Eli Yannai, expert of the Bronze Age. with the Israel Antiquities Authority. “The cave may provide a complete picture of Late Bronze Age burial customs.” Much of the pottery found was intact, including storage jars and footed goblets, officials said. Some of the containers had been transported from Lebanon and Cyprus and may have contained “expensive goods”, officials said. Guards were posted at the site immediately after the discovery, but “few items were looted from the cave before it was sealed,” officials said. The theft is under investigation. “Within a few days, we will formulate a plan to carry out the research and protection of this unique site, which is a celebration of the archaeological world and the ancient history of the land of Israel,” the authority says. Palmahim National Park includes “the ruins of the ancient port of Yavne-Yam from the Middle Canaanite period,” according to the park’s website. Previous excavations in the park have revealed “ancient waterworks and agricultural implements,” officials said. This story was originally published on September 19, 2022 at 9:23 am. Mark Price has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1991, covering beats such as schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with a major in journalism and art history and a minor in geology.
