Sands of Beirut
Encyclopedia
The Sands of Beirut were a series of archaeological sites located on the coastline south of Beirut
in Lebanon
.
in constructing the city of Beirut
and Beirut Airport. The large number of open air sites provided a wealth of flint relics from various periods including Natufian remains, unstratified but suggested to date between c. 10000 BC to c 8000 BC. Finds included sickles used for harvesting wild cereals as just prior to the agricultural revolution
. The transition into the neolithic is well documented with Khiamian
sites also being represented in the Sands. Evidence of pre-Natufian Kebaran
occupation was also found.
The materials recovered are now held by the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
part of the Saint Joseph University. It is one of the few sites showing signs of real village occupation in the late pleistocene
. The first flints were found by J. Chester and further studies by J.W. Dawson were published in 1874. This was followed by extensive research by Father G. Zumoffen who published in 1893. Henri Fleisch
also catalogued and recovered materials from the sites in the 1960s
, the destruction of the Sands of Beirut was recently exhibited through Father Fleisch's photography in June 2010 at the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
.
Sands of Beirut archaeological sites included:
tools were collected from the site from various periods. It was first published as Lower Paleolithic
and Middle Paleolithic
by Auguste Bergy
in 1932 and as Middle and Upper Paleolithic
by Henri Fleisch in 1965. Some of the material was found at a depth of three and a half meters below the sands. A trace of Neolithic
was found along with three Emireh points and a series of styled picks that were given their name from this site, known as Bir Hassan picks.
tools. It was first discovered by Father René Mouterde and material was published by Godefroy Zumoffen
in 1910, Auguste Bergy in 1932 and Henri Fleisch in 1956 and 1965. Microlith
s were found along with trapezoid and cresecent arrowhead
s of the Natufian variety with tangs
and notches along with Helwan points. Also found were a Ksar Akil flake
, Emireh points and traces of a Neolithic settlement. A Ksar Akil
flake (pictured) was found here.
material with traces of Mesolithic
and Neolithic
along with one Emireh point. Site 2 or 3.B. is a section in the railway cutting where material studies by Fathers Fleisch and Ramonnay determined to be largely Levalloiso-Mousterian with some Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic traces. They were found by Auguste Bergy, published by Henri Fleisch in 1965 and kept in the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory.
or Chester. One is 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) northwest of the monastery
of St. Elie, now in the UNESCO
building complex, another is in the area of Rue Ittifek and another was in the extension south of the monastery. A Mesolithic industry was found along with a Levallois
one by Bergy in 1932. Material was mentioned by Fleisch in 1965, who considered it Levalloiso-Mousterian with a few pieces from the Neolithic.
. It was mentioned by Godefroy Zumoffen in 1900 and Henri Fleisch in 1956. Material from the site was considered largely similar to that of the Néolithique Récent of Byblos by Jacques Cauvin
including long, narrow adze
s, chisels, segmented sickle blades with fine denticulation, borers and a transverse arrowhead found by Auguste Bergy
about 750 metres (2,460.6 ft) east of the minaret
.
were found at this site alongside Palaeolithic material.
.
, inland from the coast near Mdaoura. A small site containing two Emireh points, a Natufian arrowhead and a number of axe
s from various periods including the Neolithic.
and Peter Wescombe. They were located at the east end of the runway of Beirut Airport covering a site of approximately 500 square metre (0.05 ha). Preliminary excavations were carried out by M.R. Saidah in 1964. The site contained two areas, one of red sand where human burials were discovered and another of modern sand where six stone circles were observed in 1964 around 20 metres (65.6 ft) to 40 metres (131.2 ft) from the runway, these were bulldozed in 1965 to make a golf
course, leaving only one standing. The circles were composed of large river boulders, varying in diameters between 8 metres (26.2 ft) and 15 metres (49.2 ft). A nearby ramleh outcrop contains a large, square empty cistern or well cut into the sandstone. Flints including Levallois
cores, flakes and waste were dispersed across the whole area but gave little evidence regarding the age of the stone circles.
in 1930. It represents the earliest known neolithic
village settlement in the Beirut area. Henri Fleisch also recovered more material during a rescue mission in 1948 when the site was levelled due to construction of Beirut airport. All this material is now in the Saint Joseph University, Museum of Lebanese Prehistory. The site shows evidence of also having been occupied during the Roman
era. Pottery
and flints were recovered including a variety of axes, knives, chisels, scrapers, borers, and picks. Sickle blades were mostly finely serated or showed coarse denticulation. Pottery was hardened by firing and included flat bases, a strap handle and a few sherds incised with stab marks and parallel lines. Jacques Cauvin concluded the artefacts similar and the site likely contemporary with middle neolithic periods of Byblos. A.M.T. Moore argued that finds such as Amuq points and short axes were more archaic still, possibly even dating into the Upper Paleolithic. He further suggested the site had been frequented by hunter-gatherer groups forming temporary camps and developed into a village during the early neolithic period.
collected PPNB materials from the site in 1932 before it was turned into landfill
for rubbish. The large and notable assemblage from the site included a set of nibbled or finely denticulated sickle
blades from which the site takes it's name. Also recovered were crested blades, two distinct types of arrowhead
, awls, scrapers, polished axe
s, scissors
, chisels, borers, scrapers, retouched blades, microburins and a few flaked picks. Jacques Cauvin
has termed the collection of flints from this site as a "nucléus naviformes", which he claimed may represent an older type of lithic technology than found in the most archaic neolithic levels from Byblos
. The site has shown many similarities to Damascus
basin sites and compared to the very earliest levels of Tell Ramad
, dating to the earliest stage of the PPNB.
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Description
The Sands were a complex of nearly 20 prehistoric sites that were destroyed due to building operations using the soft sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
in constructing the city of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and Beirut Airport. The large number of open air sites provided a wealth of flint relics from various periods including Natufian remains, unstratified but suggested to date between c. 10000 BC to c 8000 BC. Finds included sickles used for harvesting wild cereals as just prior to the agricultural revolution
Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution was the first agricultural revolution. It was the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. Archaeological data indicates that various forms of plants and animal domestication evolved independently in 6 separate locations worldwide circa...
. The transition into the neolithic is well documented with Khiamian
Khiamian
The Khiamian is a period of the Near-Eastern Neolithic, marking the transition between the Natufian and the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A...
sites also being represented in the Sands. Evidence of pre-Natufian Kebaran
Kebaran
The Kebaran or Kebarian culture was an archaeological culture in the eastern Mediterranean area , named after its type site, Kebara Cave south of Haifa...
occupation was also found.
The materials recovered are now held by the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
The Museum of Lebanese Prehistory is a museum of prehistory and archaeology in Beirut, Lebanon.-History:...
part of the Saint Joseph University. It is one of the few sites showing signs of real village occupation in the late pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
. The first flints were found by J. Chester and further studies by J.W. Dawson were published in 1874. This was followed by extensive research by Father G. Zumoffen who published in 1893. Henri Fleisch
Henri Fleisch
Reverend Father Henri Fleisch, born January 1 1904 in Jonvelle , France and died 10 February 1985 in Lebanon where he was buried. He was a French archaeologist, missionary and Orientalist, known for his work on classical Arabic language and Lebanese dialect and prehistory in Lebanon.He entered the...
also catalogued and recovered materials from the sites in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, the destruction of the Sands of Beirut was recently exhibited through Father Fleisch's photography in June 2010 at the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
The Museum of Lebanese Prehistory is a museum of prehistory and archaeology in Beirut, Lebanon.-History:...
.
Sands of Beirut archaeological sites included:
| Sands site | Copeland and Wescombe number | Fleisch number |
| Bir Hassan | 1 | 15 |
| Borj Barajne | 2 | 9 |
| Khan Khalde | 3.A. and 3.B. | 1 and 2 |
| Mar Elias (Saint Elie) | 4.A. | 17 |
| Mar Elias El Tiffeh | 4.B. | 17 |
| Nahr Ghedir | 5 | 4 |
| Ouza'i | 6.A. | 13 |
| Ouza'i | 6.B. | 14 |
| Tell Arslan | 7 | 3 |
| Tell aux Scies | 8 | 16 |
| Site 5 (Shell Station) | 9 | 5 |
| Site 6 (north of Shell Station) | 10 | 6 |
| Site 7 (Airport Boulevard) | 11 | 7 |
| Site 8 (southwest of Ain Sekka) | 12 | 8 |
| Site 10 (Mdaoura) | 13 | 10 |
| Site 11 (Haret Hraik) | 14 | 11 |
| Site 12 and extension | 15.A. and 15.B. | 12 |
| The Stone Circles | 16 | - |
| Khan El Asis | 17 | - |
Bir Hassan
This site was located at the top of the Bir Hassan dune at approximately fifty five meters above sea level extending down the slopes towards Ouza'i. Thousands of flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
tools were collected from the site from various periods. It was first published as Lower Paleolithic
Lower Paleolithic
The Lower Paleolithic is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. It spans the time from around 2.5 million years ago when the first evidence of craft and use of stone tools by hominids appears in the current archaeological record, until around 300,000 years ago, spanning the...
and Middle Paleolithic
Middle Paleolithic
The Middle Paleolithic is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleolithic in African archeology. The Middle Paleolithic and the Middle Stone Age...
by Auguste Bergy
Auguste Bergy
Reverend Father Auguste Bergy, born 1873 in France and died 31 August 1955 was a French Jesuit archaeologist notable for his work on prehistory in Lebanon.He is known particularly for excavations and studies at the Sands of Beirut and at Ras Beirut...
in 1932 and as Middle and Upper Paleolithic
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
by Henri Fleisch in 1965. Some of the material was found at a depth of three and a half meters below the sands. A trace of Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
was found along with three Emireh points and a series of styled picks that were given their name from this site, known as Bir Hassan picks.
Borj Barajne
Also called Tell aux Crochets, Tell Mouterde or Cote 52, it is now built over by a refugee village. Finds from this site were recovered by Jesuits and included flint arrowheads and geometric MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
tools. It was first discovered by Father René Mouterde and material was published by Godefroy Zumoffen
Godefroy Zumoffen
Reverend Father Godefroy Zumoffen, born 1848 in France and died in 1928 was a French Jesuit archaeologist and geologist notable for his work on prehistory in Lebanon....
in 1910, Auguste Bergy in 1932 and Henri Fleisch in 1956 and 1965. Microlith
Microlith
A microlith is a small stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. It is produced from either a small blade or a larger blade-like piece of flint by abrupt or truncated retouching, which leaves a very typical piece of waste,...
s were found along with trapezoid and cresecent arrowhead
Arrowhead
An arrowhead is a tip, usually sharpened, added to an arrow to make it more deadly or to fulfill some special purpose. Historically arrowheads were made of stone and of organic materials; as human civilization progressed other materials were used...
s of the Natufian variety with tangs
Tang (weaponry)
A tang or shank is the back portion of a tool where it extends into stock material or is connected to a handle as on a knife, sword, spear, arrowhead, chisel, screwdriver, etc...
and notches along with Helwan points. Also found were a Ksar Akil flake
Ksar Akil flake
Ksar Akil Flake is an oval type of Lithic flake with fine, regular teeth at frequent intervals. The flint tool is named after the archaeological site of Ksar Akil in Lebanon, where several examples were found and suggested to date to the late Upper Paleolithic.Two Ksar Akil Flakes are held by the...
, Emireh points and traces of a Neolithic settlement. A Ksar Akil
Ksar Akil
Ksar Akil is an archeological site 10 km northeast of Beirut in Lebanon. It is located about west of Antelias spring on the north bank of the northern tributary of the Wadi Antelias. It is a large rock shelter below a steep limestone cliff....
flake (pictured) was found here.
Khan Khalde
There are two sites at Khan Khalde, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Beirut around the Khalde station. Site 1 or 3.A. is located west of the station buildings and contained mostly Middle PaleolithicMiddle Paleolithic
The Middle Paleolithic is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleolithic in African archeology. The Middle Paleolithic and the Middle Stone Age...
material with traces of Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
and Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
along with one Emireh point. Site 2 or 3.B. is a section in the railway cutting where material studies by Fathers Fleisch and Ramonnay determined to be largely Levalloiso-Mousterian with some Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic traces. They were found by Auguste Bergy, published by Henri Fleisch in 1965 and kept in the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory.
Mar Elias (or St. Elie) and Mar Elias el Tiffeh
These sites were discovered by either Paul Bovier-LapierrePaul Bovier-Lapierre
Reverend Father Paul Bovier-Lapierre, born 1873 in France and died in 1950 was a French Jesuit archaeologist notable for his work on prehistory in Egypt and surveys in southern Lebanon.-External links:*...
or Chester. One is 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) northwest of the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of St. Elie, now in the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
building complex, another is in the area of Rue Ittifek and another was in the extension south of the monastery. A Mesolithic industry was found along with a Levallois
Levallois
Levallois may refer to:*Levallois-Perret, a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France.*Levallois technique *Nicolas-Eugène Levallois*Levallois SC, a current French football club...
one by Bergy in 1932. Material was mentioned by Fleisch in 1965, who considered it Levalloiso-Mousterian with a few pieces from the Neolithic.
Nahr Ghedir
This site is on the right bank at the old mouth of the Nahr Ghedir. Material including an Emireh point, large quantities of Middle Paleolithic tools, a few Upper Paleolithic and a trace of Neolithic were discussed by Fleisch in 1965.Ouza'i (Neba el Auza'i)
This site is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Beirut also on the east of the road to Sidon and is around 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) by 250 metres (820.2 ft) in the dunes at the start of the Khalde Boulevard, east of the mosqueMosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. It was mentioned by Godefroy Zumoffen in 1900 and Henri Fleisch in 1956. Material from the site was considered largely similar to that of the Néolithique Récent of Byblos by Jacques Cauvin
Jacques Cauvin
Professor Jacques Cauvin was a French archaeologist who specialised in the prehistory of the Levant and Near East.-Biography:...
including long, narrow adze
Adze
An adze is a tool used for smoothing or carving rough-cut wood in hand woodworking. Generally, the user stands astride a board or log and swings the adze downwards towards his feet, chipping off pieces of wood, moving backwards as they go and leaving a relatively smooth surface behind...
s, chisels, segmented sickle blades with fine denticulation, borers and a transverse arrowhead found by Auguste Bergy
Auguste Bergy
Reverend Father Auguste Bergy, born 1873 in France and died 31 August 1955 was a French Jesuit archaeologist notable for his work on prehistory in Lebanon.He is known particularly for excavations and studies at the Sands of Beirut and at Ras Beirut...
about 750 metres (2,460.6 ft) east of the minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
.
Site 6
This site is north of Shell petrol station, 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of Beirut near the Airport terminal. Some flints similar to the Neolithique Moyen period of ByblosByblos
Byblos is the Greek name of the Phoenician city Gebal . It is a Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of present-day Lebanon under the current Arabic name of Jubayl and was also referred to as Gibelet during the Crusades...
were found at this site alongside Palaeolithic material.
Site 7
A semi-circular site northeast of the Shell petrol station continuing to a point underneath Airport Boulevard. It was discovered by August Bergy and Henri Fleisch with collections made by P.E. Gigues of a non-geometric Mesolithic industry along with numerous core scrapers and two Emireh points. The site has now been destroyed but material is stored in the Museum of Lebanese PrehistoryMuseum of Lebanese Prehistory
The Museum of Lebanese Prehistory is a museum of prehistory and archaeology in Beirut, Lebanon.-History:...
.
Site 8
Another Mesolithic site located a few meters north of Site 7 with tools from a similar industry but with no Neolithic material.Site 10
Mdaoura or Tell aux Haches, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Beirut on the east of the road to SidonSidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, inland from the coast near Mdaoura. A small site containing two Emireh points, a Natufian arrowhead and a number of axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s from various periods including the Neolithic.
Site 11
Also known as Haret Hraik and located about 40 metres (131.2 ft) east of Ouza'i at around 40 metres (131.2 ft) above sea level, this site contained only Middle Paleolthic and Upper Paleolithic material. It disappeared underneath a refugee camp in 1950.Site 12
This site is east of the Zone Militaire on the top of a dune above a wood to the west of the first circle of Airport Boulevard, near Bir Hassan. Middle and Upper Paleolithic forms were found with traces of Neolithic material. The site disappeared in 1954.The Stone Circles
A site where stone circle structures were found by Lorraine CopelandLorraine Copeland
Lorraine Copeland is an archaeologist specialising in the Palaeolithic period of the Near East. Her husband was Miles Axe Copeland Jr, and they had four children, all of whom have gone on to have notable careers: Miles Copeland III, Ian, Lorraine and Stewart Copeland.Lorraine Copeland was born in...
and Peter Wescombe. They were located at the east end of the runway of Beirut Airport covering a site of approximately 500 square metre (0.05 ha). Preliminary excavations were carried out by M.R. Saidah in 1964. The site contained two areas, one of red sand where human burials were discovered and another of modern sand where six stone circles were observed in 1964 around 20 metres (65.6 ft) to 40 metres (131.2 ft) from the runway, these were bulldozed in 1965 to make a golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course, leaving only one standing. The circles were composed of large river boulders, varying in diameters between 8 metres (26.2 ft) and 15 metres (49.2 ft). A nearby ramleh outcrop contains a large, square empty cistern or well cut into the sandstone. Flints including Levallois
Levallois
Levallois may refer to:*Levallois-Perret, a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France.*Levallois technique *Nicolas-Eugène Levallois*Levallois SC, a current French football club...
cores, flakes and waste were dispersed across the whole area but gave little evidence regarding the age of the stone circles.
Tell Arslan
Tell Arslan was a more substantial archaeological site in the Sands of Beirut than the open air surface stations, with a full tell mound covering 1 hectares (10,000 m²) situated 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) south of Beirut and about 800 m east of the beach. It was first excavated by Father Auguste BergyAuguste Bergy
Reverend Father Auguste Bergy, born 1873 in France and died 31 August 1955 was a French Jesuit archaeologist notable for his work on prehistory in Lebanon.He is known particularly for excavations and studies at the Sands of Beirut and at Ras Beirut...
in 1930. It represents the earliest known neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
village settlement in the Beirut area. Henri Fleisch also recovered more material during a rescue mission in 1948 when the site was levelled due to construction of Beirut airport. All this material is now in the Saint Joseph University, Museum of Lebanese Prehistory. The site shows evidence of also having been occupied during the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
era. Pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and flints were recovered including a variety of axes, knives, chisels, scrapers, borers, and picks. Sickle blades were mostly finely serated or showed coarse denticulation. Pottery was hardened by firing and included flat bases, a strap handle and a few sherds incised with stab marks and parallel lines. Jacques Cauvin concluded the artefacts similar and the site likely contemporary with middle neolithic periods of Byblos. A.M.T. Moore argued that finds such as Amuq points and short axes were more archaic still, possibly even dating into the Upper Paleolithic. He further suggested the site had been frequented by hunter-gatherer groups forming temporary camps and developed into a village during the early neolithic period.
Tell aux Scies
Tell aux Scies or Tell of Saws is located south of Beirut, in the dunes near the coast. Father Auguste BergyAuguste Bergy
Reverend Father Auguste Bergy, born 1873 in France and died 31 August 1955 was a French Jesuit archaeologist notable for his work on prehistory in Lebanon.He is known particularly for excavations and studies at the Sands of Beirut and at Ras Beirut...
collected PPNB materials from the site in 1932 before it was turned into landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
for rubbish. The large and notable assemblage from the site included a set of nibbled or finely denticulated sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
blades from which the site takes it's name. Also recovered were crested blades, two distinct types of arrowhead
Arrowhead
An arrowhead is a tip, usually sharpened, added to an arrow to make it more deadly or to fulfill some special purpose. Historically arrowheads were made of stone and of organic materials; as human civilization progressed other materials were used...
, awls, scrapers, polished axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s, scissors
Scissors
Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...
, chisels, borers, scrapers, retouched blades, microburins and a few flaked picks. Jacques Cauvin
Jacques Cauvin
Professor Jacques Cauvin was a French archaeologist who specialised in the prehistory of the Levant and Near East.-Biography:...
has termed the collection of flints from this site as a "nucléus naviformes", which he claimed may represent an older type of lithic technology than found in the most archaic neolithic levels from Byblos
Byblos
Byblos is the Greek name of the Phoenician city Gebal . It is a Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of present-day Lebanon under the current Arabic name of Jubayl and was also referred to as Gibelet during the Crusades...
. The site has shown many similarities to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
basin sites and compared to the very earliest levels of Tell Ramad
Tell Ramad
Tell Ramad is a prehistoric, Neolithic tell at the foot of Mount Hermon, about southwest of Damascus in Syria. The tell was the site of a small village of , which was first settled in the late eighth millennium....
, dating to the earliest stage of the PPNB.