Ancient 1,300-Year-Old Industrial and Commercial Complex Discovered in Ramat Gan

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have uncovered a well-planned industrial and commercial complex dating back approximately 1,300 years near the Winter Stadium parking lot in Ramat Gan. The excavation, conducted in recent months ahead of a new bus terminal construction by Netivei Ayalon, revealed straight intersecting streets, rows of rooms likely used as shops or warehouses, plastered industrial facilities, and production kilns. The site’s design suggests it was engineered by skilled planners and built under the supervision or initiative of regional authorities. Its strategic location near a main road connecting Jaffa, Ramla, the district capital at the time, and Jerusalem, as well as fertile land and water sources, indicates it may have served as a major trade and production station or been part of a nearby settlement yet to be discovered.

The complex was established in the 7th or 8th century CE during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods and was active for about 150 years before being abandoned under unclear circumstances. It was resettled in the 10th century during the Fatimid era, with new residential buildings, production facilities, and numerous clay ovens (tabuns) installed. The site was deserted again by the late 11th century, prior to the Crusader conquest, and never reoccupied. Excavations yielded impressive architectural remains alongside dozens of intact pottery vessels, oil lamps, bronze cosmetic tools, iron implements such as sickle blades and nails, numerous coins, and a large quantity of local and imported pottery and glass fragments, reflecting the culture, trade, and economy of the period.

The population of the region during these eras was ethnically and religiously diverse, including Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Samaritan communities. While Ramla housed a Muslim community, the nearby Yarkon area was likely home to many Samaritans, descendants of a once-thriving Byzantine-era population. However, no definitive archaeological evidence was found at the site to clarify the ethnic or religious identity of its inhabitants. Israeli Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu highlighted the discovery as a testament to Israel’s rich historical and archaeological wealth, emphasizing that such finds open fascinating windows into distant pasts even in well-known urban neighborhoods.