A ‘extremely rare’ burial cave during the reign of Ramses II was found by chance in Israel

The cave was discovered by chance on a beach near Tel Aviv on Tuesday, when an excavator crashed into the roof of what turned out to be a man-made cave. Archaeologists descended into the cave with a ladder. A video posted shows amazed archaeologists shining their flashlights on dozens of pottery pieces of various shapes and sizes.

In particular, many dishes were found in the cave, some painted red, others with images, as well as cups, cooking utensils, storage utensils, lamps, arrows and bronze spearheads, dating back to the reign of Ramses II, who died in 1213 BC. . The pottery comes from Cyprus, Lebanon, northern Syria, Gaza, and Jaffa, among other countries, indicating a “vibrant trade activity that occurred along the coast” in the late Bronze Age, archaeologists say.

The artifacts were funerary offerings to accompany the deceased on their final journey to the afterlife, and they have been found intact since they were placed there some 3,300 years ago. At least one relatively intact skeleton was found in the cave.

The cave is now closed and guarded until there is a plan for a full excavation. The organization decided to set up surveillance when it became apparent that “some items” had already been looted in the short period between discovery and closure.