Archaeology and prehistory Beirut

canaanean blade. suggested part of javelin. fresh grey flint, both sides showing pressure flaking. narrower @ base, suggesting haft. polished @ extreme point. found on land of lebanese evangelical school girls in patriarchate area of beirut.

several prehistoric archaeological sites discovered within urban area of beirut, revealing flint tools of sequential periods dating middle paleolithic , upper paleolithic through neolithic bronze age.

beirut i, or minet el hosn, listed beyrouth ville louis burkhalter , said on beach near orent , bassoul hotels on avenue des français in central beirut. site discovered lortet in 1894 , discussed godefroy zumoffen in 1900. flint industry site described mousterian , held museum of fine arts of lyon.

beirut ii, or umm el khatib, suggested burkhalter have been south of tarik el jedideh, p.e. gigues discovered copper age flint industry @ around 100 metres (328 feet) above sea level. site had been built on , destroyed 1948.

beirut iii, furn esh shebbak or plateau tabet, suggested have been located on left bank of beirut river. burkhalter suggested west of damascus road, although determination has been criticized lorraine copeland. p. e. gigues discovered series of neolithic flint tools on surface along remains of structure suggested hut circle. auguste bergy discussed polished axes found @ site, has disappeared result of construction , urbanization of area.

beirut iv, or furn esh shebbak, river banks, on left bank of river , on either side of road leading eastwards furn esh shebbak police station towards river marked city limits. area covered in red sand represented quaternary river terraces. site found jesuit father dillenseger , published fellow jesuits godefroy zumoffen, raoul describes , auguste bergy. collections site made bergy, describes , jesuit, paul bovier-lapierre. large number of middle paleolithic flint tools found on surface , in side gullies drain river. included around 50 varied bifaces accredited acheulean period, lustrous sheen, held @ museum of lebanese prehistory. henri fleisch found emireh point amongst material site, has disappeared beneath buildings.

beirut v, or nahr beirut (beirut river), discovered dillenseger , said in orchard of mulberry trees on left bank of river, near river mouth, , close railway station , bridge tripoli. levallois flints , bones , similar surface material found amongst brecciated deposits. area has been built on.

beirut vi, or patriarchate, site discovered while building on property of lebanese evangelical school girls in patriarchate area of beirut. notable discovery of finely styled canaanean blade javelin suggested date néolithique ancien or néolithique moyen periods of byblos , held in school library.

beirut vii, or rivoli cinema , byblos cinema sites near bourj in rue el arz area, 2 sites discovered lorraine copeland , peter wescombe in 1964 , examined diana kirkbride , roger saidah. 1 site behind parking lot of byblos cinema , showed collapsed walls, pits, floors, charcoal, pottery , flints. other, overlooking cliff west of rivoli cinema, composed of 3 layers resting on limestone bedrock. fragments of blades , broad flakes recovered first layer of black soil, above bronze age pottery recovered in layer of grey soil. pieces of roman pottery , mosaics found in upper layer. middle bronze age tombs found in area, , ancient tell of beirut thought in bourj area.

the phoenician port of beirut located between rue foch , rue allenby on north coast. port or harbor excavated , reported on several years ago , lies buried under city. suggested port or dry dock claimed have been discovered ~1 kilometre (0.62 miles) west, in 2011 team of lebanese archaeologists directorate general of antiquities of lebanese university. controversy arose on 26 june 2012 when authorization given lebanese minister of culture gaby layoun private company called venus towers real estate development company destroy ruins (archaeological site bey194) in $500 million construction project of 3 skyscrapers , garden behind hotel monroe in downtown beirut. 2 later reports international committee of archaeologists appointed layoun, including hanz curver, , expert report ralph pederson, member of institute of nautical archaeology , teaching @ marburg in germany, dismissed claims trenches port, on various criteria. exact function of site bey194 may never discovered, , issue raised heated emotions , led increased coverage on subject of lebanese heritage in press.