The joint Syrian-Italian archaeological mission has uncovered architectural features dating to the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, around 4,000 years ago, during excavation work at Tell al-Samhana in the village of al-Bassa in Latakia province.  The discoveries are part of research aimed at studying the nature of ancient communities and their economic relations and trade exchange on the Syrian coast near the kingdom of Ugarit.  Lorenzo d’Alfonso, head of the Italian team, told SANA on Monday that excavation work is progressing well despite heavy rains that slowed the pace compared to previous years. He said excavation squares containing architectural features from the Middle and Late Bronze Ages have been uncovered.  D’Alfonso expressed hope of reaching complete building floors and structures that would help clarify the nature of the ancient village and its urban development phases.He noted that studying the archaeological levels in the trenches, based on radiocarbon dating results completed last year and analysis of finds including figurines, pottery and stone tools, has allowed the dating of discovered layers with high precision.  The mission has entered the final ten days of the current season, focusing on uncovering Late Bronze Age building floors in the upper part of the tell and other structures. D’Alfonso said the results warrant continuing work and planning a new excavation season next year.  Mohammad Radwan, head of the Syrian team at the Latakia Antiquities Department, said Tell al-Samhana is a small settlement belonging to the kingdom of Ugarit, located on the banks of the al-Kabir al-Shamali River near the coast, within a group of settlements affiliated with the kingdom.  Radwan noted the site’s importance within a vast agricultural plain that supplied the kingdom with agricultural products, particularly wheat and olives. He said excavations began in 2015 through a national mission from the Latakia Antiquities Department and continued for three years with limited resources, before resuming in 2024 through a joint Syrian-Italian mission and expanding in 2025 under a three-year plan.  The excavations have revealed three archaeological levels: the first dating to the Byzantine period, the second to the Late Bronze Age, and the third to the Middle Bronze Age. Finds are transferred for documentation, registration and preservation in National Museum warehouses.  Tell al-Samhana is located approximately 800 meters from the mouth of the al-Kabir al-Shamali River and near the seashore. The site is part of a broader study of communities that settled on the Syrian coast near Ugarit, aiming to understand settlement patterns, economic relations and trade exchange between ancient sites.  The mission is a collaboration between the University of Pavia and Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, with doctoral students from Italy and Türkiye participating, and is one of the first foreign archaeological missions to resume work in Syria after years of suspension. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Syrian Arab News Agency