Migdal, Ashqelon: The Glass Finds

The salvage excavation at Migdal, Ashqelon, unearthed some 85 glass fragments, including jars, bottles, a bowl, a bowl-shaped oil lamp, bracelets, beads and a windowpane. Most of the glass fragments were found in Ottoman- and British Mandate-period strata (III–I). Several fragments were found in Mamluk-period installations (Stratum IV), and only one fragment could be associated with the Roman–Byzantine period (Stratum V). Given the well-stratified context of the glass fragments, some of the uncovered types allow for more precise dating within the Ottoman period. As our knowledge of Late Islamic and early twentieth-century CE glass from settlements in southern Israel is still limited, this assemblage provides new and valuable data.