Sector 7

Joachim Bretschneider, Greta Jans & Anne-Sophie Van Vyve

Located on the western side of the eastern lobe, near the presumed Late Bronze Age harbour, Sector 7 has revealed significant architectural and material evidence of urban activity extending beyond the main settlement on the plateau. Excavations conducted by the UGhent have uncovered freestanding structures, including multi-room buildings and isolated spaces, indicating the area may have functioned as a transition zone between the harbour below and the fortified settlement above. The layout further hints at a sizeable entrance concept, possibly featuring ramps or stairways connecting the two.

Excavation efforts have focused primarily on Sector 7.1, which has been explored over multiple campaigns, while Sector 7.2 and 7.4 have been investigated more briefly. At the end of the 2024 campaign, Sector 7.1 comprises nine interconnected spaces. Finds include pithoi, Cypriot jars, Canaanite jars, a well-preserved copper alloy axe, a loom weight, a spindle whorl, and grinding stones, as well as more luxurious artefacts, such as a Mycenaean amphoroid krater decorated with a band of deer and a sophisticated copper alloy anthropomorphic spatula of Cypriot origin with the image of a woman's bust. 

Other notable highlights include a deep bedrock-cut shaft in 7.1.7, which yielded an intriguing assemblage of artifacts, such as pithos sherds, weights, fragments of a faience vessel, and a miniature four-spoked wheel, possibly part of a small-scale vehicle or stand. Additionally, the for now isolated Space 7.4.15, near the top of the slope, contained a large grinding stone, a semi-complete pithos, a loom weight and a substantial ashlar block that may have functioned as a sturdy work platform.