There are walls and there are WALLS. Whatever Shimi, Ben and crew are finding in Grid 32, it is substantial. I asked Daniel for his thoughts. He told me that before the building was systematically looted it would have been impressive. The remnants of painted walls and multicolored marble floors, recovered during excavation, make that clear. He also told me that, as is often the case at Ashkelon, the building was thoroughly robbed making the interpretation of the structure, all that much more difficult.
Ben standing in a robber trench
It doesn't help that there are no preserved floors, another common pattern at Ashkelon. Tomorrow, Shimi tells me they hope to float the large pieces of fallen rubble in the middle of the picture.
Only a few more days of work remain and there is still a meter or so to go. Fortunately, Shimi, Ben, Meghan and Kate have found a way to keep their energy up.
Ashkelon staff enjoy a special dinner during their October field season