Tell el-Tell
The site is located north of Deir Dibwan village and northeast of Ramallah. The first excavations were led by John Garstang in 1928. Later, from 1933 to 1935, the Rothschild Project, managed by Judith Markt-Krause, continued the work. From 1964 to 1970, joint excavations were carried out by the American School of Oriental Studies and the Palestine Exploration Fund, under Joseph Callaway, who expanded on earlier findings and explored new areas.
The site was first settled during Early Bronze Age I, with simple houses and graves found on the northeastern slope. The settlement started as a modest community of people from nearby cities and migrants. About a hundred years later, it developed into a significant walled city-state with four main gates. In the acropolis and industrial areas, buildings were erected, and Egyptian pottery was discovered, suggesting trade links with Egypt. A large 25-meter-long building, possibly a temple or palace, was uncovered, though later destroyed by landslides. The city walls reached 9 meters in height, built with ordinary stones and faced with baked clay bricks. Evidence suggests the city was destroyed by an earthquake, which also damaged the mudbrick walls, with traces of intense burning.
In Early Bronze Age III, the city was rebuilt and expanded. The new walls reached 21-24 feet in height. Houses were constructed over the old ruins, and the temple and acropolis were restored for use. The temple showed Egyptian religious influences, as seen in a discovered statue. A 24-foot tower was found near the temple, adjacent to the wall. The city was eventually destroyed by a military invasion, leading to a 1,200-year abandonment.
Settlement resumed in Iron Age I as a small unwalled village in the upper city. Excavations revealed that inhabitants relied on rainwater, with wells found beneath most houses. The site was abandoned by the end of the 11th century BC.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, along with Birzeit University, has since rehabilitated the site as an archaeological park open to visitors.