Hamadia
Encyclopedia
Hamadia is a kibbutz
in the Beit She'an Valley, just north of Beit She'an in northern Israel
. It belongs to the Valley of Springs Regional Council.
The kibbutz was first founded in 1939 as part of the Tower and stockade
movement, but it was abandoned. It was founded again in 1942 by a group, named "Hermonim", of native-born Israelis who were part of a youth group.
It is named for the abandoned Arab village, located just north of the kibbutz, which was also called Hamadia
. This Arab village, in turn, was named after the sultan
of Turkey
, Abdul Hamid II
.
, 200 metres below sea level. Tell Hamadia is a single layer archaeological site of about 100 m² (0.01 ha), first reported and excavated at Hamadia by N. Tzori in 1958 then again by Jacob Kaplan in 1964. Oven
s, pits and fireplace
s were found with Yarmukian pottery and an assmeblage of many axe
s, picks, scrapers, "Saw
" elements and sickle
s. Large saw elements indicated possible earlier neolithic
occupation which was suggested to date at least to the early chalcolithic (MOM
period 7). A flint
sickle
workshop was located close to the site with over 300 sickle blades found. Tell Hamadia is 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Munhata
and is suggested to date between ca. 5800 and 5400 BC. Detailed reports have yet to be published.
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
in the Beit She'an Valley, just north of Beit She'an in northern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It belongs to the Valley of Springs Regional Council.
The kibbutz was first founded in 1939 as part of the Tower and stockade
Tower and stockade
Tower and stockade was a settlement method used by Zionist settlers in the British Mandate of Palestine during the 1936–39 Arab revolt, when the establishment of new Jewish settlements was restricted by the Mandatory authorities...
movement, but it was abandoned. It was founded again in 1942 by a group, named "Hermonim", of native-born Israelis who were part of a youth group.
It is named for the abandoned Arab village, located just north of the kibbutz, which was also called Hamadia
Al-Hamidiyya
Al-Hamidiyya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Baysan. It was depopulated by the Israel Defence Force during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on May 12, 1948. It was located five kilometres north of Baysan. It was attacked as part of Operation Gideon...
. This Arab village, in turn, was named after the sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
.
Archaeology
The location is situated on a terrace of ancient Lake BeisanLake Beisan
Lake Beisan was a prehistoric lake that existed from ca. 12,000 to 5,000 BC in the north of the Jordan Valley in the Near East near modern day Beit She'an....
, 200 metres below sea level. Tell Hamadia is a single layer archaeological site of about 100 m² (0.01 ha), first reported and excavated at Hamadia by N. Tzori in 1958 then again by Jacob Kaplan in 1964. Oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
s, pits and fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
s were found with Yarmukian pottery and an assmeblage of many axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s, picks, scrapers, "Saw
Saw
A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...
" elements and sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
s. Large saw elements indicated possible earlier neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
occupation which was suggested to date at least to the early chalcolithic (MOM
Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée
The Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée is a research body in Lyon, France that specialises in the Mediterranean and the Middle East and the first steps of humanity...
period 7). A flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
workshop was located close to the site with over 300 sickle blades found. Tell Hamadia is 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Munhata
Munhata
Munhata is an archaeological site south of Lake Tiberius, Israel on the north bank and near the outlet of Nahal Tavor on a terrace below sea level.-Excavations:...
and is suggested to date between ca. 5800 and 5400 BC. Detailed reports have yet to be published.