Caesarea, Sand Dunes

In February–March 2020, an archaeological survey was conducted in the sand dunes between ancient Caesarea and the Orot Rabin power station, and was followed by three excavation seasons in November 2020, November 2021 and November 2022 (License Nos. S-1006/2020, Z-9/2021, Z-27/2022, Permit No. A-8717; map ref. 189465–90762/709013–10470; Fig. 1). The survey and excavations were part of a multi-seasonal and multidisciplinary research project, funded by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung (Grant No. AZ 42/F/19) and by the Israel Science Foundation (Grant No. 355/20); the funds and logistics were managed by the Israel Antiquities Authority. The project was directed by I. Taxel (Israel Antiquities Authority) and J. Roskin (Bar-Ilan University), with the assistance of M. Balila (Area C supervisor, 2021), S. Amit (Area G supervisor, 2022), R. Bookman (sedimentology), Y. Amrani and Z. Lotan (administration), A. Wiegman, Y. Shmidov, S. Immanuelov, I. Jonish and C. Segal (surveying and drone photography), graduate students L. Robins, A. Ostrowski and A. Bar, as well as M. Massarwa and A. Massarwa (subdistrict archaeologists) and K. Said (district archaeologist). Further assistance was provided by M. Abu and I. Delerzon (plans and maps), A. Karasik (digital laboratory), C. Hersh (finds drawing), D. Gazit (studio photography), L. Kupershmidt (metals laboratory), Y. Asscher (analytical laboratory), N. Sukenik and E. Weiss (achaeobotany), Y. Gorin-Rosen and T. Winter (glass), R. Kool and L. Sandberg (numismatics), N. Amitai-Preiss (historical sources), N. Porat (OSL dating), S. Pariente (soil and geomorphology) and E. Grono (micromorphology). Our thanks go to all who helped, as well as to the Caesarea Development Corporation for providing access to the survey and excavation areas and to scholars and colleagues who visited and gave counsel—G. Avni, G. Bar-Oz, Y. Porath, U. ‘Ad, P. Gendelman, U. Galili, B. Goodman, A. Sasson and N. Greenbaum.