Roman Burial Caves South of Tel Yavneh and Roman Iamnia Town Limits

Abstract This study examines two clusters of Roman burial caves located approximately 1 km south of Tel Yavneh, forming part of a necropolis on the town’s southern perimeter. The first cluster, excavated in 1962 on Beth Gamliel hill, comprises eight rock-cut caves of loculi and arcosolia types, while the second, uncovered in 2022 in Area D, includes three caves adapted from earlier Intermediate Bronze Age shaft tombs. Analysis of architectural features, stratigraphy, and associated finds—pottery, glass, and metal artifacts—indicates continuous use from the mid-2nd century BCE through the 4th–5th centuries CE, with peak activity during the Early and Middle Roman periods. The assemblages reflect funerary customs such as primary and secondary burials and possible ethnic diversity among the interred. The study also explores the spatial distribution of cemeteries around Yavneh to infer Roman town limits and discusses the implications of burial cave typology and artifact patterns for understanding cultural interactions of the southern Coastal Plain of Palestine communities during the Hellenistic–Byzantine periods.