Century-old artillery shell unearthed

An archaeological dig in the port city of Jaffa on Monday uncovered a shell that was over 100 years old, causing authorities to clear the area until it could be safely disposed of.

There were some 50 people at the site when workers discovered the shell. Authorities closed down several streets in the area until a bomb-disposal team arrived to take care of the munition.

The shell was found during a salvage excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority, which was searching for artifacts ahead of municipal work to install new electricity and water infrastructure, Israeli news outlet Ynet reported.

Dig manager Lior Rauchberger said that it was the shell’s copper casing that alerted workers to what they had found; a closer inspection revealed it was marked with the year 1905.

Rauchberger explained that finding weapons, bombs and other ordnance during digs is not that unusual.

“Every once in a while, we find ammunition and weapons in archaeological digs and in Jaffa especially,” he said. “Over the years we have discovered a cannon from the Ottoman period, cannon balls and dozens of rifles.”

During the restoration of the Jaffa railway station in 2007 — according to the report — around 80 rifles of various kinds were found, some dating back to the British Mandate era from 1923-1948.

Jaffa, which abuts Tel Aviv, has been a seaport for millennia and is a rich source of archaeological material. The IAA tries to excavate areas of land targeted for development — to save whatever ancient objects of interest might by lurking beneath the surface.