Thursday, November 15, 2007

Susiyah 4: Underground

While above ground the village remains in ruins, with walls only a few feet high, and building stones still strewn about, the underground sections remain largely intact.

Underground, in the Potter's Cave. Note the charred carbon deposits on the roof, the remains of ancient fires which once warmed the room.


One relic that can be found anywhere and everywhere; pottery shards. The pots were used for storing, cooking, eating, and just about anything you can think of. After five centuries of village life, the shards of a million shattered bowls litter the ground.



Kneading

The site includes a makeshift pottery wheel.







Pottery in ancient times was like the bumper stickers of today. Ancient shards have been found on the site with inscriptions supporting various political factions, or with declarations of "Herut Tzion" (Liberty for Zion,) a complaint against the Roman occupation.



In this case, a more contemporary oil lamp with an inscription which simply reads "Susiyah."

Above is a shot taken in another underground room. In this case, a rainwater cistern is on the other side of that brick wall to the left. The cistern still holds water.

Yours truly, at the steps to the shul (synagogue.)

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