The archaeological site of Tel Tsaf is a Middle Chalcolithic site located near Beth-Shean in the Jordan Valley of Israel, occupied between the Late Neolithic to the Ghassulian-Beer Sheva Chalcolithic period. Discovered in the late 1950s, Tel Tsaf was first investigated by Ram Gophna (Tel Aviv University).
The two meters of cultural deposit are primarily assigned to the Middle Chalcolithic period, and are located within a 20 hectare area. Mud brick houses, a well, and a pavement are all identified at Tel Tsaf, with excellent faunal and floral preservation. The well represents one of the earliest known wells in the world, having been excavated during the 5th millennium BC.
Tel Tsaf is currently the focus of a multi-year project by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, led by Yosef Garfinkel at Hebrew and Yorke M. Rowan from the University of Notre Dame.
Sources
For more information, see the Tel Tsaf website, currently not functioning but at http://www.tel-tsaf.tk/.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
