Tell es-Samak

Tell es-Samak (Arabic) or Tel Shikmona (Hebrew: תל שקמונה, Arabic: تل السمك, romanized: Tell as-Samak), meaning 'mound of the fish', is an ancient Phoenician tell (mound) situated near the sea coast in the modern city of Haifa, Israel, just south of the Israeli National Institute of Oceanography. It has been called a "forgotten Phoenician site".

Initially identified as Calamon (see Tell Abu Hawam), it was later identified by Israeli archeologists as the Jewish town of Shikmona (Hebrew: תל שִׁקְמוֹנָה, romanized: Šiqmônah), also spelt Sycamine. Subsequent research found no evidence of Jewish artefacts, only Phoenician and Christian; nowadays researchers identify Tell es-Samak with Porphyreon (south). The Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa writes that "It was wrongly identified with the Jewish Shikmona, but the latest research suggests that it should be identified as the Christian town of Porphyreon (south)."

History

In archaeology, Tel Shikmona (eight dunams) was nested adjacent to the northern ridge of the Carmel Mountain, towards the Akko bay.

Middle Bronze Age

In the transitional MB IIA-B, there was a rock-carved warrior tomb with weapons and a few scarabs. A seal was found belonging to Ya'qub-Har. The find have been speculated as being part of the Hyksos culture, but the burial dates just prior to the rise of the Hyksos in late MB IIB. The use of the scarab makes a maritime connection to Egypt, Tell el-Dab'a Stratum F being the contemporary town during MB IIA/B.

Iron Age

Phoenician period

During the Iron Age IB-II, the site was dominated by the Phoenicians between the 11th to the 6th century BCE, as suggested by large quanties of pottery fragment with Phoenician designs. It was a production center for Tyrian purple.

There have been speculations that king Ahab of Israel conquered the site to gain control over the purple dye trade.