Archaeologists have unearthed a massive cult complex that is as old as 3,300 years at an excavation site in Israel. The complex might have been a worshipping ground for Baal, the Canaanite storm god.
The excavation at the Tel Burna site is ongoing, but experts said the complex was massive, located in a courtyard measuring 52 by 52 feet. Researchers are trying to identify who was being worshipped in the complex, but initial assumptions suggest it could be the Canaanite storm god named Baal. They don't see any evidence that a female deity was being worshipped in that place.
"The letters of Ugarit [an ancient site in modern-day Syria] suggest that of the Canaanite pantheon, Baal, the Canaanite storm god, would have been the most likely candidate," Itzhaq Shai, a professor at Ariel University and lead researcher, told Live Science.
Archaeologists at the Tel Burna site found three connected cups, fragments of two huge face masks, massive storage jars, and animal bones. The team was unable to make out the purpose of the three connected cups, but they were certain that the cups were imported from Cyprus. They are also analyzing the possible contents of the massive storage jars by studying residue.
Other objects found in the complex include seals, goblets, chalices, broken figurines, and a scarab. The figurine reportedly looked like it was half-animal and half-human. These findings strengthen the early assumption that the place, indeed, was a cult complex. The presence of the goblets and chalices also indicated that it wasn't solely used for worship, but also as deity's feast and sacrificial activities.
"The presence of the pithoi may indicate the collection of tithes, or at a minimum, the storage of foods for later use in cultic activities," Shai added. "Finally, the masks may suggest ceremonial processions that arrived or left from the complex, possibly before or after the conducting of feasts."
The discovery was presented during the European Association of Archaeologists' annual meeting in Istanbul.
