﻿EXCAVATIONS 
  AT 
  ASKAL-ON 
  — 
  GARSTANG. 
  511 
  

  

  it 
  is 
  indicated 
  in 
  the 
  Plan 
  by 
  the 
  circular 
  depression 
  No. 
  88 
  (pi. 
  3) 
  

   in 
  field 
  80. 
  Here 
  we 
  have 
  examined 
  the 
  surface, 
  but 
  the 
  re- 
  

   mains 
  are 
  fragmentary 
  and 
  clearly 
  of 
  mediaeval 
  date. 
  At 
  this 
  age, 
  

   our 
  authority 
  states, 
  broad 
  steps 
  descended 
  to 
  a 
  chamber, 
  and 
  on 
  

   all 
  four 
  sides 
  of 
  this 
  chamber 
  were 
  springs 
  of 
  water 
  gushing 
  out 
  

   from 
  stone 
  conduits. 
  Excavations 
  in 
  field 
  61 
  have 
  shown 
  that 
  as 
  

   early 
  as 
  Hellenistic 
  times 
  the 
  "Well 
  of 
  Ibrahim 
  was 
  an 
  important 
  

   focus 
  of 
  interest 
  in 
  the 
  town, 
  for 
  an 
  avenue 
  of 
  columns 
  has 
  been 
  

   found 
  heading 
  directly 
  toward 
  it. 
  The 
  suggestion 
  is 
  still 
  preserved 
  

   by 
  the 
  modern 
  lane 
  at 
  this 
  point. 
  It 
  is 
  in 
  fact 
  interesting 
  to 
  

   speculate 
  how 
  possibly 
  it 
  perpetuates 
  the 
  memory 
  and 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   site 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  ancient 
  Sacred 
  Lake, 
  which 
  was 
  still 
  extant 
  at 
  the 
  

   time 
  of 
  Diodorus 
  Siculus. 
  

  

  The 
  apsidal 
  Byzantine 
  church 
  in 
  fields 
  5, 
  24 
  (described 
  in 
  the 
  

   Quarterly 
  Statement 
  for 
  January, 
  1921), 
  and 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  Crusad- 
  

   ers' 
  buildings 
  in 
  field 
  86 
  and 
  at 
  point 
  IX 
  (on 
  the 
  northern 
  knoll) 
  

   are 
  the 
  most 
  conspicuous 
  surface 
  landmarks 
  within 
  the 
  ramparts. 
  

   Four 
  small 
  columns 
  are 
  still 
  standing, 
  apparently 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  

   placed, 
  near 
  survey 
  point 
  VII 
  inside 
  the 
  eastern 
  wall, 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  

   Bab 
  el-Kuds 
  (or 
  Jerusalem 
  Gate) 
  ; 
  doubtless 
  they 
  indicate 
  a 
  small 
  

   church 
  of 
  Crusaders' 
  date, 
  but 
  the 
  excavation 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  reached 
  

   this 
  spot. 
  The 
  exploration 
  of 
  the 
  site 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  for 
  a 
  kilometer 
  at 
  

   least 
  beyond 
  the 
  radius 
  of 
  the 
  ramparts, 
  has 
  been 
  pursued 
  continu- 
  

   ously 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  traces 
  of 
  early 
  interments 
  which 
  would 
  have 
  

   thrown 
  light 
  swiftly 
  upon 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  our 
  quest. 
  But 
  while 
  tombs 
  

   of 
  Roman 
  date 
  are 
  plentiful 
  and 
  those 
  of 
  Hellenistic 
  age 
  (c. 
  300 
  B. 
  C.) 
  

   not 
  uncommon, 
  no 
  trace 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  of 
  any 
  burials 
  — 
  whether 
  by 
  

   cremation 
  or 
  by 
  inhumation 
  — 
  of 
  an 
  earlier 
  date, 
  except 
  upon 
  the 
  

   central 
  knoll. 
  It 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  inferred 
  — 
  subject 
  to 
  further 
  results 
  — 
  

   that 
  the 
  burials 
  of 
  Philistine 
  and 
  earlier 
  date 
  took 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  

   ground 
  outside 
  the 
  central 
  acropolis 
  since 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  Roman 
  

   city 
  and 
  hence 
  most 
  difficult 
  of 
  access. 
  

  

  It 
  only 
  remains 
  to 
  say, 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  site 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  that 
  

   numerous 
  soundings 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  and 
  trenches 
  cut, 
  here, 
  there 
  

   and 
  everywhere, 
  to 
  ascertain 
  the 
  broad 
  outline 
  of 
  topographical 
  

   development 
  as 
  described 
  above. 
  The 
  site 
  is 
  large, 
  as 
  the 
  map 
  

   shows, 
  and 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  possible 
  in 
  all 
  cases 
  to 
  synthesize 
  

   the 
  results. 
  

  

  II. 
  Fields 
  61, 
  67, 
  and 
  52. 
  — 
  In 
  this 
  area, 
  as 
  already 
  indicated 
  

   (Quarterly 
  Statement, 
  January, 
  1921), 
  there 
  were 
  indications 
  of 
  an 
  

   important 
  public 
  building, 
  evidenced 
  by 
  the 
  architectural 
  caryatid 
  

   statues 
  adorned 
  with 
  the 
  mural 
  crown, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  foundations 
  partly 
  

  

  