Ard Tlaili, Archaeological tell in Baalbek, Lebanon.
Ard Tlaili is a prehistoric settlement in the Beqaa Valley featuring uncovered rectangular buildings with walls built from compacted earth and clay. The site sits at the foot of the Lebanon Mountains and contains obsidian blades, basalt bowls, and painted pottery from its Neolithic occupation layers.
Excavations in the 1960s uncovered multiple settlement layers that date back to around 6200 BC. These findings reveal how long people occupied this region during the early Neolithic period.
The pottery styles found here show connections with distant regions and tell how people in this era shared their craft traditions across large areas.
The site sits about 11 kilometers northwest of the main Baalbek complex and requires local guidance to visit properly. Planning ahead and arranging a knowledgeable guide is essential to navigate the location and understand what you are seeing.
The pottery found here represents the southernmost known examples of painted Halaf ceramics in the eastern Mediterranean. This discovery shows that trade routes and cultural connections extended much farther south than previously thought.
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