Crusader Glass in Context: The Destruction of Arsur (Apollonia-Arsuf, Israel), April 1265

In March 1265 C.E., the Mamluk sultan Baybars laid siege to the town of Arsur in the central coastal plain of Israel and, after 40 days of fierce fighting, took it by storm. The entire site of Arsur was razed, and it has been left in ruins ever since. Among the excavated features of the castle, a ce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of glass studies 2013-01, Vol.55, p.85-100
Main Authors: Jackson-Tal, Ruth E., Tal, Oren
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archaeological excavation
Archaeological sites
Bottles
Enameling
Enamels
Excavations
Glass vessels
Insulin antibodies
Muslims
Sieges
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Summary:In March 1265 C.E., the Mamluk sultan Baybars laid siege to the town of Arsur in the central coastal plain of Israel and, after 40 days of fierce fighting, took it by storm. The entire site of Arsur was razed, and it has been left in ruins ever since. Among the excavated features of the castle, a cesspit used for refuse by the besieged Hospitaller knights and defenders was unearthed, yielding large numbers of local and imported pottery vessels, metal and stone artifacts, and especially undecorated and luxury glass vessels. The importance of this assemblage lies in its terminus ante quern of late April 1265, and the relative scarceness of well-dated everyday artifacts of this period. The size, diversity, and secure archaeological context of this glass assemblage make it an important study case for Crusader glass research in Israel and beyond.
ISSN:0075-4250