Archaeologists have long speculated about the origins of the Philistines, who appear throughout the Hebrew Bible as Israel’s perennial enemies, and are possibly related to the marauding “Sea Peoples” mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts. But the search for the Philistines’ origins has long been hindered by the absence of extant gravesites. Now, the discovery of a 3,000-year-old cemetery near Ashkelon could provide evidence about Philistine genetics, biology, customs, and much else. Kristin Romey writes (with pictures and video):
In the archaeological record, the Philistines first appear in the early 12th century BCE. Their arrival is signaled by artifacts that belong to what Lawrence Stager, [the archaeologist leading the excavation], calls “an extraordinarily different culture” from other local populations at the time. These include pottery with close parallels to the ancient Greek world, the use of an Aegean—instead of a Semitic—script, and the consumption of pork (as well as the occasional dog). Several passages in the Hebrew Bible describe the interlopers as coming from the “Land of Caphtor,” or modern-day Crete. . . .
The excavations revealed a burial practice that is very different from that of the earlier Canaanites or the neighboring Judeans. Instead of laying a body in a chamber [and] then collecting the bones a year later and moving them elsewhere, the individuals interred in the Ashkelon cemetery were buried individually in pits or collectively in tombs and never moved again. A few cremation burials were also identified.
Unlike the Egyptians, the Philistines deposited very few [items alongside the bodies of the deceased]. Some were adorned with a few pieces of jewelry, while others were buried with a small set of ceramics or a tiny juglet that may have once contained perfume.
Read more on National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/07/bible-philistine-israelite-israel-ashkelon-discovery-burial-archaeology-sea-peoples/