ancient archaeological site in southwestern Palestine, located southwest of Lachish (Tel Lakhish) in modern Israel. Excavation of the site, carried out in 1890 by Sir Flinders Petrie and in 1892–94 by F.J. Bliss, revealed that the first occupation began about 2600 BC. More important, however, Petrie's work there was the first stratigraphic excavation in Palestine. Recognizing that a Palestinian mound was the result of new towns having been built on the ruins of old ones, he began linking every stratum, or level, with the different types of pottery found in each. By examining the imported Egyptian objects contained in each level, Petrie was able to link Palestinian chronology with that of Egypt, thus establishing the general principle that the growth of the Middle Eastern sites can be interpreted in terms of the stratigraphic levels, which must ultimately be dated by relation to Egypt or some other country with an established chronology.