Chekka houses the remnants of a archeological site, known as Tell Mirhan.
The site preserves today only 1 hectare of the original 6 remains before the construction of the nearby cement factory.
Known since the 1960s, excavations were conducted between 2016 and 2018 by the AUB and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. A large rampart fortification from the Middle Bronze Age (1500-1200 BC) was uncovered, which originally surrounded the entire site. The presence of Egyptian ceramic imports from that period indicates its significance as a harbor.
On top of the rampart, a significant occupation from the Early Iron Age (1200-800 BC) was discovered, including Cypriot, and Aegean ceramic imports.
Thanks to its location in the protected bay of Chekka, Tell Mirhan has the potential to provide evidence for a crucial coastal city during the Middle Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age with links to Egypt, Cyprus, and the Aegean.
Personal observation: The wall remnants in the western section of the site seems similar to the Batroun wall. It suggests that the builders utilized sandstones extracted from a promontory to build their city, while reserving a part of it to potentially shield the settlement from tidal waves. However, this theory is not confirmed.
Karim Sokhn
Tour Operator & Tour Guide
References: https://www.the961.com/tell-middle-bronze-age-in-chekka/
