Dozens of Looted Antiquities Recovered at Burj Lasana After Villa Damaged Site

Dozens of Antiquities Recovered at Burj Lasana

Officials from the Civil Administration’s archaeology unit recovered dozens of archaeological objects on Thursday during an enforcement operation at the Burj Lasana site in the West Bank.

The action, carried out in Area B near Wadi Haramiya, followed the discovery that a privately built Palestinian villa within the protected archaeological area had damaged ancient remains and disturbed the site’s stratigraphy.

Inspectors from the Civil Administration’s enforcement unit, acting under the direction of the Staff Officer for Archaeology, seized rare antiquities that had reportedly been looted from the adjacent Crusader fortress. Recovered items included coins, worked stones and capitals, and Byzantine-period stone columns that had been repurposed as decorative elements inside the villa. Investigators also confiscated a metal detector found on the property.

The artifacts were transferred to the Good Samaritan Museum, overseen by the Civil Administration’s archaeology team, where they will undergo conservation, research and eventual public display.

Historical Importance of Burj Lasana

Burj Lasana, located on a hill overlooking Wadi Haramiya, is one of the area’s most significant archaeological sites. Excavations and surveys have documented continuous occupation from the Iron Age through the Middle Ages, with remains including a Crusader-era fortress, Byzantine church fragments, burial caves, a ritual bath, and early Roman agricultural installations.

Following a political-level directive, the archaeology unit increased monitoring of the site, identified those responsible for the recent damage and launched the targeted enforcement operation. Officials said the unauthorized construction not only caused direct physical harm to archaeological material but also disrupted the site’s historical layers, complicating future study and interpretation.

A., head of Enforcement, Investigations and Intelligence in the Civil Administration’s archaeology unit, said: “Protecting antiquities sites is central to our work and to safeguarding the region’s history. Damage to an ancient site harms not only individual artifacts but also our ability to document and understand the story those remains tell. We will continue to act tirelessly, using all available tools, to prevent antiquities theft and protect our shared heritage.”

Authorities said this operation is part of a broader, ongoing effort to curb looting, prevent the loss of cultural property and preserve archaeological assets for research and public education across the region.