Aadloun

{{Infobox settlement   |official_name = Aadloun |other_name = |native_name = عدلون |native_name_lang = ar |nickname = |settlement_type = Municipality |motto =  |image_skyline = Adloun1.jpg |imagesize = 300 |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_blank_emblem = |blank_emblem_type = |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |image_dot_map = |dot_mapsize = |dot_map_caption = |dot_x = |dot_y = |pushpin_map = Lebanon  |pushpin_label_position =bottom |pushpin_mapsize =300 |pushpin_map_caption =Location in Lebanon  |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{Flag|Lebanon}} |subdivision_type1 = Governorate |subdivision_name1 = South Governorate |subdivision_type2 = District |subdivision_name2 = Sidon District |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 =  |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 =  |leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = |established_title =  |established_date = |established_title2 =  |established_date2 = |established_title3 =  |established_date3 =  |area_magnitude = |unit_pref =Imperial  |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 =  |area_land_km2 =  |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |area_blank1_title = |area_blank1_km2 = |area_blank1_sq_mi =  |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title =Ethnicities |population_blank1 = |population_blank2_title =Religions |population_blank2 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi =  |timezone = EET |utc_offset = +2 |timezone_DST = EEST |utc_offset_DST = +3 |coordinates = {{coord|33|24|14|N|35|16|26|E|region:LB|display=inline,title}} |elevation_footnotes = <ref name=localiban>[http://www.localiban.org/aadloun-5566 Aadloun] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108223142/http://www.localiban.org/aadloun-5566 |date=2022-01-08 }}, localiban</ref> |elevation_m = 100 |elevation_ft =  |postal_code_type =  |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = }} {{Infobox historic site |name = Aadloun I, II, III & IV |native_name = |alternate_name = Abri Zumoffen (Aadloun I), Bezez Cave, Mugharet el Bzaz (Aadloun II) |image = |alt = |caption = |map_type = |map_alt = |location = |region = |coordinates = |type = |part_of = |length = |width = |area = |height = |builder = |material = |built = |abandoned = |epochs = Early Yarbrudian (Acheulio-Yarbrudian), Levalloiso-Mousterian, Upper Paleolithic, Heavy Neolithic |cultures = Paleolithic, Neolithic, Phoenician |dependency_of = |occupants = |event = |excavations = 1898, 1900, 1908, 1958, 1963 |archaeologists = Godefroy Zumoffen,<br />Dorothy Garrod,<br />Diana Kirkbride |condition = Ruins |ownership = |management = Directorate General of Antiquities |public_access = No |website = |notes = }} '''Aadloun''', '''Adloun''' or '''Adlun''' ({{langx|ar|عدلون|ʿAdlūn}}) is a coastal municipality in South Lebanon, {{convert|17|km|mi}} south of Sidon famous for its cultivation of watermelons. It is also the site of a Phoenician necropolis and prehistoric caves where four archaeological sites have been discovered and dated to the Stone Age.<ref name="CopelandWescombe1965">{{cite book|first1=Lorraine|last1=Copeland|author2=P. Wescombe|title=Inventory of Stone-Age sites in Lebanon, pp. 63-64|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YsRRwAACAAJ|access-date=21 July 2011|year=1965|publisher=Imprimerie Catholique}}{{Dead link|date=July 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The evidence of human occupation of Abri Zumoffen (or Aadloun I) has been dated as far back as 71,000 BCE with occupation of Bezez Cave (Aadloun II) dating back even further into the earlier Middle Paleolithic.<ref name="copeland78">[http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/paleo_0153-9345_1978_num_4_1_4212 Copeland, Lorraine., The Middle Palaeolithic of Adlun and Ras el Kelb (Lebanon) : First results from a study of the flint industries, Paléorient, 1978, Volume 4, No. 4, pp. 33-57, 1978.]</ref>

== Prehistoric sites ==

===Aadloun I=== '''Aadloun I''' or '''Abri Zumoffen''' is a low cave and terrace at the foot of a cliff near a beach. It was discovered and sounded by Godefroy Zumoffen in 1898, 1900 and 1908 who found material thought to be either Acheulean or Mousterian. Dorothy Garrod suggested similarities existed to a final Acheulean (or Yarbrudian) industry of Tabun E. Along with Diana Kirkbride, she re-opened excavations in 1958 with another season in 1963 and found a pre-Aurignacian (Garrod's Amudian) blade industry in the deposits.<ref>Garrod, Dorothy & Kirkbride, Diana., Excavation of a Paleolithic Rock-shelter at Adlun, Lebanon, Acts of the 5th C.I.S.P.P., Hamburg, 1958.</ref><ref>Garrod, Dorothy & Kirkbride, Diana., Excavation of Abri Zumoffen, a Paleolithic Rock-shelter near Adloun, in southern Lebanon, 1958, Bulletin du Musée de Beyrouth, volume 16, 1961</ref> D. A. Hooijer discussed the fauna of the site suggesting it included game animals and rhino.<ref>Hooijer, D.A., The Fossil Vertebrates of Ksar Akil, a Palaeolithic Rock-Shelter in the Lebanon, Zoloögische Verhandelgingen, 49, 1, 1961.</ref> Materials from the site are now in collections of the Saint Joseph University, Beirut and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge. The site is now owned by the Directorate General of Antiquities but the previous land owner carried out private digging that has spread deposits from the Aadloun II cave site over the area creating a false layer.<ref name="CopelandWescombe1965"/>

===Aadloun II=== '''Aadloun II''', '''Bezez Cave''' or '''Mugharet el Bzaz''' is a cave on the east of the road heading to Tyre set into a cliff at an altitude of approximately {{convert|17|m|ft}} above sea level. It was first sounded with little result in 1898 by Godefroy Zumoffen. A major excavation was undertaken in 1963 by Diana Kirkbride and Dorothy Garrod who determined a sequence stretching through the Yarbrudian, Levalloiso-Mousterian, Upper Paleolithic and on into the Heavy Neolithic. Materials from the excavations were to be held by Saint Joseph University and the American University of Beirut. The site is owned by the Directorate General of Antiquities and a gate was fixed over the mouth of the cave for protection.<ref name="CopelandWescombe1965"/> Three distinct levels were determined. Level C was called Acheuleo-Yarbrudian with materials found that resembled level E at Tabun Cave. Level B was called Levalloiso-Mousterian and compared with level D of Tabun. Level C encompassed the Upper Paleolithic and onwards.<ref name="copeland78"/>

===Aadloun III=== '''Aadloun III''' is a site approximately {{convert|1|km|mi|1}} south of Aadloun with a Chalcolithic (Enéolithique) industry that was found by P. E. Gigues.<ref name="CopelandWescombe1965"/>

===Aadloun IV=== '''Aadloun IV''' was found by P. E. Gigues on the terraces below the village near the caves that have been damaged by quarrying. Local farmers have recovered several fine Neolithic and Chalcolithic tools from this area that are held by Saint Joseph University. Dr. Gigues collection was held in Beirut by a relative who charged a fee for showing it after his retirement to Morocco.<ref name="CopelandWescombe1965"/>

===Materials recovered=== [[File:Aadloun Stele 01.jpg|thumb|left|The Aadloun stele in 1843|208x208px]]

Lorraine Copeland made a collection of mostly Heavy Neolithic flints from the site in 1966. Amongst the finds were massive trapezoidal axes, chisels, a chopper, points, a pick, rough scrapers, blades, cores and hammerstones. The finds led Andrew Moore to suggest that Bezez cave was a factory site for such tools.<ref name="Moore">{{cite book|last=Moore|first=A.M.T.|title=The Neolithic of the Levant|publisher=Oxford University, Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis|year=1978|pages=447–448|url=http://ancientneareast.tripod.com/187.html}}</ref>

==Modern era== In 1875 Victor Guérin noted that Aadloun "consists of 350 inhabitants, all Muslims. Cisterns carved into the rock and many ashlars of ancient appearance seem to prove that it succeeded an older locality."<ref>Guérin, 1880, p. [https://archive.org/details/descriptiongogr00gugoog/page/475/mode/1up 475]: "A trois heures trente minutes, je monte vers l'est au village d'A'dloun, que j'atteins à trois heures trente minutes. Il se compose de 350 habitants, tous Musulmans. Des citernes creusées dans le roc et beaucoup de pierres de taille d'apparence antique semblent prouver qu'il a succédé à une localité plus ancienne."</ref>

The Aadloun archaeological sites were amongst 34 cultural heritage properties given enhanced protection by UNESCO to safeguard them during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Cultural property under enhanced protection Lebanon |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/culture/cultural-property-under-enhanced-protection-lebanon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241231104017/https://www.unesco.org/en/culture/cultural-property-under-enhanced-protection-lebanon |archive-date=2024-12-31 |access-date=2025-01-01 |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Demographics== In 2014, Muslims made up 99.72% of registered voters in Aadloun. 98.02% of the voters were Shiite Muslims.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lub-anan.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B8%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8/%D8%B5%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A7-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%89/%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%84%D9%88%D9%86/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B0%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8/|title=التوزيع حسب المذاهب للناخبين/ناخبات في بلدة عدلون، قضاء صيدا (قرى) محافظة الجنوب في لبنان|website=إعْرَفْ لبنان}}</ref>

== Notable people == * Hamza Ali Aboud, writer and poet * Mohamed Zein Tahan, footballer<ref>{{Cite web|title=Global Sports Archive|url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=globalsportsarchive.com}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}} ==Bibliography== *{{cite book|last=Guérin|first=V.|authorlink=Victor Guérin|title=Description Géographique Historique et Archéologique de la Palestine|url=https://archive.org/details/descriptiongogr00gugoog|volume=3: Galilee, pt. 2|year=1880|publisher= L'Imprimerie Nationale|location=Paris|language=French}} ==External links== *[http://www.localiban.org/aadloun-5566 Aadloun]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, localiban

{{Heavy Neolithic sites}} {{Archaeological sites in Lebanon}} {{Sidon District}} {{Portal|Lebanon|History|Asia}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places in Sidon District Category:Shia Muslim communities in Lebanon

Category:Paleolithic sites Category:Neolithic settlements Category:Chalcolithic sites Category:Archaeological sites in Lebanon Category:Heavy Neolithic sites Category:Phoenician sites in Lebanon Category:Phoenician funerary practices

Aadloun

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