Editing Philistines (section)

====Burial practices====
The [[Leon Levy]] Expedition, consisting of archaeologists from [[Harvard University]], [[Boston College]], [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College]] and [[Troy University]], conducted a 30-year investigation of the burial practices of the Philistines, by excavating a Philistine cemetery containing more than 150 burials dating from the 11th to 8th century BC [[Ashkelon#History|Tel Ashkelon]]. In July 2016, the expedition finally announced the results of their excavation.<ref name="MSN_News">{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/ancient-philistine-cemetery-in-israel-could-solve-one-of-the-bible%E2%80%99s-biggest-mysteries/ar-BBuajjo?li=AAdeCd7&ocid=spartanntp|title=Ancient philistine cemetery in Israel could solve one of the Bible's biggest mysteries|website=www.msn.com}}</ref>

Archaeological evidence, provided by architecture, burial arrangements, ceramics, and pottery fragments inscribed with non-Semitic writing, indicates that the Philistines were not native to Canaan. Most of the 150 dead were buried in oval-shaped graves, some were interred in ashlar chamber tombs, while there were 4 who were cremated. These burial arrangements were very common to the Aegean cultures, but not to the one indigenous to Canaan. [[Lawrence Stager]] of Harvard University believes that Philistines came to Canaan by ships before the Battle of the Delta ({{circa|1175}}{{nbsp}}BC). DNA was extracted from the skeletons for [[archaeogenetics|archaeogenetic]] population analysis.<ref name="Haaretz">Philippe Bohstrom, 'Archaeologists find first-ever Philistine cemetery in Israel,' Haaretz 10 July 2016. [http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/archaeology/1.729879]: "Cemetery in ancient Ashkelon, dating back 2700-3000 years, proves the Philistines came from the Aegean, and that in contrast to the conventional wisdom, they were a peaceful folk.</ref>

The Leon Levy Expedition, which has been going on since 1985, helped break down some of the previous assumptions that the Philistines were uncultured people by having evidence of perfume near the bodies in order for the deceased to smell it in the afterlife.<ref name="NPR">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/10/485469088/long-buried-by-bad-reputation-philistines-get-new-life-with-archaeological-find|title=Long Buried By Bad Reputation, Philistines Get New Life With Archaeological Find|website=NPR.org|date=10 July 2016 |last1=Dwyer |first1=Colin }}</ref>