Between 1968 and 1974, Dr. James Pritchard directed four seasons of excavations at Sarepta (modern Sarafand), where the Bible locates King Solomon's bronze works.. This important Phoenician port city flourished from its foundation in about 1600 B.C.E, through the Byzanitne era. and is the one city in the heartland of Phoenicia that has been thoroughly studied following excavation. a shrine at Sarepta in Phoenicia, including a stone pillar and an altar with channels. Pritchard's excavations here revealed many artifacts of daily life: pottery workshops and kilns, religious figurines, clay masks and amulets, and numerous inscriptions that included some in Ugaritic. Pillar worship is traceable from an 8th century shrine of Tanit-Astarte, and a seal with the city's name made the identification of this site with Sarepta secure.