King David's palace found, say archaeologists Professor Yossi Garfinkel holds an article from his archaeological excavation next to the remains of what is thought to be King David's palace. Jerusalem: A team of Israeli archaeologists believes it has discovered the ruins of a palace belonging to the biblical King David, but other Israeli experts dispute the claim. Archaeologists from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Israel's Antiquities Authority said the find, a large fortified complex west of Jerusalem at a site called Khirbet Qeiyafa , is the first palace of the biblical king ever to be discovered. "Khirbet Qeiyafa is the best example exposed to date of a fortified city from the time of King David," said Yossi Garfinkel, a Hebrew University archaeologist, suggesting that David himself would have used the site. Professor Garfinkel led the seven-year dig with Saar Ganor of Israel's Antiquities Authority. The remains of what is thought to be a royal storeroom, one of two public buildings that were found during archaeological excavation of what is believed to be a palace of King David. Professor Garfinkel said his team found cultic objects typically used by Judeans, the subjects of King David, and saw no trace of pig remains. Pork is forbidden under Jewish dietary laws. Clues such as these, he said, were "unequivocal evidence" that David and his descendants had ruled at the site. Critics said the site could have belonged to other kingdoms of the area. The consensus among most scholars is that no definitive physical proof of the existence of King David has been found. Biblical archaeology itself is contentious. Israelis often use archaeological findings to back up their historic claims to sites that are also claimed by the Palestinians, like the Old City of Jerusalem. Despite extensive archaeological evidence, for example, Palestinians deny that the biblical Jewish Temples dominated the hilltop where the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest site, stands today. In general, researchers are divided over whether biblical stories can be validated by physical remains. The current excavators are not the first to claim they found a King David palace. In 2005, Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar said she found the remains of King David's palace in Jerusalem dating to the 10th century BC, when King David would have ruled. Her claim also attracted scepticism, including from Professor Garfinkel himself. Using carbon dating, the archaeologists traced the site's construction to that same period. Professor Garfinkel said the team also found a storeroom almost 15 metres long, suggesting it was a royal site used to collect taxes from the rest of the kingdom. Professor Garfinkel believes King David lived permanently in Jerusalem in a yet-undiscovered site, only visiting Khirbet Qeiyafa or other palaces for short periods. He said the site's placement on a hill indicates that the ruler sought a secure site on high ground during a violent era of frequent conflicts between city-states. "The time of David was the first time that a large portion of this area was united by one monarch," Professor Garfinkel said. It was not a peaceful era. Archaeologist Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University agreed that Khirbet Qeiyafa was an "elaborate" and "well-fortified" 10th century BC site, but said it could have been built by Philistines, Canaanites or other peoples in the area. He said there was no way to verify who built the site without finding a monument detailing the accomplishments of the king who built it. Last week, for instance, archaeologists in Israel found pieces of a sphinx bearing the name of the Egyptian pharaoh who reigned when the statue was carved. Mr Garfinkel insisted that critics were relying on outdated theories. "I think other people have a collapsed theory and we have fresh data," he said.