Harish, Israel: Israel's Antiquities Authority on Sunday said that researchers have discovered the remains of a large, 5000-year-old city that sheds new light on experts' understanding of the period.

Calling it a "cosmopolitan and planned city," the authority said the early Bronze Age settlement covered 65 hectares and was home to about 6000 people.

"In this city, we have a planned settlement with a whole net of streets and alleys and squares, and drainage installations, storage installation," said Yitzhak Paz, a director of excavation on behalf of the authority.

The city was discovered during preparations for a highway interchange project near Harish, a town some 50 kilometres north of Tel Aviv.