The Late Bronze Age in the Levant is a period of much interest to archaeologists, historians and biblical scholars. This is a period with intense international relations, rich in ancient sources, which provide historical data for the period, and is a crucial formative period for the peoples and cultures who play central roles in the Hebrew Bible. Recent archaeological research in Israel and surrounding countries has provided new, exciting, and in some cases, groundbreaking finds, interpretations and understanding of this period.
The fourteen papers in this volume represent the proceedings of a conference held at Bar-Ilan University in 2014 (with the additional of several invited papers not presented at the conference), which provide both overviews of Late Bronze Age finds from several important sites in Israel and surrounding countries, as well as several synthetic studies on the various issues relating to the period. These papers, by and large, represent a broad view of cuttting edge research in the archaeology of the ancient Levant in general, and on the Late Bronze Age specifically.
Author(s): Aren M. Maeir; Itzhak Shai; Chris McKinny
Series: Archaeology of the Biblical Worlds 2
Publisher: de Gruyter
Year: 2019
Language: English
Pages: X+286
The Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages of Southern Canaan
Foreword
Contents
The Late Bronze Age at Tell es-Safi/Gath and the site’s role in Southwestern Canaan
General Points
Discussion
References
The Wheat-People of Canaan
Introduction
Methods
Late Bronze floral list
Results and discussion
General patterns of Late Bronze Shephelah plant assemblage
Diet and subsistence
Shared patterns of dietary preferences
Site-specific diet preferences
The Shephelah in a regional context
Late Bronze Canaan Agronomy
Type of agriculture
Practice for soil fertility maintenance
Conclusions
Wheat-People of Canaan
Acknowledgments
References
Late Bronze Age Azekah – an almost forgotten story
Introduction
Late Bronze stratigraphy
The pottery
Absolute chronology
Residue analysis
Human remains
Pictorial and figurative amulets
Clay figurines
Historical reflections and conclusions
References
A reevaluation of Gezer in the Late Bronze Age in light of renewed excavations and recent scholarship
History of excavations and debates
Overview of HUC excavations
“Palace 14120”
Late Bronze Age occupation in Fields I and II
The “Outer Wall”
Late Bronze Age tombs at Gezer
Gezer in recent research
Gezer and the Amarna tablets (LB IIA)
Gezer and LB site distribution
Where is the Egyptian Governor’s residence?
Gezer and recent material culture studies
Summary
Tandy excavations
Late Bronze Age
Outer Wall
Conclusion
References
Tel Batash in the Late Bronze Age – a retrospect
The foundation of the town: Middle Bronze Age: Strata XII–XI
The Late Bronze Age levels: architecture and finds
Stratum X
Stratum IX
Stratum VIII
Stratum VII
Stratum VIA-B
Area A stratigraphic sequence
Area C: possible gate passage
Additional finds: non-organic and organic
Radiometric dates and some chronological queries
Historical and chronological synthesis
Continuity from Middle Bronze to Late Bronze
Geopolitical status
Regional occupational history
Urban planning
Architecture and its social reflections
References
First impression on the urban layout of the last Canaanite city of Lachish: a view from the northeast corner of the site
Introduction
The vicinity of the city and the location of the city gates
The topography of area BB
“Lower City” and “Upper City”
The citadel
The temple
The transition between Level VII and VI
Summary
References
Lachish is Lachish on the Lachish bowl: an object lesson for reading Hieratic, with little surprising results. The Lachish Bowl in the context of Hieratic inscriptions from
southern Canaan
Toponym I: Lachish!
Toponym II: Jaffa?
References
Tel Burna in the Late Bronze – assessing the 13th century BCE landscape of the Shephelah
Introduction
Tel Burna
The LB at Tel Burna
Area B2
Area B1
13th century BCE date for Area B1?
Comparison of excavated sites in the Shephelah
Gezer
Beqoʿa
Tel Miqne-Ekron
Timnah (Tel Batash)
Beth Shemesh
Tel Harasim
Tell es-Safi/Gath
Azekah
Tel Yarmuth
Tel Erani
Tel Zayit
Lachish
Tel ʿEton
Tell Beit Mirsim
Tel Nagila
Tell el-Hesi
Conclusion
References
Jerusalem in the Late Bronze Age – The Glass Half Full
The evidence at hand
Recent finds from the excavations in the Area of the Gihon Spring
Discussion
References
Hebron in the Late Bronze Age: Discoveries of the of the American expedition to Hebron (Tell er-Rumeide)
The site
The AEH expedition
Later excavations at Hebron
Area I.1 – A domestic living structure
Area I.6 – Another domestic living structure
Area I.3 and Area I.7 – Outside the city fortifications
Area I.4 – Additional late bronze evidence
Tomb #2
Adjustments to AEH phase correlation
MBII, LB, and Iron I sherd frequency
Conclusions
References
The Transjordanian Jordan Valley in the Late Bronze Age: under Egyptian control?
Introduction
Chronology
Selected earlier studies
The case of Pella
The case of Tell Abu al-Kharaz
The case of Tell Deir ʿAlla
The case of Tell es-Saʿidiyeh
The case of Kataret es-Samra
Discussion and conclusions
References
Shifting meanings and values of Aegean-type pottery in the Late Bronze Age Southern Levant
Introduction
Preamble: terms and concepts
State of research
Horizons of interaction with Aegean-type pottery
Cretan horizon
Horizon Tell Abu Hawam
Horizon Nami
Phoenician Horizon
The Philistia
References
Prestige and authority in the Southern Levant during the Amarna Age
Introduction: perceptions of Amarna politics
Socio-political textual clues
Prestige, authority and patronage
A socio-political sketch of the Southern Levant in Amarna times
Conclusion
References
Southwestern Canaan and Egypt during the Late Bronze Age I–IIA
Introduction
Settlement history: Late Bronze Age I–IIA
Changing charms
Goddess in translation
Discussion
Conclusions
References
Index
