Early Maceheads in the Southern Levant: A “Chalcolithic” Hallmark in Neolithic Context

Rosenberg, Danny

doi:10.1179/009346910x12707321520512

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Other Ghassulian sites usually revealed less than 15 maceheads (Sebbane 2009, 198 and references therein). The number of macehead sub-types in the Chalcolithic increased, although some of the shapes known from earlier periods are still present (Rosenberg 2010). Most Chalcolithic maceheads were found in domestic contexts and rarely in burials (Sebbane 2009, 335).…”

Section: Maceheadsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Stone maceheads of the southern Levant are perforated items usually made of small shaped cobbles, which were placed at the top of poles made of perishable materials, affixed to the handles with ropes, strings and/or adhesives. Their final shaping usually included smoothing or polishing of their outer surface (Rosenberg 2010;Sebbane 2009, 18). Maces were one of the most common weapons of the protohistoric periods in the Near East (Sebbane 2009).…”

Section: Maceheadsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dull-edged Weapons and Low-level Fighting in the Late Prehistoric Southern Levant

Shimelmitz

Rosenberg

2013

CAJ

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While duels and other types of fighting with a relatively low level of lethal risk are well known from the ethnographic record, these have been less studied from an archaeological perspective. These fights are different from 'war' in the lack of killing intent and they are commonly referred to as 'ritual fighting', thus implying the social significance of the act and not just the outcome. Our study concentrates on the Late Pottery Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods of the southern Levant from which the physical evidence of violence is relatively scarce, although conflicts are assumed to have intensified due to the increase in long-term settlements and density of population. We will argue that the three types of weapons found during these periods -maceheads, slingstones and transverse arrowheads -are characterized by dull or blunt peripheries and were intentionally designed not to cause maximal injury or inflict lethal blows. These weapons are well represented only after the hunting of wild game dramatically declined and we suggest that they represent the conduct of low-level fighting, consequently indicating the presence of rules and social organization that are essential elements for the formation of early complex societies.

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Section: Maceheadsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Maceheadsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dull-edged Weapons and Low-level Fighting in the Late Prehistoric Southern Levant

Shimelmitz

Rosenberg

2013

CAJ

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“…根据植物考古和测年结果, 小麦和大麦最早在前陶新石器B期(PPNB, 10500~9050a BP)驯化于西亚的黎凡特、安那托利亚和扎格罗斯山的山前地带 (Zeder, 2008;Riehl等, 2013), 其中土耳其Nevali Gori遗址麦类作物遗存直接测年结果为10557~10259a BP(Lösch等, http://engine.scichina.com/doi/10.1360/N072016-00279 图 1 欧亚大陆新石器-青铜时代遗址人骨碳同位素变化(a) 和农作物遗存年代随经度的变化(b) 2006), 叙利亚 Tell Abu Hureyra 遗址炭化小麦和大麦直接测年结果为 10117~9021a BP (Moore, 1992 (Tengberg, 1999;Liu等, 2016 (Spengler, 2015). (Sherratt, 2006;Kuz'mina, 2008;Roberts等, 2009;Jones等, 2011Jones等, , 2016 (Rosenberg, 2010),…”

Section: 欧亚大陆史前时代东西方农作物交汇前的传播与扩散unclassified

农作物传播视角下的欧亚大陆史前东西方文化交流

杨¹,

韩²,

陈³

et al. 2017

Sci. Sin.-Terrae

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“…While there is some evidence for skilled craft production in the form of the vessel rim fragment (Basket #1143010), it is probable that there were proficient craftsmen during the EBA, particularly for the manufacture of stone vessels (Braun 1990;van den Brink et al 1999). Furthermore, there is also an active tradition for the production of ground stone mace heads during the EBA I (Rosenberg 2010) and one made of basalt was recently discovered in Area P of Tell esSafi/Gath. Therefore, even though there is evidence for skilled craftsmanship on some of the basalt ground stone artefacts, evidence for specialised craft production could not be identified.…”

Section: Manufacture and Materials Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The life-history of basalt ground stone tools from early urban domestic contexts: A chronicle from the EBA III of Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel

Beller

Greenfield

Shai

et al. 2016

JLS

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Abstract:Recent archaeological excavations at the early urban settlement of Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel present the opportunity to reconstruct the life-history of basalt ground stone artefacts of an early urban domestic neighbourhood. Tell es-Safi/Gath is a multi-period site located on the border between the Judean foothills and the southern coastal plain of central Israel. Survey and excavations over the last two decades demonstrated that it was a major urban centre for the region during the Early Bronze Age (EBA) III. At the eastern end of the site, a neighbourhood of commoner residences (some perhaps associated with mercantile activities) have been exposed. This paper describes and analyses the basalt ground stone tools found in association with this domestic neighbourhood. It seeks to establish the nature of production, distribution, consumption, and discard associated with ground stone tools within a domestic context. The study involved several forms of analysis including typology, macroscopic observations, and excavation data. It is suggested that basalt sources from the northeastern regions of the southern Levant were exploited for the small-scale production of basalt artefacts by nonspecialised craftsmen. These commodities were then transported in more or less finished form to Tell es-Safi/Gath where they were further redistributed or sold to the settlement residents. The residents of the Tell es-Safi/Gath neighbourhood utilised the basalt artefacts for traditionally domestic tasks, and ultimately intentionally discarded or recycled them in a few depositional contexts. In summary, this paper presents a unique investigation into the life-history of basalt ground stone artefacts discovered in the EB III occupation levels of Tell es-Safi/Gath. It further demonstrates the potential of ground stone tools for understanding the behaviour and daily life of non-elite people.

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Early Maceheads in the Southern Levant: A “Chalcolithic” Hallmark in Neolithic Context

Cited by 18 publications

References 18 publications

Dull-edged Weapons and Low-level Fighting in the Late Prehistoric Southern Levant

Dull-edged Weapons and Low-level Fighting in the Late Prehistoric Southern Levant

农作物传播视角下的欧亚大陆史前东西方文化交流

The life-history of basalt ground stone tools from early urban domestic contexts: A chronicle from the EBA III of Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel

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