Preliminary Radiocarbon Results for Late Bronze Age Strata at Tel Azekah and Their Implications

Abstract

This article presents the first radiocarbon (14C) results from the Late Bronze Age levels of Tel Azekah (Israel). The results testify to the long and prosperous occupation of the site during this period, commencing at least in LB IIA and ending with a severe destruction at the close of LB III. In the extra-mural quarter (Area S2), a pre-monumental building phase (S2-6) dates to the 14th or early 13th century BCE. Two sub-phases of a public building constructed above this yielded dates in the second half of the 13th century and first two-thirds of the 12th century BCE, suggesting that occupation persisted through the “Crisis Years” of the eastern Mediterranean region. On the top of the mound, in Area T2, the destruction of the final LB III level (T2-3) most likely occurred near the end of the 12th century BCE. The preliminary Azekah results are in good agreement with existing data from Lachish and Megiddo, but seem at odds with results from nearby Tel es-Safi/Gath.

New Radiocarbon-based assessment Supports the Prominence of Tel Lachish during late Bronze age IB-IIA

“…(2) samples were primarily from bulk wood charcoal, due to the use of decay counting methods; and (3) precision was lower than can now be attained. Bayesian modeling has drawn out valuable chronological information from this dataset, particularly for later LBA levels (refer to Webster et al 2018), however the lower levels of Area S remained particularly weak-an issue that is now addressed by the new, precise AMS data reported here.…”

“…The less precise previous data for Levels S-2 and S-3 have minimal influence and are broadly compatible (with the exception of clear outliers RT-2754 and RT-3152). The inclusion of data from Levels VIIa and VI has a minor downward effect on the end of S-2; in reverse, the new S-2 to S-3 dataset has a more perceptible effect on the Level VII data, yielding more probability in the 13th century BCE than seen in previous models (Webster et al 2018). Manning et al (2018) recently published evidence for a small regional 14 C offset for the southern Levant, measured at 19 ± 5 years in tree records of the 17th-19th centuries CE.…”

“…This portion of the important Megiddo sequence is under-represented; however it may be said that Stratum F-10 is likely contemporary with Lachish Level S-3, and Stratum K-9 with Level S-2 (Toffolo et al 2014). 25 Closer to Lachish, recent excavation and 14 C work at Tel Azekah is also augmenting our picture of the Shephelah during the Amarna period, indicating the presence of a thriving town with public architecture (Webster et al 2018;forthcoming).…”

Life and death of four individuals in the destruction of the Late Bronze Age city of Azekah, Israel

“…The archaeological and osteological evidence indicate that these remains were deposited in association with the destruction layer. The dating of these skeletons to the late 12th Century BCE is well established using pottery and other artifact chronology, as well as radiocarbon dating of olive pits found in secure contexts closely associated with the skeletons (Kleiman et al, 2019; Webster et al, 2018). While some may be tempted to suggest intramural ceremonial burial, it should be noted that no pit or cist was identified for any of the skeletons, and although figurative amulets were found alongside the skeletons, the archaeologists do not feel that these were ritually placed or associated with ceremonial burial in this context (Kleiman et al, 2019; Koch et al, 2017).…”

“…Tel Azekah, located in Israel's southern lowlands (Figure 1) and excavated since 2012 by the Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition, was home to a flourishing urban community during this period (Kleiman et al, 2019). Excavations to date have found an undisturbed layer of destruction debris spanning the entire site, including burnt mud brick, hundreds of vessels, and four human skeletons dated indirectly by pottery typology and C14 of surrounding organic material to the late 12th Century BCE (Kleiman et al, 2019; Webster et al, 2018). These findings reveal that the city suffered an extensive destruction from which it did not recover, as the site was subsequently left uninhabited for nearly 300 years (Kleiman et al, 2016; Lipschits et al, 2017).…”