TEL BET YERAH: Hub of the Early Bronze Age Levant

Greenberg, Raphael; Paz, Sarit; Wengrow, David; Iserlis, Mark

doi:10.5615/neareastarch.75.2.0088

Cited by 21 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…This is somewhat surprising, as there is ample evidence for Armenian Highlands—southern Levant connections during the Early Bronze Age, including the migration of people from the Caucasus to the southern Levant and the move of materials and ideas in both ways (Greenberg & Goren ; Greenberg et al . ). Whatever the case, according to this scenario the kites in their two forms were incorporated in the southern Caucasus only long after domesticated ungulates were a prominent component of Early Bronze Age economic systems, whether of sedentary populations based on agriculture or of pastoral nomads.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

New insights into desert kites in Armenia: the fringes of the Ararat Depression

Nadel

Bar-Oz

Malkinson

et al. 2015

Arab Archaeol Epigr

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The Armenian kites are the northernmost known kites in south-west Asia. In contrast to those in the deserts further south, their research has only recently begun. The Armenian kites are situated at high elevations, mostly between 900 and 1500 m above mean sea level, in steppic conditions where Artemisia is at present the dominant shrub on the landscape. In our ongoing project we excavated three V-shaped kites and one enclosure kite. The two kinds are similar in construction details, but they differ in size and location: the former run down into gullies, while the latter were placed on the plateau. Six OSL ages suggest terminal Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age construction dates, while geomorphological considerations and surface artefacts suggest earlier dates. A preliminary palynological study suggests a gradual increase in grazing-resistant vegetation since the mid-Holocene, probably reflecting human impact on the natural vegetation through the herding of grazing animals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

New insights into desert kites in Armenia: the fringes of the Ararat Depression

Nadel

Bar-Oz

Malkinson

et al. 2015

Arab Archaeol Epigr

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“…The pottery industry during the Late Chalcolithic and particularly during the Early Bronze Age advanced with typo-morphological standardization, specialized production in workshops, and interregional distribution [e.g., 3 , 16 , 19 , 20 , 137 , 138 ]. Partially tournette-formed ceramic vessels [ 139 – 141 ] were attested already in the Late Chalcolithic period, and their number increased significantly during the Early Bronze Age [ 61 , 139 , 141 and references therein].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Partially tournette-formed ceramic vessels [ 139 – 141 ] were attested already in the Late Chalcolithic period, and their number increased significantly during the Early Bronze Age [ 61 , 139 , 141 and references therein]. Still, it was not until the Early Bronze Age II when potter’s wheels appeared in significant frequencies [e.g., 137 , 141 , 142 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The function of the south-Levantine Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age basalt vessels bearing circumferential depressions: Insights from use-wear analyses

et al. 2021

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One of the most characteristic aspects of the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age periods in the southern Levant is the appearance of large assemblages of basalt vessels. These vessels, frequently meticulously made, appear sometimes a considerable distance from the raw material sources and are found mainly at habitation sites. While these and their prestigious value have been widely discussed in the past, their function is still obscure. In the current paper, we address their functionality through microscopic use-wear analysis. Emphasis was placed on basalt vessels with a distinct wear pattern–circumferential depressions, which appear along the perimeter of their interior bases. The documented traces were compared to results of an experimental study we conducted to characterize the effects of abrasion, grinding, and lubrication on basalt surfaces. The results of the comparative experimental study suggest that the circumferential depression was formed from a repetitive rotational activity using a narrow-ended tool. Further, it seems that two material types acted in combination as the circling device and processed material. One was hard and abrasive, such as stone, and the other was semi-resilient, such as wood or mineral powder. Water was likely used as a lubricant in the rotational process. While the actual function of the bowls bearing the circumferential depressions is not entirely clear, the use-wear analyses suggest that they may have been devices involved in craft industries, used for processing materials unrelated to food (minerals in particular). Whatever the exact function was, it clear that this use continued from the Chalcolithic through the Early Bronze Age, providing evidence for functional continuity between these two periods.

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“…el-Kerak) is a large, archaeological mound formed around a small, natural hill at the south-west corner of the Sea of Galilee. Excavated intermittently since the 1930s, the 25ha mound contains the remains of a large Early Bronze I village that was rebuilt as an Early Bronze II walled town (for a review of earlier excavations, see Greenberg et al 2012). Detailed studies of Early Bronze II architecture and public spaces indicate that, although the town walls and basic plan were established from the outset, the imposition of urban discipline was a gradual process, resulting in a dense grid of streets and houses by the end of the period, c. 2850 BC (Greenberg & Paz 2014: 38-39;Paz & Greenberg 2016).…”

Section: Tel Bet Yerahmentioning

confidence: 99%