Urban Built Environments in Early 1st Millennium b.c.e. Syro-Anatolia: Results of the Tayinat Archaeological Project, 2004–2016

Abstract

ysorneD tF nd rrrisonD F nd ftiukD F nd eltonD vF nd hesselD tFF nd henelD iF nd hemiriD ¤ yF @PHIWA 9rn uilt environments of the erly Ist millennium fgi X results of the yint erheologil rojetD PHHREPHIPF9D fulletin of the emerin hools of yrientl eserhFD QVP F ppF PTIEQIPF

Beyond megadrought and collapse in the Northern Levant: The chronology of Tell Tayinat and two historical inflection episodes, around 4.2ka BP, and following 3.2ka BP

“…The original excavations at the site produced a monumental structure known as Building XIV that was assigned to Building Period 1 [ 53 ]. The current excavations have identified the foundations of this structure [ 45 – 47 , 118 ], but have not yet produced any datable contexts for radiocarbon analysis. The stratigraphic position of the foundational remains of Building XIV, however, allow the proposition of a narrow date range, based on the model presented here, in the mid-late 10 th century BCE, contemporary with Phase 2 Middle A1.…”

“…The stratigraphic position of the foundational remains of Building XIV, however, allow the proposition of a narrow date range, based on the model presented here, in the mid-late 10 th century BCE, contemporary with Phase 2 Middle A1. The latter phase is associated in Field 1 with the construction of a major ditch and sherd-paved street, located immediately to the south of Building XIV [ 118 ]. The material assemblage associated with this building and with the street contains Red-Slipped Burnished Ware, whose fluorescence is conventionally dated to the Iron Age II, although only small quantities were found [ 118 ].…”

“…The latter phase is associated in Field 1 with the construction of a major ditch and sherd-paved street, located immediately to the south of Building XIV [ 118 ]. The material assemblage associated with this building and with the street contains Red-Slipped Burnished Ware, whose fluorescence is conventionally dated to the Iron Age II, although only small quantities were found [ 118 ]. Instead, the ceramic assemblage for phases 2 Middle A(1) and 2 Middle A(2) is dominated by plain wares, suggesting a date between Phases 2 Middle A and 2 Middle B (ca.…”

“…Following identification, we selected a number of samples (both wood charcoal and short-lived seeds) for which reasonably secure archaeological associations are available (as is inevitable at a complicated multi-period tell site with such a multi-phase stratigraphic sequence, the work of this project has in fact led to the reassessment of a few contexts–see below). The general Tell Tayinat site stratigraphic sequence is set out in Table 1 ; further stratigraphic description and the discussion of associated material culture can be found in [ 48 , 50 , 51 , 53 , 110 , 118 ]. The samples ultimately selected for 14 C dating and any comments related to their archaeological contexts are listed in Table 2 .…”

“…Sadly, no charcoal recovered so far in the recent Tayinat excavations has been of anywhere near such a scale for dendrochronological analysis, and the whereabouts of Libby’s original sample or any others that may have been collected in the 1930s remains unknown. The confidence expressed in the dating of the context and sample from the site is also striking, and almost certainly misplaced, given the complex history of the specific bīt-hilāni palace from which the sample was taken (Rooms I-J, 1 st floor in Building I) (e.g., [ 53 , 57 , 117 , 118 ]).…”