A Chalcolithic presence east of the Sea of Galilee: The earliest finds on Mt. SussitaHruby, Karolina; Kowalewska, Arleta; Rosenberg, Danny; Eisenberg, Michael
doi: 10.1080/00310328.2023.2277625pmid: N/A
The characteristics and settlement patterns of the Early–Middle Chalcolithic period (ca. 5,800– 4,700 cal bc) around the Sea of Galilee have hardly been studied so far. The regional diversity of Chalcolithic material culture and the fragmentary nature of the archaeological record hinder a broader understanding of socio-cultural processes in this area. Chalcolithic architecture and finds, excavated for the last 23 years under the Graeco-Roman city of Hippos on Mt. Sussita, provide a rare opportunity to delve into the characteristics of the Chalcolithic period east of the Sea of Galilee. The current paper presents these remains and discusses their typological traits, spatial distribution, and possible cultural attribution. The site represents one of the few non-Golan Chalcolithic occurrences in the region, and its finds suggest an Early–Middle Chalcolithic period dating.
An Iron Age II ceramic figurine from Umm Sweiwineh, Central JordanKhries, Hashem; Al-Gonmeen, Taher
doi: 10.1080/00310328.2023.2277626pmid: N/A
This paper assesses a typical Ammonite terracotta figurine discovered during the rescue excavation conducted at Umm Sweiwineh in the periphery of Amman in 2014 by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (DoA). During the past few decades, excavations in Transjordan, in particular central Jordan, have produced a large corpus of anthropomorphic figurines from various sites dated to the Iron Age. Their excavation contexts varied from funerary to domestic. Male figurines are usually slipped or painted to show a beard or moustache and are characterised by a conical headdress. Although foreign cultural influence is apparent, they show a local stylistic tradition. This paper will discuss the figurine and its findspot, including a description and the forming technique employed to produce it, its typological classification, chronological framework, comparisons, cultural influence, iconography and potential function. The chronology of the figurine was determined by its archaeological context and accompanying pottery assemblage, as well as comparative examples from well-stratified sites.
The Meṣad Ḥashavyahu Ostracon in its Regional, Economic, and Political ContextDaniels, Quinn
doi: 10.1080/00310328.2023.2277629pmid: N/A
This article uses updated models of the 7th-century bce economy to argue that the harvesting activities reported in the Meṣad Ḥashavyahu ostracon occurred at a small grain-cultivating site located in the Judahite highlands. The distance between this farmstead and the inscription’s coastal findspot explains why the ostracon was inscribed in the first place: the harvester could not appeal his case in person. As can be detected in the complaint, the granary complex in the Judahite highlands specialised in cereal products and was conversely not designed for the cultivation of a diversity of crops for local subsistence. This economic choice likely originated in Judah’s effort to contribute its own grain surpluses to a broader regional network of trade and commerce, one which was defined by specialised zones of surplus production that originated in the wake of Sennacherib's campaign in 701 bce. Because Egypt built the fortress in which the inscription was found and moreover coerced Judah's king and people into a new system of obligatory payment (2 Kgs 23:29-35), the ostracon represents a stunning glimpse into a time when Judah’s own administration was forcing its labourers to meet the extractive demands of an external power. The commander (śar) in the fortress was the logical authority for the harvester’s case, as (1) a high-ranking figure close to both the Egyptian and Judahite powers, (2) a recipient of inland grain products, and (3) a potential keeper of important transactional documents.
Chronology and Strategic Significance of the Hilltop Fortress, Umm Tawabin in Jordan: Some Conclusions from the 2015-2018 Survey and Excavations by the Ghor As-Safi ProjectAriotti, Alexandra
doi: 10.1080/00310328.2024.2345954pmid: N/A
Umm Tawabin (‘Mother of Bread Ovens’ in Arabic) is a large fortress overlooking the Wadi ‘Arabah and southern Dead Sea in Jordan. From the time of its discovery by a Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) expedition in the late 19th century, Umm Tawabin had not been excavated, nor published extensively in spite of its strategically elevated location with panoramic views on all sides, its monumental fortification and numerous and varied archaeological remains until the Ghor as-Safi Project survey (Ariotti 2017) and excavations (Ariotti 2022; 2021; Politis and Ariotti 2020). The goal of this investigation was to determine the extent, function (or multiple functions) and dating of the site, along with the subsistence practices and diet of its inhabitants based on its topographical, architectural and excavated material culture, botanical and faunal remains (Ariotti 2021, Edwell 2023, Hansen and Heinrich, in press). This paper presents an overview of the chronological development and strategic importance of Umm Tawabin from the Hellenistic to Roman periods in view of its stratigraphic evidence, radiocarbon dates and pottery. It also presents some fragmentary remains dated to the Iron Age II.