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Revelations from Megiddo 2. Nov. 1997

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Revelations from Megiddo 2. Nov. 1997 REVELATIONS F1 ROM ME6IDDO The Newsletter of The Megiddo Expedition tery from sites in southern Canaan, such as Tel Erani, En Besor and Arad, Egyptians at were made during the 1980s by Naomi Porat, then with the Geology Depart­ Early Bronze ment of Hebrew University. These investigations revealed that some of the more common Egyptian pottery Age Megiddo shapes were produced in southern to this period, especially in the south­ Canaan using techniques that imitated ern part of the country (the northern those employed in Egypt. As a result Anatylical Study of 11:arly Bronie Negev and the Shephela). of her conclusions, Porat coined the !1:gy pli an Pollcry Assemblage The nature and motives for the term 'Egyptianizing pottery' for those [rom Lhe Temple Compou nd interaction between Egypt and Canaan vessels which apparently had been are the subjects of a long-lasting de­ made by Egyptian potters who had n intriguing assemblage of bate. There are basically two interpre- settled in southern Canaan, together Early Bronze Age pottery from Megiddo, discovered during the 1996 excavation season, has been subjected to an analytical petrographic study in order to ascer­ tain its provenance. Petrographic analysis aims to identify the geo­ graphic region from which a given object comes by identifying its min­ eral content, then matching the results to the known geological composition of likely regions of origin. The assemblage represents some type of squatter activity within the abandoned monumental EBI (fourth millennium B.C.E.) temple com­ pound. The approximately 20 vessels were found bunched together in an area of about one square metre, indi­ cating that they were deliberately placed there, likely as offerings. Photo by Pavel Shrago The Early Bronze Age I is a period Rachel Paletta of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University carefully restores the 'Egyptianizing' pottery vessels found in the EBI temple complex. that witnessed an increasing Egyptian interest in Canaan. Egyptian architec­ tations of the phenomenon. One at­ with traders or administrators. ture and artifacts, including mainly tempts to relate the Egyptian aspects So far, Egyptianizing pottery has pottery, but also flint and stone tools, of material culture to physical Egyp­ been found only in the southern parts have been found at many sites dating tian presence in southern Canaan by of the country, as far north as Azor, Inside Page way of military near Tel Aviv. The finds at Megiddo conquest. The push this limit a further I 00 kilome­ • Egyptians at Early Bronze Megiddo 1 other attributes the tres northward. • Thutmose Ill & the 'Aruna.Pass Survey 2 remnants to peace­ Our examinations of the Egyptian • Fauna! Remmns fromMegiddo . 2 ful trade relations pottery from Megiddo, carried out in between them. the laboratory of Tel Aviv Univer­ - IIA~-:..1 ...1-• .... r'lu... Capture Student 4 Analytical sity's Institute of Archaeology, re­ REV s of the Megiddo Staff; Megiddo Up­ examinations of vealed that it too was made in Canaan iddo in Cyberspace. the Egyptian pot- See Egyptians, Page 2 1436242 operates under the auspices of Megiddo Expedition Directors: Israel Finkelstein, Baruch American partner: Pennsylvania Halpern and David Ussishkin. Excavation Directors: Israel 2 :ium institutions: Universities of Finkelstein and David Ussishkin. Head of Academic A aod Southern California. Program and Consortium Coordinator: Baruch Halpern. 1997 c . 2 Egyptians, Faunal Remains from Page 1 rather than Egypt. from Megiddo However, many minerals and rock ones! Precious few ofthe fragments that human variety, fortunately, were found in its but a veritable 'apocalypse' clay (e.g. basalt) ofthose from our four-legged friends indicate that it was are found at sites in Israel. So where produced locally at can a harried zooarchaeologist go for Megiddo, not in a bit of renewal and mental refresh- southern Canaan. ment amidst this ubiquitous debris In terms of tech- from ancient carnage? Since our credo is 'The More nology, this pot- Photo by Pavel Shrago zooarchaeological tery also attempts The 'Egyptianizing'pottery from Megiddo's EBI temple complex. Bones the Better,' there can be no to imitate Egyptian greater spiritual balm than to go to techniques and raw materials. Thus, it is easily distinguishable from the common one ofthe very centres ofthe investi- Early Bronze Age local wares. gation, the Mother Lode of faunal This unexpected data opens new possibilities for interpretation ofthe Egyptian remains from sacred contexts, the presence in Canaan. First, ifthe initial interpretation ofthe Egyptianizing pottery Megiddo Early Bronze cultic com- is acceptable, it means that Egyptian settlers colonized some locations in the more plex, better known as 'Area J'. Two northern parts of the country as well, perhaps within the Canaanite populations of seasons ofexcavation (1994 and the larger settlements. Second, it shows that, contra the popular view that the ini- I 996) have recovered many thousands tial Bronze Age urbanization process in Canaan arose under the impetus of Egyp- of bones from the extensive sacrifices tian stimulation, Canaan, or at least Megiddo, was already fully urbanized, or made in the compound. even declining from its first urban cycle, whetr the first Egyptian civilization, as Most of the bones are of domestic shown in the material remains of Megiddo, was influencing Canaan. Finally, if sheep and goats, with cattle a distant indeed the vessels were brought to the temple as some type of offering, it shows third; pig was used every now and an, until now, undetected cultural syncretism between the Egyptian element and then, as were, very rarely, gazelle and their Canaa-nite hosts. fallow deer, both wild species. Yuval Goren, Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University Scattered among the chopped and fragmented specimens are many ar- ticulations - vl'hole lower leg and toe Thutrnose III and the 'Aruna Pass Survey bones in correct anatomical position. These are portions of the animal with o1r,two (other) roads are highway as it crosses the hills ,.Ouru,"- little meat value that are usually re- here. Orre ol the roads ing the Sharon Plain from the Jezreel - moved as a unit during butchery. behold, it is fro the east a.f] Valley, worrying that they might have Their presence tells us that the Area J us" so that ll comes out at Taanach" to proceed 'horse... after horse', or accumulations are relatively undis- 'Ihe other behold. it is to the north single file, leaving 'the vanguard... - turbed; that is, we are digging up side of D.iefti, and we r,vill come out to fighting while the [rear guard] is bones that have stayed where theY the norlh cf Megiddo. I-et our victori- awaiting... in Aruna, unable to fight.' were first discarded, rather than the ous lord proceed on the one of [them] From these words of military more common discovery of garbage which is lsatisfactory to] his heart. councii to Thutmose III we learn oI that has been moved around and re- (but) dr: not make us go on that diffi- three ofthe four passes from which a peatedly reburied, a complexity that cuit roacii' (i. ts. Pritchard. ,lncient traveler may choose in order to cross makes our task of interpretation much \ cat Lastern /i-,rrs 1969: p. l-t4) the central mountain range on his way tougher. This inscription from the Temple from Egypt, aiong the coastal plain, The bones represent the slaughter, of Arnr.rn at Karnak in Upper Egypt through the Jezreel Valle-v and on to butcher and dismemberment, cooking, reiates the acivice of the Egyptian Syria. Olthe four, the southernmost, eating and discarding of animals; in King Thuinrr--se lll's generals during the T#anach Pass. lraverses lrom other words, evidence of the whole tfre r:ampaign oihis 23rd,v-ear (14?9 Baqa al-Charbiya io the n.round ol process of animal use that ended with B.{1.E.), zrs his armies marched to T#anach; the nofthernniost, the remains of meals eaten within the meet a coalition of Canaanite forces at Yokne'am Pass. leads into the Jezreel sacred precinct, probably by cultic tulegiddo. led by the Prince of Kadesh Valley at Yokne'am^ biblical Jok- personnel and worshippers. on the Orontes. Ilis officers express neam. A fourth option, not r-nentionec! Why do all these bones, which lherr lears about the narrou rnain by Thutrnose III, is to continue alotrg actually represent a mountain of work, the coast up to modern-da1 Harfa. provide such soul-calming relief? published Revelations from Megiddo is The central pass, called '.\runa in Because they represent, for me at semi-annually by the Megiddo Expedi- Thutmose III's inscriptions. is the least, a goldmine of research potential. tion. Editors-in-Chief: lsrael Finkelstein, the research Baruch Halpern and David Ussishkin. most important of the four. NIan1 For the first time in of L. Miller. Editor: Jared See'Aruna Pass, Page 3 See Fauna, Page 3 Revelations from Megiddo 'Aruna Pass, from Page 2 ble that the situation on the hectic highway which traverses the wadi, kings and senerals hare used this pass used time and time again for military on their ri ai ircnr Egy pt to Syria, expeditions, was such that settlers frorn Pharaohs Thutmose Ill and were forced to concentrate at large Sheshonk I to Ceneral AIlenb,v, who defensible towns or to build their led an ALrstralian light horse division homes away from the road? and the Tenth lndian lnfantr,v en route Students from the Department of to meet the \\'orld \\'ar I Ottoman Archaeological of TAU participated in forces. the survey, some of whom also par- 'Aruna is the narne rvhich appears ticipated in the educational program at in the Egyptian sources, such as the Rouie chosen Tel Megiddo in 1996, making it their annals ofThutmose lll and Sheshonk by lhutmoses lii second involvement in the Megiddo l, and is preserved in the name of the Expedition.
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