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. modern village of 'Ara, which helped Yuval Gadot in identif ing the route -- still the The Megiddo Expedition Staff main road from the coast to Megiddo and the north today. The area ofthese passes is the Fauna, from Page 2 focus of my M.A" thesis. The work Map drawn by Judith Dekel Levantine sacrifice sacrifice being includes field survey, which aims to Map of the 'Aruna Pass area near Megiddo. - patterns indisputably the most important form study the changing settlement within the designated area from the of ancient worship vvs h4vs 6 along'Aruna Pass, and analysis of Bronze, Iron and Persian Periods. The chance to get it right,- to put sacrificial previous surveys ofthe other three. information concerning the settlement activity and behaviour in context and T'he intent is to shed light on differ- patterns ofthe northern and southern pattern among the understand the social dynamics that ences in settlement passes will be collected from previous allowed the Megiddo temples and four routes. Combined with the his- surveys and excavations conducted by their cultic institutions to command torical records oftheir use. the re- other institutions. the roads animal resources from what must have search rnay reveal which of The survey work consists of a period. been a considerable distance. were more popular during each systematic pedestrian search for ar- Until our work at Megiddo, not a The current survey of the 'Aruna chaeological features, such as pottery single early sacred/temple area in all Pass area consists ofone link in the sherds, agricultural installations or the excavations in Israel had been I\'legiddo Expedition's iarger, wide building remains. The team members rvestern systematically investigated in a way area survey in the Jezreel spread out at a distance of20 to 30 that would allow scholars to under- Valley. lt aims at a better understand- metres from one another, then comb stand the sacrificial system INDE- ing ofthe econonry, societv and de- the site for any datable finds, usually PENDENTLY of textual descriptions. mography' of the surrounding pottery. The site is measured and, if period Reconstructions of Canaanite sacrifi ce \legiddo countrl.'side in each in need be, photogrbphed, and a descrip- have been largely retrojections of, or relation to the infornration gathered tion ofthe site, including all features contrasts with. Israelite sacrifice found iionr the nround. visible from the surface, is written. 'r\ in the Hebrew Bible. ithin the fiatneri'ork of the Our hope is to discover unknown Because we don't know how siud1. ser eral coileagues and fellow sites and to better study those for complete, accurate or precise those students and rn1'self conducted field which an identification has already descriptions are, as we possess scant surrey *hich focused on the Wadi been suggested. There have already '\ra comparative evidence from other area. including a corridor ofthree been some intriguing results. A total sources, it is doubly precarious to on either side of 'Aruna of24 sites from the relevant periods ^ri,,nreters reconstruct Canaanite sacrifi ce from l;r.s f ire lntent is to rrap all the sites have been investigated along'Aruna such an incomplete base. Our Pass. Of them. some Megiddo material comes from the were unknown from earliest stages ofthe Early Bronze previous surveys period, which precedes any Israelite and were dated ac- entity by more than a millennium and ccrciing to potter!' a half. Israelite sacrifice developed sherds found by our against the background of a diverse team. Canaanite system (as well as that of Juciging from other peoples), and it makes more the number of sites sense to study it in that context. (not accounting tbr The Megiddo faunal material size or estimated makes this more logical approach population). Wadi possible for the first time. 'Ara l.vas the least settled ofthe four Paula Wapnish ,A canrel cara\an. tl'Lrrrt C A Fisher's 1929 repctrt.'fhe Ercuvalions of passes, Is it possi- University of Alabama -,lrnageddln.ltaki1:r its rar iltrorrglr Wadi 'Ara.

Revelations fron Megtddo ' . Megiddo's Charit:i~ -.~'. (.~raduate Schoo!. I also·dreamed about shirts. Of course, it doesn't matter Israel and applied to the Hebrew Uni- how much I spent, because after the C a ptu re Student .. vetsity in Jerusalem, where I was ac­ shirts were printed and delivered, I got cepted into a one-year program for the paid and made a profit. The same in­ 1996-97 school year. vestment principle is true of digging twas December, 1993, and as a This couldn't have worked any with the Megiddo Expedition - I've student at a small private col­ better, because the Megiddo Expedi­ definitely profited more than could [I] lege in eastern North Carolina, I tion was digging again in the summer ever be summed up in dollars. had papers to write and exams to of 1996. So, come June, I was once Now, I'm not an old man, but I've study for. So, being a typical student, I again on a plane to Israel, but this been around for awhile. I take life was wandering around bored and time, I had no ticket for a return flight. seriously, but it 'ain't worth it if wondering how I should spend my A lot of members from the 1994 sea­ you're not having fun', as the saying summer vacation, when I noticed an son returned, and we renewed friend­ goes. I don't know where I'll be after advertisement for an archaeological ships, made new friends, did some this school year, but whatever plans I dig at Tel Megiddo, Israel. OK, so all fruitful digging, and had loads of fun make will include being in Megiddo I knew about archaeology I had doing it. Israel Finkelstein, one of the for the next dig. learned from Indiana Jones, but six directors of the Expedition, said that weeks in Israel sounded like lots of this was the best season of digging he Peter Carter, fun to me. had ever experienced. Megiddo Expedition I applied and was accepted as a After the se_ason, I moved to Jeru­ Team Member member of the Megiddo Expedition, salem and began my studies at He­ brew University. Though the demands and in mid-June of 1994, I hopped on New Publications from a plane with a suitcase stuffed with of my courses keep me busy, I have The Megiddo Expedition staff: clothes and a stomach full of excite­ been known to take a week off and travel, for example, to the Sinai Penin­ ment. I didn't know any of the other Eric Cline's new book, Battles ofAr­ sula. But that's really part of the edu­ team members, but I figured that just · mageddon (University of Michigan made me like everybody else, so I cation I'm getting studying in a for­ Press, Upcoming), looks at Megiddo's strapped in and headed for the land of eign country, and I have to experience unique military history, discussing the milk and honey. all I can while I'm here, right? battles of, among others, Pharaoh Ifl were a poet, maybe I'd know Living in Jerusalem and going to a Thutmose III, Joshua, Saladin and Na­ the words to describe all the fun we university means I meet lots of new poleon. had that season, but any description I people, and quite often I tell them Israel Finkelstein, one of the Megiddo could give would probably have to about the Megiddo Expedition and Expedition Directors, has published his end with the statement, 'You had to be they ask how much it cost me. Now, I two volume work, along with Zvi there'. However, I can tell you I re­ guess I could just give a dollar figure Lederman and Shlomo Bunimovitz, the turned from Israel with a suitcase full and be done with it, and it might seem product of over a decade of field survey of souvenirs, my head crammed full of pretty cheap for a six-week stay in a and research in the Samarian hills, memories and lots of e-mail addresses foreign country (including some ex­ Highlands ofMany Cultures: The ofnew friends. More than anything pensive weekends in Tiberias ... ). Southern Samaria Survey: The Sites. else though, I had a yearning to get However, there's more to the story (Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv back to Israel as soon as possible. than that, so I tell people about when I University, 1997). During the next two years I fin­ printed T-shirts for a living. A cus­ David Han has published, with A. ished my B.A. degree and went on to tomer would place an order and I Biran and R. Greenberg, his book, Dan might have to buy $1,000 worth of /: A Chronicle ofthe Excavations, the Megiddo in Cyberspace Pottery Neolithic, the Early Bronze Age Megiddo Expedition Up-and Comers: and the Middle Bronze Age Tombs. • You can send your comments, ideas, (Nelson Gleuck School of Archaeol­ news related to Megiddo, request for Ann Killebrew has received a half po­ ogy, 1996). . publication information, etc., one­ sition as lecturer in the Department of Benjamin Sass, the Megiddo Expedi­ mail to the Editor, Jared Miller, at: Archaeology at Haifa University in Is­ rael tion's small finds expert, has published, [email protected] with Nahman A vigad, a book called • You can access the continuously Gunnar Lehmann was appointed to a Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals. updated Institute of Archaeology of full position as Lecturer in the Depart­ (Israel Academy of Sciences and Hu­ Tel Aviv University web site, which ment of Archaeology at Ben-Gurion manities. Hebrew University, 1997) includes Revelations with color illus­ University in Beer-Sheba, Israel trations, at: Orna Zimhoni, the Megiddo Expedi­ Jennifer Peersmann of the University www.tau.ac. il/~archpubs/index. html tion's Iron Age pottery expert, who of Leiden in Holland received a one died shortly after the 1996 excavation • Of course, if you are still writing with year grant from the Israeli Ministry of _a__c;tvlu!: :inrl d:iv t::ahlF!t<: vn11 r:-~n season, has had a collection of her REV Foreign Affairs.to work on her pre­ studies published as Studies in the fro, Revelations ~rom Megiddo doctoral studies at Tel Aviv University Age Pottery ofIsrael: Typological, 2 Benjamin Sass was appointed as tenure Archaeological and Chronological 1997 Associate Professor in the Department Aspects. (Institute of Archaeology of of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University. Tel Aviv University, 1997). ARC - 4

II I II IIIII III 11111111111111111 143624213026