The Chronology of Tell El-Cajjul, Gaza: Stratigraphy, Thera, Pumice and Radiocarbon Dating
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The chronology of Tell el-cAjjul, Gaza: stratigraphy, Thera, pumice and radiocarbon dating Peter M. Fischer The intercultural importance of Tell el-cAjjul is represent a long-debated and as yet unsolved prob well documented through the rich find complex lem.3 fi·om WM.F. Petrie's projects in the 1930s and Due to the overwhelming risk of the total de the renewed excavations by PM. Fischer and M. struction of the ancient city, and the stratigraphic Sadeq. The historical identification ofTell el-cAjjul and chronological problems which were evident fi·om Egyptian texts is ambiguous but the Canaan from Petrie's inadequate reports it was decided in ite "Sharuhen" is a possible candidate. Tell el-cAjjul 1998/99 to renew the excavations as a joint Pal was undoubtedly one of the most influential cities estinian-Swedish project under the direction of in the area in the late Middle and the Late Bronze PM. Fischer and M. Sadeq in collaboration with Ages according to the rich find assemblages. The the Department of Antiquities of Palestine. 4 Two finds, which include sophisticated jewellery, the seasons of excavations (1999 & 2000) have to date largest number of scarabs anywhere in the Levant, been carried out at Tell el-cAjjuL The excavations and a rich repertoire of imported pottery, dem have come to a temporary halt due to the current onstrate trading connections with Cyprus, Crete, unfavourable political circumstances. Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, the Upper Euphrates, Ana The importance of the site has been highlighted tolia, and the Mycenaean sphere of culture. by many scholars during discussions of foreign rela Amongst the finds were also numerous sam tions and chronology. The results of the new ex ples of pumice, which represent a powetful tool cavations, which produced an almost unparalleled for relative chronological dating. The provenance of these pumice samples was studied by means of 1 instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Petrie 1931-34. 2 Mackay & Murray 1952. Illicit digging and "excavations" The implications of a possible High Chronology in connection with building activities have affected Tell el based on the results of recent radiocarbon dates of 'Ajjul to a large extent. Not nmch of the ancient city remains material fi·on"I the Minoan eruption of Santorini untouched. 3 are therefore of great importance, not only for the This old terminology should be used with extreme cau tion - or rather abandoned until an appropriate synchroniza chronology of the various societies of Tell el-cAjjul tion of the cultural horizons from the new excavations with but also for a number of associated cultures based those from Petrie's times has been carried out. The latter lack on numerous imports to Tell el-cAjjuL a number of strata which are evident in the new excavations, see Fischer & Sadeq 2000; 2002. The conclusions in quite a number of publications on the stratigraphy and chronology of Tell el-'Ajjul are based on the i1nprecise recording system. Introduction and unreliable publications ofPetrie- which were once virtu ally the only evidence available - and they consequently lack Excavations of Tell el-cAjjul were carried out by the required accuracy (see inter alia: Stewart 1974; Kempinski WM.F. Petrie and his team in the 1930s. 1 The last 1974; Bergoffen 1990; Dale 1994; Robertson 1999). 4 The excavation permit was kindly provided by H . Taha, the regular excavation of Petrie and his team was in director of the Department of Antiquities of Palestine. The 2 1938. The duration and chronology of each of excavations will be resumed as soon as the political situation Petrie's "Cities Ill-I" and "Palaces/Fortresses I-V" allows. THE CHRONOLOGY OF TELL EL-''AJJUL, GAZA 253 accumulation of imported finds in relation to the an interpretation problematic. It is , however, likely size of the investigated area, mirrored very well the that this structure faces an open space or street to image of a cosmopolitan society with contacts all the south-west which is approximately 2.5 m wide over the Eastern Mediterranean and further east. and which separates it from a larger building to the Ceramics and other imports came from Cyprus, south. This building to the south covers an area at Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, the Upper Euphrates, Ana least of20 m in the north-south direction and 15 m tolia, and the Mycenaean sphere of culture. in the east-west direction. Any detailed interpreta Lumps and tools of pumice, a find category tion of the function of the building has to await the which did not receive the appropriate attention results of the continued excavations. during the old excavations but which represents a The precise correlation and synchronization of very important tool for the definition of the rela the cultural horizons from the new excavations tive and absolute chronology of Tell el-"Ajjul and with those of Petrie's excavations must likewise related sites, were found to be well represented in await the results of the resumed excavations.8 the occupational sequence of the c. 300 square metre area which was opened in 1999 and 2000. Therefore, emphasis has been put on the prove Pottery nance study of the 48 recovered samples of pumice by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) A thorough discussion of the relative chronology and their stratigraphic distribution.5 Many of the of the pottery from the new excavations at Tell el pumice samples were found in the process of soil cAjjul, with numerous parallels, can be found in flotation to extract botanical remains. various recent publications.9 Our discussion here is limited to a few parallels which will be high lighted. Locally made ceramics include numerous Stratigraphy: an overview cooking pots (Figs 1-3). These vessels are amongst the best chronological markers as far as ceramics are T he new excavations were carried out close to concerned: in all excavations of multi-period sites today's highest spot on the tell, within the 5000 carried out by the author over the years the shapes square-metre area fenced off in 1999.6 Eight ho of cooking pots demonstrated the most convincing rizons, of which H8 Qust above kurkar, viz . vir diachronic pattern of change. It has been shown gin soil) to H2 contain architectural remains, were that four types prevail in H8 to H2:10 the "collared" exposed.7 Each of the occupational phases H8-H2 cooking pots ofH8 with parallels from, for instance, came to an end through conflagrations. However, Shechem XIX (MB 11); 11 the cooking pots12 with surviving walls were re-used and incorporated in new constructions. H8 is the only phase in which 5 walls with stone foundations were built. T he walls See also Fischer 2003. 6 See Fischer & Sadeq 2000; 2002. in all the other phases are all constructed of sun 7 Consequently, H 1 lies directly below colluvial soil. dried mudbrick. H T here is of course an overwhehTring risk that it might prove T he preliminary interpretation of the architec very difficult or even impossible to separate certain mixed tural remains is so far limited to H5-H2 because "City" or "Palace" strata retroactively. 9 there is not enough exposed in the lowest horizons See e.g. Fischer 2003; Fischer 2006a, 369- 74; Fischer 2006b, 181- 9. H8-H6 and too much eroded above H2 to ena 10 See Fischer 2003, 271-91. I concentrate here on H7-6 and ble us to draw any reliable conclusions before we to some extent on HS because these levels represent the later have more evidence from continued excavations. part of the MB and early LB. 11 All structures are orientated north-west to south T he MB I, II, III terminology is used in this paper with the exception of the references in original publications. east. The basic building plans of H5 and H4-3 are 12 T here are certain common traits of the cooking pot in similar. There is a structure to the north, only a mi Fischer 2003, 278, fig. 6.2 and the Shechem (XIX) MB II nor part of which has been exposed, which makes cooking pot in Cole 1984, 149, pl. 25.k. 254 PETER M. FrsCHER Fig. 1. The chronological distribution of cooking pots fi·om Tell el-cAjjul: 1,2 H 8; 3-5 H7-6. I 1 2 ))::::=:==__· 3 ) ( 4 ) 5 , _____ 0 5 10 cm everted, straight or slightly outwardly curving rims are fi:om ME II Shechem, 15 from ME 11 / III Tell and tapering or slightly thickened lips ofH7-6 with Deir cAlla 16 and from ME 11 (III) Beth Shan. 17 parallels from ME Tell D eir cAlla; 13 the three types A complete dipper juglet from the floor HS, of HS: the first with upright/slightly flared rims w hose stratigraphic position at Tell el-cAjjul indi and one or more carinations on the neck, the sec cates that it antedates the eruption of the Thera ond with the everted, straight or slightly outward volcano (see below), deserves special attention. 18 curved rim w ith a tapering or slightly thickened lip which has also been found in H7- 6, and the third, 13 Good parallels can be found in the MB cooking pots from which dom.inates at the end of the Middle Bronze Tell Deir cAlla in van der Kooij 2006, 211, fig. 8.4a-b. Age and throughout the Late Bronze Age in the 14 Fischer & Sadeq 2002, 132, fi g. 22.3-5. 15 Southern Levant, with everted, straight or slightly MB II examples from. Shechem in Cole 1984, 131, pl. 17.a,b; see also his general discussion on pp.