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(Re) Creations Telling about Iron Age Dan and the Hula Valley Timothy Smith Jonb’r p->n Mlw w vi ...nrtw ?T3>n ;t s v M m p > i n : art (w .ir jwwi S!V 2 N p E V3 ...therefore (be children oi Dan went ap to fight against lesbem.and took it ami dwelt therein, and called Leshem. Pan a fter the name of Dan ;their father.” 19:4,1 A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a PhD in archaeology. Supervisor: Professor Denys Pringle Cardiff UNIVERSITY PRIFYSGOL C a e RD y £ > UMI Number: U584440 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U584440 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed ................... (candidate) Date...^4./.??.??r./.!.Q, STATEMENT 1 This thesjs isbeing submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree o f f IrvD. .................. (insert MCh, MD, MPhil, PhD etc, as appropriate) Signed (candidate) Date.... 2^ .../.9.?r/..!.9.... STATEMENT 2 This thesis is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by explicit references. Signed r^T.frr:: .................. (candidate) Date .. ~2rf9../.9.7r./. !..9..... STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed... .'TT.^Xrw. .... (candidate) Date ....1.9.7r[. STATEMENT 4: PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BAR ON ACCESS I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loans after expiry of a bar on access previously approved by the Graduate Development Committee. Signed (candidate) Date ...^Z^../..(?.Tr.|..(.V?.... Abstract This dissertation suggests alternative ways of thinking about the scales of interpretation in Syro-Palestinian archaeology. It does this by outlining a number of ideas prevalent in what has been called post-processual or interpretive archaeology and looking at ways they could be employed in the Iron Age Hula Valley region. Chief among these are considerations of landscape, ethnography, phenomenology, post-colonialism and narrative. The central site examined is that of Tel Dan and, importantly, an overview of the valley itself and its outstanding features - the lake and swamp - are also considered. The purpose of this thesis is to show that it is possible to write small-scale, even personal narratives, about the way people may have lived at a particular place and time without recourse to the biblical texts. I suggest that the use of such narratives can be used to produce alternative accounts of the past and thus subvert the grand-narratives of the region. The method outlined is as opposed to the large-scale Annalistic approaches which currently predominate. To this end a number of sample story-narratives are included which hope to show that this form of writing can be utilised to revivify the personal archaeologies of everyday life. Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Denys Pringle, Alasdair Whittle for his support and feedback, and Doug Bailey for his encouragement of my use of the story- narrative form in the first place. The experience of writing the PhD would not have been anywhere near as fun had it not been for my friends and colleagues in the department. I should first mention Oliver Harris who patiently answered all my many questions and made me laugh. Chris Millington and Anna Dunthome provided valuable feedback on the narratives, as did my good friend Gary Bowness. Thanks should also go to Andy Cochrane, Penny Bickle, and Kate Waddington for general chit-chat that expanded the archaeological world for me. Also to Andy Seaman who knows how to work the computers. Finally, my biggest thanks must go to my beautiful wife, Mi Jung, for her emotional and financial support over the years of this PhD. Her feedback and encouragement have been invaluable. Without her this truly would not have been possible. It is to her that I dedicate this thesis. Cover Photo: sign outside Iron Age fortifications at Tel Dan (source: author). Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv Contents v Illustrations viii Glossary viii Narrative 1: Trip to Birzeit University 9 Chapter 1: Introduction 14 A. Thought Process 14 B. Initial Thoughts 15 C. The Archaeological Setting 18 D. Methods and Aims 18 E. Chapter Summary 20 Narrative 2: Three Sites 23 Chapter 2: From Pilgrimage to Processualism 28 A. Pre-World War I 28 B. Biblical Archaeology 32 C. Reaction 34 D. The Bible 36 E. New Archaeology 39 F. Critique 47 Narrative 3: Edge of the Swamp 51 Chapter 3: Dan and the Hula Valley 56 A. Physical Geography 56 1. Lake Hula 58 B. The City of Dan 59 1. Location 59 2. Biblical References 60 3. Archaeology 61 4. The Bronze Age / Iron Age Transition 63 5. Iron Age I / II 64 6. Metal Working 67 C. Area A - The Fortifications and Gate 69 D. Area T - The Sacred Precinct 71 1. Late 10th / Early 9th Century (Stratum IVA) 72 2. 9th / Early 8th Century (Stratum HI) 75 3. 8th Century (Stratum II) 77 4. The Direction of People 79 v 5. Mazzevot 80 6. Stratigraphy 81 7. Interpretation 81 E. Questions of Identity 82 1. The Wider World 82 2. Aramaean - Israelite Relations 83 3. Politics and Regionally 87 Narrative 4: Encounter on the Road 89 Chapter 4: The Politics of Archaeology 94 A. Zionism and the British Mandatory Period 94 B. The Mythic(al) Homecoming 97 C. The State of Israel 99 D. Said, Whitelam and the Problem of Discourse 104 E. Redressing the Balance 109 F. Post-Colonialism 110 G. Overcoming the Discourse 114 H. Conclusions 116 Narrative 5: Market Day 119 Chapter 5: The Problem with the Past 124 A. Biblical Archaeology 125 B. Textual Difficulties 128 C. Pervasive Biblical Influence 129 D. The New Archaeology and Syro-Palestinian Archaeology 131 E. Ethnicity 136 F. Language 138 G. The Revisionist Position 141 H. A Need to Rethink 142 I. The Perils of Interpretation 146 J. Conclusions 150 Narrative 6: The Hunt 153 Chapter 6: Moving Toward a Different Past 159 A. Analogy 159 B. Agency 161 C. Landscape 167 1. Landscape, Dwelling and Phenomenology 170 2. Ingold’s Dwelling Perspective 170 3. Tilley’s Landscape Phenomenology 175 4. Landscape and Phenomenology in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology 179 5. Critique 182 6. Conclusions 186 D. Narrative 187 1. Why Narrative? 188 2. Alternative Narratives - Alternate Histories 190 3. Examples 192 vi 4. Aims of this Thesis 196 5. Conclusions 199 Narrative 7: Two Soldiers 201 Narrative 8: Old Men - a failed narrative 206 Remnant? 210 Chapter 7: Exegesis 221 A. The Narratives 223 1. Trip to Birzeit University 223 2. Three Sites 224 3. Edge of the Swamp 224 4. Encounter on the Road 227 5. Market Day 227 6. The Hunt 230 7. Two Soldiers 233 8. Old Men - A Failed Narrative 235 9. Remnant? 236 B. Reflections 238 C. Conclusions 243 Appendix: archaeological basis of the narratives set in the past 249 Bibliography 278 vii Illustrations 1. General map of region. 57 2. Strata and chronology of Tel Dan. 62 3. Topographic map of Tel Dan showing excavation areas. 63 4. Plan of the Tel Dan city-gate complex. 69 5. Base of canopied structure. 71 6. Suggested reconstruction of canopied structure and detail of base. 71 7. Plan of sacred precinct (Stratum IVA). 74 8. Plan of sacred precinct (Stratum HI). 76 9. Plan of sacred precinct (Stratum II). 78 10. Five standing stones (mazzevot?) to the right of outer gate. 80 11. Schematic depiction of Tel Dan’s long distance exchange relations in Iron Age I giving an impression of the region of distance to major cities. 82 Glossary Ashlar - dressed stone work Bamah - raised platform Debir - holy of holies Mazzevah - standing stone (plural = mazzevot) Pithos - a large vessel used for storing food or wine (plural = pithoi) Dunam - unit of measurement = to 1000m2 viii Trip to Birzeit University The knackered old van climbed its way north out of Jerusalem. The brightly coloured curtains flapped in the warm gusts as the driver, content now he had a full load of passengers, put his foot down and pressed on toward Ramallah. Before long the van was slowing until it ground to a halt, the vehicle gently throbbing with the engine, as it sat in the sun waiting for the queue at the checkpoint to move. I fingered the front pocket of my little bag reassuring myself that my passport was still there. The van rolled on slowly then pulled over into a spot indicated by one of three Israeli soldiers. He spoke to the driver in Hebrew as the other two mooched around, one standing and chatting, the other looking up from where he sat scrunching his eyes against the sun, the automatic rifle lying across his knees. The side door of the van slid open with a rasp and the sunlight dispelled the relative interior gloom.