1

Steven M. Ortiz and Samuel R. Wolff 2011 REPORT

(License No. G52-2011)

Figure 1: Aerial (north at top)

INTRODUCTION

The Tel Gezer Excavation project is a long-term joint American-Israeli project addressing chronological reevaluations, ethnic and social boundaries, and state formation in the southern Levant. To date, the project has conducted four summer field seasons. The fifth season of the renewed excavation of Tel Gezer took place between 13 June and 15 July, 2011. The excavations were directed by Dr. Steven M. Ortiz of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Dr. Sam Wolff of the Antiquities Authority.

2

The excavations were sponsored by the Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The project also receives financial support by a consortium of institutions: Ashland Theological Seminary, Clear Creek Bible College, Marian Eakins Archaeological Museum, Lancaster Bible College, Lycoming College, and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The excavations were carried out within the Tel Gezer national Park and benefit from the cooperation of the National Parks Authority. The excavation project also received support from Gezer and the Community Association. The Project is affiliated with the American Schools of Oriental Research.

Figure 2:2011 Participants

Nearly 90 participants from the consortium schools as well as other students and volunteers from the U.S, Canada, Zimbabwe, Korea, and Israel took part in the 2011 season. The Tel Gezer expedition included: T. Hofecker (project administrator), Gary Arbino (field archaeologist), 3

Robert Mullins (field archaeologist); area supervisors: S. Andrews, M. Barbosa, C. Coyle, A. Davis, A. Dodd, L. Haines, J. Jewell, R. DeWitt-Knauth, K. Miller, J. Strong, S. von Wrick, and D. Warner; assistant area supervisors: J. Chatfield, Byron Longino, K. Rose, A. Sanders, T. Thames, and P. Warner; educational coordinator/administration: J. Byron; zooarchaeology: L. Horowitz; architect/draftsman: J. Rosenberg; computer database designer: D. Pride; pottery registrar, J. Harrison; material culture registrar and conservator: H. Reichstadt, and camp manager, B. Ortiz.

The research goal of the project is to investigate state formation and regional boundaries in the northern Shephelah by investigating the Iron Age cultural horizon at Tel Gezer. These broad research trends in Iron Age archaeology are being addressed by current research projects in the Shephelah and Southern Coastal Plain; specifically ethnic and political boundaries in the Judean Hills and the Philistine coastal plain.

Goals and Changes for the 2011 Season

Our goals for the 2011 season are: 1) expand the exposure of Field A to the north, 2) remove the western portion of the late Iron Age fortification system in order to better understand its construction and expose the Late pillared building below it, 3) connect Field B with Field A to obtain a complete stratigraphic picture of Fields A, B and Field VII of the HUC excavations

Major changes in field strategy are 1) addition of Dr. Bob Mullins as staff to direct the expanded excavations in the removal of the Iron Age fortification system and excavation of the LB pillared building and the cessation of the sondage.

What was referred to as the upper sondage (Field A west) and the southern squares of Field B was expanded and excavated as a single field. This will encompass squares W4-8, Y4-8, Z4-8 (15 total, 375 m2). This will provide a large area to investigate earlier strata beneath our 8th century stratum, particularly a potential LB pillared building. This field is part of the master plan to have a north-south stratigraphic line from the Hellenistic and Iron Age domestic structures in 4

Field VII of the HUC excavations and the slope of the city fortification system. This will provide a master startigraphic picture across the southern slope (Field VII-HUC and the southern fortifications), creating a 3-tiered master section with Field B (8th c. BCE) to the north, New Field (a series of Iron IIA-LB strata), and the fortification system to the south (sondage).

The project also renamed Field A as Field E (East). Field E expanded as we planned to enlarge this field (north of Administrative Buildings A, B, and C) by opening up two lines of squares (Squares A3/4-F3/4). This is a total of 12 squares. Most of these squares have been previously investigated by Macalister and we anticipate that we will find the same type of activity as in previous seasons. Hopefully, we will be able to continue to delineate the architectural plan of the 8th century occupation. These squares will also be key to defining the transition from the domestic quarter of Field B (Field VII of HUC excavations) and the administrative/public quarter of Field A (Field II [Iron Age Gate] of HUC excavations). In the pre-season, we changed this goal due to staff and the need to locate one of the dumps just to the north of Field E

Work on the sondage stopped as we have already established a sequence of well defined fortifications from the Iron Age IIB to the MB period, plus it is becoming dangerous to work in this area. Depending on manpower and consultation with the parks Authority, we might expand and clean some squares eastward to the gate and expose more of the glacis as well as excavate three squares to the west (V8-10) to connect our excavated fortifications with the wall line in Field X (HUC) as well as create a slope for safety and conservation.

OVERVIEW

Our renewed excavations are focusing on the Iron Age levels of Tel Gezer. This will be accomplished by excavating a large horizontal exposure on the south-central part of the tel where a majority of the Iron age strata have been revealed and/or excavated. The excavations are designed to unite the Iron Age architectural elements and cultural horizons of Field VII and Field III of the HUC excavations with our renewed excavations, thus allowing for optimal 5 reconstruction of the growth and expansion of the Iron Age city as well as artifact distributional patterns.

Field E encompasses an area west of the Iron Age Gate Complex (Field III of the HUC excavations). The goals of this area are to investigate the urbanization process of the Iron Age City. This field includes an east-west section of squares from the Iron Age gate to the west exposing the city fortification system and its relation to building activity built up against the city wall. and 3) an area north of the fortification wall where a series of large public buildings are located. To accomplish the goals of field E, we first had to remove the 8th century Administrative buildings and investigate the nature of city planning west of the gate and north of the casemate wall system. This involved nearly a week of removing the walls of administrative buildings A and B of the 8th century stratum. Once a majority of the walls were removed, excavation squares were reestablished and the field went down systematically to earlier strata.

Field W is located west of Field E. The goal of this field is to 1) investigate the several Iron Age occupation horizons of the tel, and 2) provide data from Iron Age domestic quarters to compare and contrast with the public buildings to the southeast in Field E. It also includes a north-south sondage to investigate the relationship between the Iron Age wall and the “outer” wall. The goals for Field W were to continue excavations to the north, and excavate expediently to the Late Bronze Age strata (Upper Sondage), and continue exploring the fortification systems in the sondage and the continued search for the wall line of the outer wall. The field strategy of Field W was complex. A major balk was to remove balks from the 2008 season in Field W and the upper sondage as well as any remaining strata associated with Macalister fills and Hellenistic occupation. In the lower sondage we expanded to the west in order to get a robust plan of the fortification systems but also to enlarge the sondage for safety concerns.

2. Summary of Results

Major results of the 2011 season were: 1) the almost complete plan of the 8th century BCE 4-room house; 6

2) 9th c. BCE destruction and domestic units A-C in Field E; 3) excavation of a series of 10th c. BCE buildings in Field W (most were destroyed by the Hellenistic strata, nevertheless complete plans of the buildings were possible)’ 4) excavation of an LB Pillared Building (Stratum 11); 5) and, partial excavation of two Iron Age I strata (both with complete storage jars in destruction levels) (Strata 9 and 10)

3. Phasing To date, eleven major strata have been excavated (most corresponding with results of earlier excavations).

Tel Gezer Master Stratigraphic Chart 2006-2011 Preliminary Field E Field W HUC Strata (formerly A) (formerly A-sondage Excavations and B) Topsoil, Modern HUC dump Trenches, rock piles 1 Excavation Dumps 2 Macalister Hellenistic Retaining walls, silo Domestic bldg, Dog Strata IIA-C, III 3 burials 4 Persian Ceramic Ceramic Strata IV 5 Late Iron Age II Silo V IA II (8th) Public: Domestic: VIA Assyrian Administrative 4 room house, street 6 Destruction Buildings A-C; Rebuilt HUC: domestic walls, buildings in Field VII HUC: 4 chambered gate 9th Domestic: VIB 7 Units A-C Building D (?) 10th Public: Fortifications: VIIA Casemate city-wall Casemate city-wall; 8 HUC: 6 chambered Building 11xxx Gate Casemate fortification Earlier cross walls VIIB (mid 10th)

connected to casemate IA I Destruction Layer, VIII (late 9 Pillared Building? 11th/early 10th Siaman Des.) 10 Ceramic Ceramic XI-IXA (Phil) XII (early 12th) 7

11 LB Pillared Building XII

EXCAVATION RESULTS

1. Later Intrusions Most of the Hellenistic and Persian remains have been excavated in previous seasons. During the off season, reevaluation of the pottery kiln of the 2009 season was determined to belong to the Hellenistic strata, particularly evidence from the Macalister report that it was preserved at a higher level. In addition, in area A2 in Field B, part of an east-west Hellenistic wall was found.

Figure 3: Hellenistic Plan with previous excavations

2. Iron Age II: 8th century

8

A majority of the Iron Age II had already been excavated in previous seasons. The 2011 season focused on 1) partial removal of administrative buildings in Field E (12 squares: Areas A7/8— F7/8), 2) excavation of two squares to excavated the entrance to the four room house in Field W (Areas A2 and A3), and the removal of Building C in Field W.

Iron Age Four Room House

The plan for the 4 room house is now complete, except for the northern rooms (see Fig. 4 and 5). The four-room house consists of three long rooms (a central room flanked by parallel northern and southern rooms), separated by large limestone pillars (average dimensions 0.50 x 0.50 x 1.00 m) with a broadroom to the west, which was subdivided into two smaller rooms by a transverse wall. The eastern and northern borders of the house remain unexcavated. The area of the house as a whole is estimated at 135 m2, considerably larger than typical four-room houses found previously at Gezer and at other urban sites.. The building and its contents were sealed by burnt mudbrick destruction debris, testimony to a considerable conflagration (see previous season

9

Figure 4: 4-room House reports). The portable finds from the building included basalt grinding stones, loomweights and a sizeable ceramic assemblage, consisting primarily of restorable storage jars with lesser numbers of bowls and kraters (no cooking pots or jugs). The juxtaposition in the same room (southern broadroom) of lammelek storage jars (without the typical stamps), typical of Judean sites, and Phoeniciantorpedo-shaped storage jars, characteristic of coastal assemblages, clearly illustrates that Gezer straddled the geopolitical boundaries between these two zones. The ceramic assemblage and small glyptic finds date to the eighth century BCE and is tentatively associated with the destruction of the site by Tiglath-Pileser III in 732 BCE. Evidence a similarly-dated destruction was found in the excavations in nearby Field VII. To the south of the four-room house remains of a cobbled surface (c. 6.5 m length and 3 m width exposed) was uncovered, perhaps representing a portion of a street leading uphill from the Iron Age gateway towards the west. One weight from an olive press installation, as was found in nearby Field VII, was found on this surface. 10

Figure 5: Aerial with plan of 4 Room House (Field W)

In Field W, as we removed the stones from Building C, the pillar base was discovered to be an upturned olive oil vat. This vat is a rectangular shaped. This was probably in use in Phase 1 of Building C. It went out of use with the olive oil installation. In addition, it was determined that a large circular installation that was excavated by Macalister dates to Stratum 6a. 11

Figure 6: Stratum 6a

Stratum 7: 9th Century Buildings

The nature of the administrative quarter changed drastically in the 9th century. The character of this part of the city changed from large administrative buildings to small domestic units. Above the large 10 century administrative buildings and below Administrative Buildings A and B (see below) of the 8th century BCE, are three domestic complexes. Only the southern parts of these units were excavated. It is clear that they continue to the north under the 8th century occupation. Each of these units is built up against the north face of the casemate wall. While this stratum was identified in the 1984 excavations, the limited excavation exposure did not allow earlier excavations to discern this cultural horizon.

12

FIGURE 7: Stratum 7 (9th century) [light blue = Str. 7, dark blue = reused in Str 7] averaging about 30 cm. in width. The surfaces are beaten earth with some cobble and flagstone areas. . Not much is known about Architectural Complex C. Most of it has been disturbed, either in antiquity by the construction of Administrative Building A of Stratum 6, or by the excavations. To date, three architectural complexes are defined, Complex C is next to and west of the area of the soldier’s barracks, followed by Complex B and A as you proceed west. Each complex is about 10 x 10 m. in area. Each of these complexes was constructed by single row walls might

Figure 8: Stratum 7 Destruction 13

be similar to Complex B to the west in that it contains three rooms in the back abutting the casemate wall and a central courtyard to the north of these rooms. Complex B was well preserved in the western half as evidence of an 9th century destruction was found in several units. Three rooms are located in the rear with a wall dividing these rooms to a courtyard to the north. Figure 9: Stratum 7 Destruction, Complex B

Inside the courtyard were remains of a storage bin with several storejars (Fig. 9). Room a of this complex contained several vessels as well as a gaming board. Complex A consists of two parts separated by a central north-south wall. It is possible that these are two separate units. To the east is a unit that contains a central courtyard with a tabun in the southwest corner. To the back are two rooms with a tabun also located in the eastern room. The western part of Architectural Complex A is another unit with a central courtyard with a niche in the north of the courtyard. This courtyard contained a beaten earth and stone pavement surfaces. To the south is a long room or perhaps also two rooms as the eastern part of this complex (an unexcavated Stratum 6 8th century Wall obscures the plan).Remnants of a beaten earth surface and a stone pavement were found in this courtyard. Ashdod ware as well as a conical weight were also found on this courtyard surface. 14

Figure 11: Stratum 7 Plan

Stratum 8: Palace 10000 (10th Century BCE)

The 1984 Dever excavations found evidence of two building complexes: guardrooms (built up against the western face of the six chambered gate) and an administrative building to the west of these guardrooms (“Palace 10000”). Only a small excavation area (e.g. two 5 x 5 excavation squares) near the gate and remnants of two building complexes in Field West can be associated with this stratum of previous excavations (Stratum VIII of the HUC, Phase 3 of the 1984 excavations). These two squares excavated previous test pits of the 1984 excavations. One of the features are large boulder sized worked stone as well as tipped over rectangular pillars over 1 meter in height. Based on these limited exposure, it is clear that the quarter west of the Gate Complex consists of large public buildings. The guard rooms excavated in 1984 are still visible today and they are comparable to the massive walls of the agate Complex. Constructed of well hewn stone two to three courses and just over half a meter in thickness. The question is 15 whether this is a single building as part of the “guard rooms” or if this is one of several large public buildings similar to what was found in the 8th century stratum (see below).

The HUC and 1984 excavations dated this destruction to the end of the 10th century, of which they associate with Shishak’s campaign. We also found pottery that is typical of the Iron Age II (red slip hand burnished bowls, kraters), but this was only in fills and not from destruction on surfaces.

Figure 11: FIELD B-Various Strata from 8th c. to LB 16

In Field W most of the Iron Age was poorly preserved due to later Hellenistic building activity and the early 20th century excavations by Macalister. Remnants of buildings were uncovered that are tentatively dated to Stratum 8. Two building complexes were discerned: one abutted

Figure 12: 10th century Buildings in Field W the north face of the casemate wall (Buildiing 52136), and a second building to its north (Building 52057). Building 52136 consists of a main room with two other rooms that abutted the casemate wall. The main room, 5 x 5 m, contained a cobbled surface with a sump/silo that had an entrance from the east. The western part of this building is unknown as it continues into an unexcavated area. Building 52057 was north and contained an installation. Unfortunately no surfaces were preserved. The relationship between these two buildings and the structures excavated by previous excavations by the gate are unknown as Field E has not excavated to this stratum/cultural horizon. 17

Figure 13: Stratum 8 (10th c.) Plan

The 2009 season was instrumental in clarifying the series of fortification systems. One of the goals was to continue to expose the stone revetment system highlighted in the 2008 season. One of the accomplishments was finding the line of the Middle Bronze Age outer wall.

Iron IIA Glacis and Retaining Walls The Iron Age stone glacis was founded on a rampart composed of dike and fill layers of alternating plaster and soil. Only the uppermost two layers in this sequence have been excavated. This type of rampart has been already found elsewhere at Gezer and throughout the ancient Levant. The top plaster layer in the sequence comes up to the stones of the glacis at its southern edge, and is 15-20 cm thick. It extends east-west at least 15 m (although more patchy toward the east) and continues northward from the glacis for at least 3 meters. Laying directly atop Late Bronze/Early Iron I destruction debris a second stone glacis was uncovered (Fig. 14). It extends from the western edge of excavations eastward almost 15 m and southward c. 10 m with a 1.3 m drop in slope. At the southern edge of this glacis the stones ended in an uneven and erratic edge, which dropped off vertically 1.6 m to the level of the MB II glacis below, indicating 18 it was robbed out either in antiquity or by modern excavations (Macalister). The stones of this glacis were smaller than those of the MB II glacis.

Figure 14: Area A Fortifications

3. Late Bronze-Iron Age I Occupation

One of the unexpected results of the deep cut was the discovery of several occupational phases of the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age I. These phases were excavated immediately beneath the casemate wall and directly above the Middle Bronze Age glacis. This was unexpected as the surface levels of the Late Bronze and Iron Age I buildings are above the surfaces of the Iron Age in Field E. This is easily explained as the levels in Field E are within the low part of the saddle while this part of the excavations are up slope on the western hill. Unfortunately we only have a small exposure to date and it is on the edge of the western slope where part of the southern face of structures were eroded. During the Late Bronze Age, a 10 x 11 m square-shaped pillared building was found. This building was found beneath the casemate wall 19

and sitting on top of the MB glacis. This building would have sat on the edge of the western hill above the saddle to the east and overlooking the wadi/valley to the south. A destruction debris consisting of dark ash and fired mudbrick detritus was found nearly a meter in height in some

Figure 15: Late Bronze Age Pillared Building areas. The pottery associated with this destruction consists of LB II pottery. In other parts of the excavations we have found typical Late Bronze Pottery such as imports (Cypriote milk bowls, and Mycenean). Above this LB pillared building and in excavation areas to the north were a series of foundation walls that are tentatively dated to Iron Age I (1200-1000 BCE). This stratum was also destroyed (photo with 2 destroyed sjs 2011-110). The destruction is tentatively dated to the Iron Age I solely based on the form of the storejars. Speculation on placing these within historical events would lead to Merneptah’s campaign for the Late Bronze Age destruction and for the Iron Age I destruction campaign.1

1While the current project is basing these historical correlations, the HUC excavation project also associated major strata with the Merneptah and Siamun campaign, Strata XIV and IX 20

Figure 15: Aerial of LB Building

CONCLUSION

To date, our major results are defining the architectural plans of the 8th century BCE city plan. It is apparent that there are three major areas: 1) domestic quarters, 2) public buildings (Administrative Buildings A, B, and C, Gate Complex, and 3) auxiliary guard rooms. We have also determined that there are multiple architectural phases associated with the gate complex. While these were known in the Hebrew Union College excavations, the renewed excavations should provide a more detailed analysis of the history of the Iron Age city. In addition, evidence

respectively (Dever 1971). While some biblical scholars would want to associate this last campaign with ‘’s conquest,’ the biblical text only implies that the king of Gezer was involved with the campaign but the city was never conquered. 21 has come to light of earlier occupation levels before the 10th century gate and fortification system, e.g. destruction strata and a potential pillared building.

While the excavations are still in their initial stages and the results are tentative—some conclusions can be drawn from the data—particularly the unfolding Iron Age city plan. The 8th century city reused the city plan and buildings of the 10th century BCE. Tel Gezer’s fortifications and city wall line define the city as an oval-shaped city plan. Although the text in 1 Kings 9:16 implies that Gezer, along with Hazor and Megiddo was an administrative city; it was probably a secondary administrative center during the 8th century BCE. Perhaps during the United Monarchy Gezer was a major administrative city, but under a smaller Judean Kingdom, it contracted to a secondary administrative center with the city of Lachish to the south serving as the administrative center for the Shephelah.

Based on the results, it was determined that the project will take a year break to allow for publications and pottery restoration of the 8th century destruction. Since the major architectural elements of Field A and B are in phase it became apparent that the project was at a good stopping point.

Goals for the 2011 season are 1) continue excavations north of Field A and east of Field B in order to define the relationship between the domestic quarter, public buildings and gate complex; 2) remove Administrative Building C in order to investigate earlier architectural strata (i.e. pillared building); 3) excavate beneath the street in Field B.