Household Rituals and Merchant Caravanners: The Phenomenon of Early Bronze Age Donkey Burials from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

Haskel J. Greenfield; Jon Ross; Tina L. Greenfield; Shira Albaz; Sarah J. Richardson; Aren M. Maeir

doi:10.3390/ani12151931

Household Rituals and Merchant Caravanners: The Phenomenon of Early Bronze Age Donkey Burials from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

Haskel J. Greenfield
, Jon Ross
, Tina L. Greenfield
, Shira Albaz
, Sarah J. Richardson
, Aren M. Maeir

The Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Most studies of ritual and symbolism in early complex societies of the Near East have focused on elite and/or public behavioural domains. However, the vast bulk of the population would not have been able to fully participate in such public displays. This paper explores the zooarchaeological and associated archaeological evidence for household rituals in lower-stratum residences in the Early Bronze Age (EB) of the southern Levant. Data from the EB III (c. 2850–2550 BCE) deposits excavated at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel, are illustrative of the difficulty in identifying the nature of household rituals. An integrated analytical approach to the architecture, figurines, foundation deposits, and domestic donkey burials found in lower-stratum domestic residences provides insights into the nature of household rituals. This integrated contextual perspective allows the sacred and symbolic role(s) of each to be understood and their importance for EB urban society to be evaluated.

Original language	English
Article number	1931
Journal	Animals
Volume	12
Issue number	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12151931
State	Published - 28 Jul 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial, intellectual, and physical help of many individuals and institutions, who are too numerous to detail here. In particular, we acknowledge the essential help of the Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath excavation team members (staff, students, and volunteers) with its many hundreds of volunteers and professionals whose efforts enabled us to realize the results described in this report. Administrative and financial support for the excavations and analysis leading to this study came from Bar-Ilan University, the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (Canada—895-2011-1005 and 410-2009-1303), the University of Manitoba, and St. Paul’s College. Any errors are the responsibility of the authors.

Funders	Funder number
St. Paul’s College
University of Manitoba
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada	895-2011-1005, 410-2009-1303

Keywords

Early Bronze Age
Equus asinus
Near East
animal figurines
building foundation deposits
donkey
merchant homes
ritual
sacrifice
southern Levant
trade
zooarchaeology

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10.3390/ani12151931

Cite this

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title = "Household Rituals and Merchant Caravanners: The Phenomenon of Early Bronze Age Donkey Burials from Tell eṣ-Ṣ{\^a}fi/Gath, Israel",

abstract = "Most studies of ritual and symbolism in early complex societies of the Near East have focused on elite and/or public behavioural domains. However, the vast bulk of the population would not have been able to fully participate in such public displays. This paper explores the zooarchaeological and associated archaeological evidence for household rituals in lower-stratum residences in the Early Bronze Age (EB) of the southern Levant. Data from the EB III (c. 2850–2550 BCE) deposits excavated at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣ{\^a}fi/Gath, Israel, are illustrative of the difficulty in identifying the nature of household rituals. An integrated analytical approach to the architecture, figurines, foundation deposits, and domestic donkey burials found in lower-stratum domestic residences provides insights into the nature of household rituals. This integrated contextual perspective allows the sacred and symbolic role(s) of each to be understood and their importance for EB urban society to be evaluated.",

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note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors.",

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doi = "10.3390/ani12151931",

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AU - Richardson, Sarah J.

AU - Maeir, Aren M.

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N2 - Most studies of ritual and symbolism in early complex societies of the Near East have focused on elite and/or public behavioural domains. However, the vast bulk of the population would not have been able to fully participate in such public displays. This paper explores the zooarchaeological and associated archaeological evidence for household rituals in lower-stratum residences in the Early Bronze Age (EB) of the southern Levant. Data from the EB III (c. 2850–2550 BCE) deposits excavated at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel, are illustrative of the difficulty in identifying the nature of household rituals. An integrated analytical approach to the architecture, figurines, foundation deposits, and domestic donkey burials found in lower-stratum domestic residences provides insights into the nature of household rituals. This integrated contextual perspective allows the sacred and symbolic role(s) of each to be understood and their importance for EB urban society to be evaluated.

AB - Most studies of ritual and symbolism in early complex societies of the Near East have focused on elite and/or public behavioural domains. However, the vast bulk of the population would not have been able to fully participate in such public displays. This paper explores the zooarchaeological and associated archaeological evidence for household rituals in lower-stratum residences in the Early Bronze Age (EB) of the southern Levant. Data from the EB III (c. 2850–2550 BCE) deposits excavated at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel, are illustrative of the difficulty in identifying the nature of household rituals. An integrated analytical approach to the architecture, figurines, foundation deposits, and domestic donkey burials found in lower-stratum domestic residences provides insights into the nature of household rituals. This integrated contextual perspective allows the sacred and symbolic role(s) of each to be understood and their importance for EB urban society to be evaluated.

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Household Rituals and Merchant Caravanners: The Phenomenon of Early Bronze Age Donkey Burials from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

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Bibliographical note

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Keywords

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