Abstract
The development of pottery production during the Bronze and Iron Ages at Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel, is examined based on the analysis of 224 pottery vessels representing most periods within this ca. 1700 years time frame. The main tools employed were visual examination of manufacturing techniques and petrographic thin section analysis, all of which was conducted on the entire group. This was combined with a chronological, functional, typological, and cultural characterization of the samples. The results indicate a tendency of a diachronic shift from the use of calcareous-based clays to non-calcareous clays, from the Bronze Age towards the late Iron Age, although the primary shaping techniques do not change. Intentional tempering, when relevant, is mostly type- or function-dependent. It is suggested that this trend, possibly evident at other sites in the southern Levant as well, may be related to the employment of higher firing temperatures by the potters. This phenomenon may also be related to the decrease in the relative amount of decorated pottery that is seen during the late Iron Age.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2258-2273 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Journal of Archaeological Science |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2009 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study is conducted as part of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project, directed by A.M.M. Funding for the analyses conducted in the project come from a grant from the Israel Science Foundation (No. 344/07) awarded to A.M.M. One of the authors (D.B-S) was supported by the Center of Excellence (Grant No. 300/06) of the Israel Science Foundation and by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation (No. 168/06) during the process of this study. The authors would like to thank the team (staff, students and volunteers) of the ongoing excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath for the hard work that was put into uncovering the relevant finds from the various periods. In particular, Amit Dagan (photos of ceramics) and Anat Perko (graphics) for direct assistance in the preparation of this study. Some of the ideas expressed in this article germinated after participation in a series of seminars on the process of pottery production, organized by N. Panitz-Cohen (Hebrew University, Jerusalem). We would like to thank her for inviting us to participate in these seminars.
Funding
This study is conducted as part of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project, directed by A.M.M. Funding for the analyses conducted in the project come from a grant from the Israel Science Foundation (No. 344/07) awarded to A.M.M. One of the authors (D.B-S) was supported by the Center of Excellence (Grant No. 300/06) of the Israel Science Foundation and by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation (No. 168/06) during the process of this study. The authors would like to thank the team (staff, students and volunteers) of the ongoing excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath for the hard work that was put into uncovering the relevant finds from the various periods. In particular, Amit Dagan (photos of ceramics) and Anat Perko (graphics) for direct assistance in the preparation of this study. Some of the ideas expressed in this article germinated after participation in a series of seminars on the process of pottery production, organized by N. Panitz-Cohen (Hebrew University, Jerusalem). We would like to thank her for inviting us to participate in these seminars.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Center of Excellence | 300/06, 168/06 |
| Israel Science Foundation | 344/07 |
Keywords
- Bronze age
- Canaanite
- Fabric groups
- Iron age
- Israel
- Petrographic analysis
- Philistia
- Pottery production
- Shaping and finishing techniques
- Wheel technology