El-Ahwat : a fortified site from the early Iron age near Nahal 'Iron, Israel : excavations 1993-2000, final report / / Adam Zertal ; with contributions by Shay Bar ... [et al.].

• Superior document: Culture and history of the ancient Near East ; 24
• Author: Zertal, Adam.
• TeilnehmendeR: Zertal, Adam.
• Year of Publication: 2011
• Language: English
• Series: Culture and history of the ancient Near East ; v. 24.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (508 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

The excavations at el-Ahwat constitute a unique and fascinating archaeological undertaking. The site is the location of a fortified city dated to the early Iron Age (ca. 1220–1150 BCE), hidden in a dense Mediterranean forest in central Israel, near the historic ’Arunah pass. Discovered in 1992 and excavated between 1993 and 2000, the digs revealed an urban “time capsule” erected and inhabited during a short period of time (60–70 years), with no earlier site below or subsequent one above it. This report provides a vivid picture of the site, its buildings, and environmental economy as evinced by the stone artifacts, animal bones, agricultural installations, and iron forge that were uncovered here. The excavators of this site suggest in this work that the settlement was inhabited by the Shardana Sea-Peoples, who arrived in the ancient Near East at the end of the 13th century BCE and settled in northern Canaan. In weighing the physical evidence and the logic of the interpretation presented herein, the reader will be treated to a new and compelling archaeological and historical challenge. “…this final publication of el–Ahwat will hold great value for those studying settlement, architecture, and change in the hill country culture of Iron Age Canaan.” Jeff Emanuel

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Adam Zertal -- Preface / Michael Heltzer -- Introduction / Adam Zertal -- History of the Excavations, the Staff, and the Methodology / Adam Zertal -- Stratigraphy, Architecture, and Chronology the Site – General Data / Adam Zertal -- Plan and Fortifications / Adam Zertal -- Stratigraphy and Chronology / Adam Zertal -- Area A — The City Gate (A1), The “Approach” (A2), and the Upper Terrace (A3) / Adam Zertal and Ron Be’eri -- Area B — A Sounding in the Western City Wall / Nirit Lavie-Alon -- Area C1 — The Residential Quarter / Nirit Lavie-Alon -- Area C2 / Dror Ben-Yosef -- Area D — The Central Quarter / Amit Romano -- Area E1 — A Sounding in the Southern Quarter / Nirit Lavie-Alon -- Area F — Soundings in the Fortifications / Dror Ben-Yosef -- Area T — The Outside Tower / Adam Zertal -- The Finds The Iron Age Pottery / Ron Be’eri and Oren Cohen -- The Late Pottery / Michal Oren-Paskal -- Nine Scarabs, A Scaraboid, A Cylinder Seal, and A Bifacial Rectangular Plaque from El-Ahwat / Baruch Brandl -- The Beads and Pendants / Jack Green -- An Ivory Caprid-Head from Area A3 / Adam Zertal -- A Bronze Head from Area A3 / Oren Cohen -- The Coins / Haim Winter -- Economy and Environment The Stone Objects / Dror Ben-Yosef and Shay Bar -- The Flint Assemblage / Haim Winter -- The Faunal Remains / Adam Zertal -- A Furnace for The Processing of Iron / Yuval Winter -- Oil-Producing Installations / David Eitam -- Oil-Press L4348 and Its Implications / Ron Be’eri -- The Ottoman Pipes / Shay Bar -- Conclusions Architectural and Archaeological Parallels between El-Ahwat and the Western Mediterranean / Adam Zertal -- Archaeological and Historical Conclusions / Adam Zertal -- Bibliography / Adam Zertal -- List of Loci / Adam Zertal.