Apart from many lost wax cast metal fragments, crucible fragments and several heated sediment nod... more Apart from many lost wax cast metal fragments, crucible fragments and several heated sediment nodules were found at the Chalcolithic site Fazael 2 (central Jordan Valley). Petrographic investigations on the heated sediment nodules revealed many features characteristic of the Chalcolithic Southern Levantine lost wax casting moulds. Heating temperatures were assessed using infrared spectroscopy, showing that casting did not vitrify the clay fraction in the moulds. Consequently, Fazael is the first identified Chalcolithic Southern Levant production site for lost wax cast metal items. These findings confirm the existence of a metallurgical tradition with lost wax casting in the Jordan Valley parallel to the unalloyed copper metallurgy in the Northern Negev. Moreover, crucibles and heated sediment nodules are made of local ferruginous loess, a material not mentioned in previous studies on lost wax casting mould fragments. Therefore, the existence of more than one such production site mus...
Apart from many lost wax cast metal fragments, crucible fragments and several heated sediment nod... more Apart from many lost wax cast metal fragments, crucible fragments and several heated sediment nodules were found at the Chalcolithic site Fazael 2 (central Jordan Valley). Petrographic investigations on the heated sediment nodules revealed many features characteristic of the Chalcolithic Southern Levantine lost wax casting moulds. Heating temperatures were assessed using infrared spectroscopy, showing that casting did not vitrify the clay fraction in the moulds. Consequently, Fazael is the first identified Chalcolithic Southern Levant production site for lost wax cast metal items. These findings confirm the existence of a metallurgical tradition with lost wax casting in the Jordan Valley parallel to the unalloyed copper metallurgy in the Northern Negev. Moreover, crucibles and heated sediment nodules are made of local ferruginous loess, a material not mentioned in previous studies on lost wax casting mould fragments. Therefore, the existence of more than one such production site must be assumed.
The site of Khirbet el-Meiyiteh in northeastern Samaria was discovered within the framework of th... more The site of Khirbet el-Meiyiteh in northeastern Samaria was discovered within the framework of the Manasseh Hill Country Survey and was attributed to the Intermediate Bronze Age (c. 2300-1950 BCE), a period of urban decline in the southern Levant. Recent excavations at the site revealed a fortification wall and a wealth of highly manufactured ceramic assemblage that attest to the importance of this site in the region and has implications on our knowledge of this intriguing period. Sommaire Le site de Khirbet el-Meiyiteh dans la Samarie du nord-est a été découvert dans le cadre du Manasseh Hill Country Survey et a été assigné à la période intermédiaire du Bronze (c.2300-1950 av. J.-C.), période de déclin urbain au Levant méridional. Des fouilles récentes ont mises au jour une muraille et une riche quantité de céramiques finement manufacturées, ce qui atteste de l'impor-tance du site dans la région, et enrichit notre connaissance de cette période sensible.
ABSTRACT Excavations at Fazael 2 provide important insights into our understanding of the latest ... more ABSTRACT Excavations at Fazael 2 provide important insights into our understanding of the latest phases of the Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant. Radiometric determinations suggest that Stratum 2 at the site was occupied about 4000–3900 Cal BC, thus being among the latest Chalcolithic settlements in the Jordan Valley. This article describes the first two seasons of excavation and presents the architecture and stratigraphy accompanied by a description of the various assemblages found at the site. These assemblages are typically Chalcolithic in almost every aspect, but the flint artifacts attest to the beginning of the use of Canaanean blades at the end of the Chalcolithic period. This is contrary to the accepted opinion that ascribes their appearance to the beginning of the succeeding period (Early Bronze Age I). Thus the possibility of a very late, possibly even post-Ghassulian Chalcolithic, entity may not be ruled out.
This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint b... more This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint blades for composite sickles in light of recent findings from the Early Bronze Age Canaanean blade wo...
Abstract This article deals with settlement activity during the Late Chalcolithic period in the n... more Abstract This article deals with settlement activity during the Late Chalcolithic period in the northern Samaria highlands. This region is one of the last unexplored areas of this period in the southern Levant. The study reveals the settlement patterns and subsistence economy of the population that inhabited this area.
Bien qu’une sequence chrono-culturelle comprenant une periode chalcolitique suivie d’un Bronze an... more Bien qu’une sequence chrono-culturelle comprenant une periode chalcolitique suivie d’un Bronze ancien ait ete depuis longtemps etablie pour le sud Levant, la transition entre ces deux periodes demeure mal comprise. Des decouvertes recentes, en particulier dans le piemont occidental de Judee-Samarie, la Shephela, temoignent d’une occupation continue. Elles fournissent des informations importantes sur la nature de cette transition et sur les liens entre la Shephela et le reste du sud du Levant. Les resultats obtenus par le radiocarbone a partir des vestiges provenant du site de Modi’in dans la region de la Shephela sont examines. Ils permettent de dater la transition entre le Chalcolithique et le Bronze ancien de la premiere moitie du IVe millenaire avant notre ere. En utilisant la methode bayesienne, ces donnees sont ensuite incorporees dans un ensemble interregional de datations. Cette approche permet une meilleure evaluation des dates d’occupation des sites consideres et de la sequence de la transition, tout en offrant un guide pratique permettant d’estimer la place chronologique des vestiges archeologiques.
Abstract This paper presents a new type of locally manufactured Intermediate Bronze Age storage j... more Abstract This paper presents a new type of locally manufactured Intermediate Bronze Age storage jar. Its distribution is restricted to northeastern Samaria and along the Jordan Valley. This jar type provides a glimpse into the highly regional aspect of the pottery production in the IBA.
This report presents the 2017–2020 excavation seasons at Fazael 4, a 3 ha Early Bronze Age I (EB ... more This report presents the 2017–2020 excavation seasons at Fazael 4, a 3 ha Early Bronze Age I (EB I) site in the Jordan Valley. In the excavation, two EB I strata with a number of secondary phases were identified. This paper presents the architecture, stratigraphy, and the pottery, lithic, ground stone tool, and faunal assemblages retrieved. In Stratum I, parts of a rural village were excavated. Dwelling complexes including courtyards, rooms and round structures interpreted as silos were exposed. A large pottery assemblage dates the site to the EB Ia2 period. Other remains point to an economy based on a combination of animal husbandry and some agriculture, with a limited amount of hunting. It seems that Fazael 4 (Stratum I) slightly predates the nearby EB Ib1 site of Sheikh Diab 2, attesting to settlement continuity in the region during the middle EB I period. Stratum II was exposed only in few loci below Stratum I structures and is slightly earlier in the EB I. It includes two pits containing thousands of Canaanean blade waste products and two compacted stone accumulations with remains of bladelet production waste – evidence of specialized blade and bladelet production industries at the site.
This paper presents the results of the study of the animal economy across the Late Bronze and Iro... more This paper presents the results of the study of the animal economy across the Late Bronze and Iron Ages at the Carmel coast site of Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/Porphyreon). Focusing on the livestock, this paper addresses whether changes occurred in diet and secondary products exploitation. The results demonstrate that, like most sites of these periods, goat (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries) were the major contributors to lifeways. Across time, there was minimal change in the exploitation and consumption of domestic animals. This paper reflects the continuity in diet by the inhabitants of the site between the Late Bronze and Iron Ages.
A stone altar, stylistically dated to the Iron Age II, was uncovered at Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/P... more A stone altar, stylistically dated to the Iron Age II, was uncovered at Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/Porphyreon) while dismantling a Byzantine wall. After describing the object and presenting past research, the altar is discussed in its Phoenician context. We suggest that it was inspired by Israelite prototypes and that it reflects cultural ties between the Phoenicians and the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the Iron Age IIA or IIB.
Excavation at the Chalcolithic site of Fazael 2 in the Jordan
Valley in 2013 revealed a third in... more Excavation at the Chalcolithic site of Fazael 2 in the Jordan Valley in 2013 revealed a third infant burial, in addition to the two previous burials excavated at the site in 2006. This burial, uncovered at the northwestern corner of a rectangular structure in the courtyard of the complex, was primary, found in articulation on a sherd below the floor, and was covered by another large sherd. Infant burials with the body placed on a sherd and covered by another sherd are known from other sites dated from the Pottery Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age I. This burial practice is discussed below in relation to other infant and fetus burial practices during this timespan in the southern Levant.
This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint b... more This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint blades for composite sickles in light of recent findings from the Early Bronze Age Canaanean blade workshop at Fazael 4, and the uncovering of a related flint quarry at Tal`at `Amreh Mountain. The new discovery presents a rare opportunity to explore all stages of production from raw material acquisition to the finished Canaanean blades. This study addresses methodological aspects of establishing a link between a quarry and a workshop, efforts invested in flint procurement and transportation, the scale and organization of production, and the economic benefits of the Canaanean blade industry as a specialized production trajectory. Eprint link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/URRA7QZHDUACKHDH4EHI/full?target=10.1080/01977261.2021.1924972
Apart from many lost wax cast metal fragments, crucible fragments and several heated sediment nod... more Apart from many lost wax cast metal fragments, crucible fragments and several heated sediment nodules were found at the Chalcolithic site Fazael 2 (central Jordan Valley). Petrographic investigations on the heated sediment nodules revealed many features characteristic of the Chalcolithic Southern Levantine lost wax casting moulds. Heating temperatures were assessed using infrared spectroscopy, showing that casting did not vitrify the clay fraction in the moulds. Consequently, Fazael is the first identified Chalcolithic Southern Levant production site for lost wax cast metal items. These findings confirm the existence of a metallurgical tradition with lost wax casting in the Jordan Valley parallel to the unalloyed copper metallurgy in the Northern Negev. Moreover, crucibles and heated sediment nodules are made of local ferruginous loess, a material not mentioned in previous studies on lost wax casting mould fragments. Therefore, the existence of more than one such production site mus...
Apart from many lost wax cast metal fragments, crucible fragments and several heated sediment nod... more Apart from many lost wax cast metal fragments, crucible fragments and several heated sediment nodules were found at the Chalcolithic site Fazael 2 (central Jordan Valley). Petrographic investigations on the heated sediment nodules revealed many features characteristic of the Chalcolithic Southern Levantine lost wax casting moulds. Heating temperatures were assessed using infrared spectroscopy, showing that casting did not vitrify the clay fraction in the moulds. Consequently, Fazael is the first identified Chalcolithic Southern Levant production site for lost wax cast metal items. These findings confirm the existence of a metallurgical tradition with lost wax casting in the Jordan Valley parallel to the unalloyed copper metallurgy in the Northern Negev. Moreover, crucibles and heated sediment nodules are made of local ferruginous loess, a material not mentioned in previous studies on lost wax casting mould fragments. Therefore, the existence of more than one such production site must be assumed.
The site of Khirbet el-Meiyiteh in northeastern Samaria was discovered within the framework of th... more The site of Khirbet el-Meiyiteh in northeastern Samaria was discovered within the framework of the Manasseh Hill Country Survey and was attributed to the Intermediate Bronze Age (c. 2300-1950 BCE), a period of urban decline in the southern Levant. Recent excavations at the site revealed a fortification wall and a wealth of highly manufactured ceramic assemblage that attest to the importance of this site in the region and has implications on our knowledge of this intriguing period. Sommaire Le site de Khirbet el-Meiyiteh dans la Samarie du nord-est a été découvert dans le cadre du Manasseh Hill Country Survey et a été assigné à la période intermédiaire du Bronze (c.2300-1950 av. J.-C.), période de déclin urbain au Levant méridional. Des fouilles récentes ont mises au jour une muraille et une riche quantité de céramiques finement manufacturées, ce qui atteste de l'impor-tance du site dans la région, et enrichit notre connaissance de cette période sensible.
ABSTRACT Excavations at Fazael 2 provide important insights into our understanding of the latest ... more ABSTRACT Excavations at Fazael 2 provide important insights into our understanding of the latest phases of the Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant. Radiometric determinations suggest that Stratum 2 at the site was occupied about 4000–3900 Cal BC, thus being among the latest Chalcolithic settlements in the Jordan Valley. This article describes the first two seasons of excavation and presents the architecture and stratigraphy accompanied by a description of the various assemblages found at the site. These assemblages are typically Chalcolithic in almost every aspect, but the flint artifacts attest to the beginning of the use of Canaanean blades at the end of the Chalcolithic period. This is contrary to the accepted opinion that ascribes their appearance to the beginning of the succeeding period (Early Bronze Age I). Thus the possibility of a very late, possibly even post-Ghassulian Chalcolithic, entity may not be ruled out.
This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint b... more This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint blades for composite sickles in light of recent findings from the Early Bronze Age Canaanean blade wo...
Abstract This article deals with settlement activity during the Late Chalcolithic period in the n... more Abstract This article deals with settlement activity during the Late Chalcolithic period in the northern Samaria highlands. This region is one of the last unexplored areas of this period in the southern Levant. The study reveals the settlement patterns and subsistence economy of the population that inhabited this area.
Bien qu’une sequence chrono-culturelle comprenant une periode chalcolitique suivie d’un Bronze an... more Bien qu’une sequence chrono-culturelle comprenant une periode chalcolitique suivie d’un Bronze ancien ait ete depuis longtemps etablie pour le sud Levant, la transition entre ces deux periodes demeure mal comprise. Des decouvertes recentes, en particulier dans le piemont occidental de Judee-Samarie, la Shephela, temoignent d’une occupation continue. Elles fournissent des informations importantes sur la nature de cette transition et sur les liens entre la Shephela et le reste du sud du Levant. Les resultats obtenus par le radiocarbone a partir des vestiges provenant du site de Modi’in dans la region de la Shephela sont examines. Ils permettent de dater la transition entre le Chalcolithique et le Bronze ancien de la premiere moitie du IVe millenaire avant notre ere. En utilisant la methode bayesienne, ces donnees sont ensuite incorporees dans un ensemble interregional de datations. Cette approche permet une meilleure evaluation des dates d’occupation des sites consideres et de la sequence de la transition, tout en offrant un guide pratique permettant d’estimer la place chronologique des vestiges archeologiques.
Abstract This paper presents a new type of locally manufactured Intermediate Bronze Age storage j... more Abstract This paper presents a new type of locally manufactured Intermediate Bronze Age storage jar. Its distribution is restricted to northeastern Samaria and along the Jordan Valley. This jar type provides a glimpse into the highly regional aspect of the pottery production in the IBA.
This report presents the 2017–2020 excavation seasons at Fazael 4, a 3 ha Early Bronze Age I (EB ... more This report presents the 2017–2020 excavation seasons at Fazael 4, a 3 ha Early Bronze Age I (EB I) site in the Jordan Valley. In the excavation, two EB I strata with a number of secondary phases were identified. This paper presents the architecture, stratigraphy, and the pottery, lithic, ground stone tool, and faunal assemblages retrieved. In Stratum I, parts of a rural village were excavated. Dwelling complexes including courtyards, rooms and round structures interpreted as silos were exposed. A large pottery assemblage dates the site to the EB Ia2 period. Other remains point to an economy based on a combination of animal husbandry and some agriculture, with a limited amount of hunting. It seems that Fazael 4 (Stratum I) slightly predates the nearby EB Ib1 site of Sheikh Diab 2, attesting to settlement continuity in the region during the middle EB I period. Stratum II was exposed only in few loci below Stratum I structures and is slightly earlier in the EB I. It includes two pits containing thousands of Canaanean blade waste products and two compacted stone accumulations with remains of bladelet production waste – evidence of specialized blade and bladelet production industries at the site.
This paper presents the results of the study of the animal economy across the Late Bronze and Iro... more This paper presents the results of the study of the animal economy across the Late Bronze and Iron Ages at the Carmel coast site of Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/Porphyreon). Focusing on the livestock, this paper addresses whether changes occurred in diet and secondary products exploitation. The results demonstrate that, like most sites of these periods, goat (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries) were the major contributors to lifeways. Across time, there was minimal change in the exploitation and consumption of domestic animals. This paper reflects the continuity in diet by the inhabitants of the site between the Late Bronze and Iron Ages.
A stone altar, stylistically dated to the Iron Age II, was uncovered at Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/P... more A stone altar, stylistically dated to the Iron Age II, was uncovered at Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/Porphyreon) while dismantling a Byzantine wall. After describing the object and presenting past research, the altar is discussed in its Phoenician context. We suggest that it was inspired by Israelite prototypes and that it reflects cultural ties between the Phoenicians and the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the Iron Age IIA or IIB.
Excavation at the Chalcolithic site of Fazael 2 in the Jordan
Valley in 2013 revealed a third in... more Excavation at the Chalcolithic site of Fazael 2 in the Jordan Valley in 2013 revealed a third infant burial, in addition to the two previous burials excavated at the site in 2006. This burial, uncovered at the northwestern corner of a rectangular structure in the courtyard of the complex, was primary, found in articulation on a sherd below the floor, and was covered by another large sherd. Infant burials with the body placed on a sherd and covered by another sherd are known from other sites dated from the Pottery Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age I. This burial practice is discussed below in relation to other infant and fetus burial practices during this timespan in the southern Levant.
This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint b... more This study explores the multi-stage specialized production of long and standard Canaanean flint blades for composite sickles in light of recent findings from the Early Bronze Age Canaanean blade workshop at Fazael 4, and the uncovering of a related flint quarry at Tal`at `Amreh Mountain. The new discovery presents a rare opportunity to explore all stages of production from raw material acquisition to the finished Canaanean blades. This study addresses methodological aspects of establishing a link between a quarry and a workshop, efforts invested in flint procurement and transportation, the scale and organization of production, and the economic benefits of the Canaanean blade industry as a specialized production trajectory. Eprint link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/URRA7QZHDUACKHDH4EHI/full?target=10.1080/01977261.2021.1924972
Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/Porphyreon) on the Haifa Coast, 2021
This special volume of Michmanim includes 11 articles devoted to the renewed research at Tell es-... more This special volume of Michmanim includes 11 articles devoted to the renewed research at Tell es-Samak. While they do not contain a fully coherent picture of the site, they provide a solid foundation for continuing the research of one of the richest coastal sites in Israel from the Late Bronze Age to the Byzantine period.
Gilgal Rimonim is an enclosure located in the hilly region of southeastern Samaria on the norther... more Gilgal Rimonim is an enclosure located in the hilly region of southeastern Samaria on the northern bank of Wadi al-Makuk, 11 km west-northwest of Jericho. It belongs to a group of Iron Age sites termed “foot-shaped enclosures” and identified by Adam Zertal as the biblical “Gilgal” sites. The site was probed in 2015 and 2021, and the results of the renewed excavation, including new dates for the architectonical features at the site, are presented here.
This is a report of the results of a survey along a mysterious road, probably from the Hasmonean ... more This is a report of the results of a survey along a mysterious road, probably from the Hasmonean period, near the Sartaba Fortress in the Jordan Valley.
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Papers by Bar Shay
In Stratum I, parts of a rural village were excavated. Dwelling complexes including courtyards, rooms and round structures interpreted as silos were exposed. A large pottery assemblage dates the site to the EB Ia2 period. Other remains point to an economy based on a combination of animal husbandry and some agriculture, with a limited amount of hunting. It seems that Fazael 4 (Stratum I) slightly predates the nearby EB Ib1 site of Sheikh Diab 2, attesting to settlement continuity in the region during the middle EB I period.
Stratum II was exposed only in few loci below Stratum I structures and is slightly earlier in the EB I. It includes two pits containing thousands of Canaanean blade waste products and two compacted stone accumulations with remains of bladelet production waste – evidence of specialized blade and bladelet production industries at the site.
Ages at the Carmel coast site of Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/Porphyreon). Focusing on the livestock,
this paper addresses whether changes occurred in diet and secondary products exploitation. The
results demonstrate that, like most sites of these periods, goat (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries)
were the major contributors to lifeways. Across time, there was minimal change in the exploitation
and consumption of domestic animals. This paper reflects the continuity in diet by the inhabitants
of the site between the Late Bronze and Iron Ages.
Valley in 2013 revealed a third infant burial, in addition to the two previous burials excavated at the site in 2006. This burial, uncovered at the northwestern corner of a rectangular structure in the courtyard of the complex, was primary, found in articulation on a sherd below the floor, and was covered by another large sherd. Infant burials with the body placed on a sherd and covered by
another sherd are known from other sites dated from the Pottery Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age I. This burial practice is discussed below in relation to other infant and fetus burial practices during this timespan in the southern Levant.
Eprint link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/URRA7QZHDUACKHDH4EHI/full?target=10.1080/01977261.2021.1924972
In Stratum I, parts of a rural village were excavated. Dwelling complexes including courtyards, rooms and round structures interpreted as silos were exposed. A large pottery assemblage dates the site to the EB Ia2 period. Other remains point to an economy based on a combination of animal husbandry and some agriculture, with a limited amount of hunting. It seems that Fazael 4 (Stratum I) slightly predates the nearby EB Ib1 site of Sheikh Diab 2, attesting to settlement continuity in the region during the middle EB I period.
Stratum II was exposed only in few loci below Stratum I structures and is slightly earlier in the EB I. It includes two pits containing thousands of Canaanean blade waste products and two compacted stone accumulations with remains of bladelet production waste – evidence of specialized blade and bladelet production industries at the site.
Ages at the Carmel coast site of Tell es-Samak (Shikmona/Porphyreon). Focusing on the livestock,
this paper addresses whether changes occurred in diet and secondary products exploitation. The
results demonstrate that, like most sites of these periods, goat (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries)
were the major contributors to lifeways. Across time, there was minimal change in the exploitation
and consumption of domestic animals. This paper reflects the continuity in diet by the inhabitants
of the site between the Late Bronze and Iron Ages.
Valley in 2013 revealed a third infant burial, in addition to the two previous burials excavated at the site in 2006. This burial, uncovered at the northwestern corner of a rectangular structure in the courtyard of the complex, was primary, found in articulation on a sherd below the floor, and was covered by another large sherd. Infant burials with the body placed on a sherd and covered by
another sherd are known from other sites dated from the Pottery Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age I. This burial practice is discussed below in relation to other infant and fetus burial practices during this timespan in the southern Levant.
Eprint link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/URRA7QZHDUACKHDH4EHI/full?target=10.1080/01977261.2021.1924972
provide a solid foundation for continuing the research of one of the richest coastal sites in Israel from the Late Bronze Age to the Byzantine period.