Tell Arqa

American Schools of Oriental Research Annual Meeting, Atlanta, November 21, 2015. Paper to be presented in the session: The Iron Age I in the Levant: A View from the North I (Lynn Welton (University of British Columbia) and Hanan Charaf (University of Paris I), Presiding

VIDEO AVAILABLE at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOfiNn_mvnU

This lecture is in memory of Anis Chaaya, professor of Art and
Archaeology at the Lebanese University and member of the Heritage LG
at ARWA, who unexpectedly passed away from Covid-19 on March 21, 2021.
This presentation will focus on his researches at two Lebanese sites
that formed parts of his Master and PhD studies and in recognition of
his contributions to the field of archaeology in the ancient Near
East.
The scope of archaeological interest of Anis was vast and varied. For
his MA, he studied the Iron Age II pottery from Tell Arqa (ancient
Irqata) in northern Lebanon and successfully anchored the local and
imported ceramic productions to the three levels dated to the Iron Age
II, proving that the Iron Age reoccupation of the site after a long
hiatus did not occur until the 10th century BCE when a dense network
of houses was uncovered. The site gained some importance during the
9th-8th century and was fitted with a rampart and a temple probably
dedicated to Ashtart. But it was largely destroyed in the mid-eight
century BCE coinciding with the military campaign of Tighlat Pileser
III to Arqa. Afterwards, occupation ceased and the site was turned
into a cemetery with a number of cremation pits that was used until
the 7th century BCE.
For his PhD, Anis examined the extensive defensive fortification
system laid out by the Crusaders in the County of Tripoli. During his
last years, his researches on the medieval poliorcetic tradition were
particularly focused on the Crusader castles of Byblos where he
initiated in 2015 a program of excavations and GPR surveys on the
medieval remains of Byblos. His research confirmed concretely that the
Crusaders erected their castle on the imposing fortifications walls
from the Bronze and Iron Ages, using parts of the so-called Hyksos
rampart as foundation for the donjon. Excavations at the foot of the
castle revealed a stone glacis that could be dated to the Middle
Bronze Age I.

The site of Tell Arqa is one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Lebanon. Excavations conducted there between 1972 and 2014 have yielded a continuous stratigraphic sequence stretching from the Crusader period down to the Chalcolithic. While the Early and Middle Bronze Age material cultures are marked by a strong tendency towards conservatism, the Late Bronze Age (LB) offers two distinctive chronological and cultural phases. Level 12/Phase L1 covers the early part of the Late Bronze Age and retains many of the architectural and cultural aspects of the previous Middle Bronze Age (MB) period. Level 11/Phase K is different in architecture and in some components of the material culture. Local and regional architectural and ceramic comparisons place Level 11/Phase K between the last half/quarter of the 13th century BC and the first quarter of the 12th or to the timespan commonly known as the transitional Late Bronze Age/Iron Age I. This paper analyses the architectural and material characteristics of Level 11/Phase K at Arqa with the aim of isolating local characteristics and regional influences, and better defining the regional chrono-cultural sphere to which this level belongs.

CLICHÉS INÉDITS DE QUELQUES PORTS LIBANAIS
Les cas des ports de Tyr, Sidon et Byblos au Liban permettent d’illustrer la richesse de ce fonds ancien en ce qui concerne les paysages urbains des ports antiques du Liban, tels qu’ils pouvaient être observés à la fin du XIXe siècle et au début du XXe siècle.

Tell Arqa is one of the most important sites in North Lebanon, excavated since 1972 by a Franco-Lebanese team. This paper focuses on the Late Bronze Age I (1550–1400 B.C.) pottery of Level 12 of Arqa. Three stratigraphic sub-levels were unearthed of which one, 12B2, witnessed a major destruction that may be attributed to Thutmose III. Most of the vessels found in Level 12 have a morphological and
technological continuity with Level 13 (MBII), making it necessary to define the chronological and regional limits of LBI pottery in the Northern Levant.

L’urbanisation est un moment clé du développement des sociétés humaines, dont la compréhension est primordiale pour caractériser la diversité des processus de complexification sociale. Entre la Mésopotamie et l’Égypte, qui voient naître les premières villes dès le IVe millénaire avant notre ère, la côte syro-libanaise, ou Levant nord, se distingue par un environnement littoral contrasté, ouvert sur la Méditerranée, où l’urbanisation s’exprime sous une forme différente au cours du IIIe millénaire. Par l’analyse des matériaux et la pétrographie céramique, cette thèse en explore deux marqueurs fondamentaux : la spécialisation des activités artisanales et la polarisation des échanges par les centres urbanisés.
L’approche pétrographique, issue de la géologie, renouvelle l’exploration des vestiges céramiques au travers desquels se construit notre connaissance des sociétés anciennes. Un corpus d’envergure régionale, constitué de 2481 échantillons céramiques de sept sites majeurs, est analysé en macroscopie et en microscopie en lames minces. Le site principal, utilisé comme référence, est celui de Tell Arqa. Ses données sont comparées à celles de six autres sites répartis dans la région : dans la plaine du Akkar, Tell Bseisé et Tell Laha ; au Liban nord, Enfeh et Byblos ; et en Syrie occidentale, Ras Shamra et Qatna. L’étude révèle l’homogénéisation progressive de la production potière et la spécialisation grandissante de l’artisanat tout au long du IIIe millénaire. D’autre part, l’établissement de réseaux de contacts se manifeste par la mise en place de sphères techniques à différentes échelles spatiales et temporelles. Les échanges, eux, prennent la forme d’imports, d’imitations et d’exports dont la distribution géographique varie dans le temps. La démarche interdisciplinaire apporte ici de riches résultats et offre un nouveau regard sur la diversité des processus d’urbanisation.

Evidence of commerce between cities of ancient Lebanon and the island of Cyprus started during the Middle Bronze Age, a period known for its extensive political and trade relations. Recent research on Middle Bronze Age pottery from Lebanon demonstrated that a substantial amount of Cypriot ceramics was imported to this country. They all fall within the normal range of Cypriot imports to the coastal Levant. Unsurprisingly, the coastal sites yielded the largest amounts of these imports. Two urban sites in particular, Sidon in the South and Tell Arqa (ancient Irqata) in the North, yielded almost 1000 vessels of different stylistic types. An overview of the contexts in which this ceramic was found shows a predominance of funeral and cultic functions, while the stylistic distribution of Cypriot styles demonstrates a clear preference for White Pendent III-IV Pendent Line Style and White Painted IV-VI Cross Line Style jugs in funeral contexts, and for White Painted V Handmade Ware in domestic loci. The geographical distribution of styles indicates that while coastal sites offered a rich array of Middle Cypriot styles, inland sites limited themselves to a few of these, usually within the White Painted repertoire. Further east, sites excavated or surveyed in the Bekaa Valley such as Kamed el-Loz, Tell Hizzin or Tell el-Ghassil are very poor in Middle Cypriot pottery. This paper proposes an overview of the different styles of Cypriot ceramics imported to Lebanon during the Middle Bronze Age with an emphasis on their geographical and intrasite distribution in order to better gauge the true representation of these types of ceramics in Lebanon within the regional networks.

Analysis of two core samples taken from the ancient harbour of Sidon allow us to identify two main fades. Sedimentological and radiocarbon analysis has revealed a first sequence before 3500-3000 years BC when Sidon's harbour was first developped using natural ...

Analysis of two core samples taken from the ancient harbour of Sidon allow us to identify two main fades. Sedimentological and radiocarbon analysis has revealed a first sequence before 3500-3000 years BC when Sidon's harbour was first developped using natural ...

Excavations at Tell Arqa in northern Lebanon have uncovered human occupation levels spanning the entire Bronze Age.  Occupation from the Late Bronze Age was recognized in two architectural and cultural levels.  The Level 12 pottery assemblage displayed some uncommon features for the Late Bronze Age I: On the one hand, typological and technological continuity with the local corpus of Middle Bronze Age II (fine wares, incisions on vase shoulders and rims, vertical burnishing); and on the other, new shapes and new clay and manufacturing techniques that is generally considered to be typical of LBI.  Regional comparisons of this pottery showed similarities with LBI levels at Hazor and the coastal sites of Lebanon.
Compared to the earlier period, Late Bronze Age II occupation at Arqa witnessed a decline in human occupation.  Level 11 displayed only a few structures dated to the 14th century BC, a time when Arqa, known by its ancient name Irqata, was mentioned nine times in the Amarna Texts.  The 13th century is better represented with flimsy but cohesive architecture.
During the 2004 season, important new material evidence came to light that altered traditional understandings for the end of the Late Bronze Age at this site, with possible ramifications for the region.  An analysis of the excavated ceramics revealed the presence of Handmade Burnished Ware, in addition to new vessel types common to the 12th century BC.  However, the bulk of the material belongs to a late 13th century tradition with strong affinities to ceramics from Level 6-upper in Area II at Tell Kazel, Stratum G at Sarepta, and to a lesser degree, the last occupational phase at Ugarit.  The results of this study show convincing, albeit limited, evidence for lowering the date of the end of Level 11 at Arqa to the latter half of the 12th century BC.

Animal remains recovered and studied from recently excavated (104) Middle Bronze Age burials on College Site in Sidon, represent intentional deposits in graves. The purpose of this study is to analyse these faunal remains in mortuary contexts whilst aiming to a better understanding of animal offerings during the Middle Bronze Age in the Levant.
The deposit of body parts or complete animals, especially sheep, goats and fish are well attested in the burials of Sidon. The choice of species, the animal’s age, body parts and the actual butchering technique, along with the location of the offering in the grave are discussed here as a part of funerary and sacrificial practices of ancient Sidonian society.

Preliminary analysis of two core samples taken from the ancient harbour of Sidon allow us to identify two main fades. Sedimentological and radiocarbon analysis has revealed a first sequence before 3500-3000 years BC when Sidon 's harbour was first developped using natural shelters, namely reefs. It is after 3500-3000 years BC, that men learned to build moles structures in order to protect
the artificial basin.