Abstract

 Archaeological remains are a trove of potential data which, together with the study of ritual, enable reconstruction and evaluation of social and religious structures and complexity. Concentrating on the Timnian culture (sixth to late third millennium BCE) of the Southern Levant deserts, we review the changes that took place with the adoption of the domesticated goat, noting the contrast between habitation sites and ritual related megalithic monuments regarding social hierarchy. Desert kites, open-air shrines, and cairns reflect organized communal labour and use, reinforcing tribal identity and the need for territorial definition. The orientation of the open-air shrines reflects a cosmology related to death and mortuary. Timnian Rock art comprises geoglyphs and petroglyphs. Geoglyphs are associated with open air shrines while petroglyphs represent a slightly later development initially unrelated to ritual. In accordance with the rock art repertoire and styles employed, we suggest that the orant was integrated into the Timnian culture following contact with northern cultures by way of trade with Arad. Rock art also highlights foreign entities in the Negev during the Intermediate Bronze age.
Highlights
In any specific society, cosmologies and belief systems are, of necessity, integrated with other [1] social, economic, and political structures of that society
Concentrating on the Timnian culture of the Southern Levant deserts, we review the changes that took place with the adoption of the domesticated goat, noting the contrast between habitation sites and ritual related megalithic monuments regarding social hierarchy
In accordance with the rock art repertoire and styles employed, we suggest that the orant was integrated into the Timnian culture following contact with northern cultures by way of trade with Arad
Summary
Cosmologies and belief systems are, of necessity, integrated with other [1] social, economic, and political structures of that society. To better understand the social structure of a society, we turn to the habitation and settle- [4] ment systems, including material culture organization, which mirrors it. These systems serve as a base from which to assess the society and with which the religious structures must be in accord. Following this concept and concentrating on the archaeological record of the mobile pastoral Timnian societies of the southern Levantine deserts, we can detect and trace some of the evolution that took place in the culture, belief systems, and cosmologies (Rosen 2015). We are able to recognize foreign influences and presence in the Negev during the final phases of Timnian culture
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