Ninth Century BC Research Articles

QURAYYAH PAINTED WARE OUTSIDE THE HEJAZ: EVIDENCE OF A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE IN THE LATE BRONZE AND EARLY IRON AGES?

SummaryQurayyah Painted Ware (QPW) is the most solid evidence of contacts between the Hejaz and the southern Levant in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages. However, even after decades of research, there is still much uncertainty regarding the chronology of these contacts and their nature. Here, we present an exceptionally rich collection of QPW fragments documented recently in the copper smelting sites of the Timna Valley. We argue that the distribution of this painted ware in the southern Levant extended from the early thirteenth to ninth centuries BC and that its prominent presence in industrial contexts in the Aravah Valley is related to the transmission of metallurgical ‘know‐how’ from the Hejaz, which included rituals in which QPW vessels took part. While the original exchange probably involved craftspeople from the Hejaz in the Aravah's metalworking, the continuous use of QPW throughout several centuries in the southern Levant is best explained as a reflection of an enduring community of practice of the local populations with the metalworkers of the Hejaz.

IRON AGE LEVANTINE POLITIES AND THEIR MATERIAL CULTURE, WITH A CASE STUDY FROM TEL REḤOV, NORTHERN ISRAEL

SummaryThe following article deals with the possible association of political entities with specific material culture. By referring to a test case from the southern Levant – that of Late Iron IIA (late tenth–ninth centuries BC) Tel Reḥov and its political affiliation within the context of the regional settlement system, this article discusses the methodological caveats and prospects pertinent in any attempt to archaeologically identify political entities. It further demonstrates how settlement patterns and material culture may reveal the underlying social complexity of the Iron Age Levantine territorial polities, and the ways in which political hegemony was practised among diverse communities.

The warrior aristocracy of the Late Bronze Age Urnfield Period in County Somogy, south-western Transdanubia. The Lengyeltóti V hoard (County Somogy/Hungary)

Abstract Discussed here is the presence of a warrior aristocracy in south-western Hungary, principally in County Somogy, during the early (and middle) Urnfield period (Br D–Ha A1-A2) based on the archaeological record. The period's offensive and protective weapons wielded by the warrior aristocracy during the Urnfield period (mid-thirteenth to ninth century BC) are exclusively known from hoards in this region; none have been recovered from burials. The Lengyeltóti V hoard contained a greave, a composite cuirass, a cheek-piece indicating the presence of a military aristocracy riding horses and wagons or chariots when going to battle and a realistic wheel model. The swords and spearheads were part of the period's offensive weaponry. The hoard's other articles represented the jewellery of the female aristocracy: a diadem, a torc and an ornamented disc pendant. The hoard contained over seven hundred items. In A. Mozsolics's view, the hoard could be assigned to the period lasting up to the close of the Hallstatt period (Ha A2). The rise of the warrior aristocracy began during the Br D, Br D/Ha A1 period, while its consolidation and heyday fell into the early Urnfield period (Ha A1). The aristocracy lived in hillforts – fortified settlements – which had a flourishing bronze industry. The number of settlements and burials declined drastically in the ensuing Ha B period in south-western Transdanubia.

The emergence of 'Transeurasian' language families in Northeast Asia as viewed from archaeological evidence.

From a linguistic standpoint, Proto-Japonic and Proto-Koreanic are assumed to have split off the Transeurasian languages in southern Manchuria. The linguistic idea that Proto-Japonic came earlier than Proto-Koreanic in the chronological scheme means that the Proto-Japonic language first entered the Korean Peninsula, and from there spread to the Japanese archipelago at the beginning of the Yayoi period, around the ninth century BC, while the arrival of Proto-Koreanic in southern Korea is associated with the spread of the rolled rim vessel culture around the fifth century BC. The genealogical sequence of the Pianpu, Mumun and Yayoi cultures, which shared the same pottery production techniques, indicates the spread of Proto-Japonic. On the other hand, migrants moved from Liaodong to the Korean Peninsula and established the rolled rim vessel culture. This population movement was probably due to social and political reasons as the Yan state enlarged its territory eastward. The Proto-Koreanic of the rolled rim vessel culture later spread to the Korean Peninsula and gradually drove out Proto-Japonic, becoming the predecessor of the Koreanic. In this paper, I examine the spread of Proto-Japonic and Proto-Koreanic in Northeast Asia based on archaeological evidence, focusing especially on the genealogy of pottery styles and pottery production techniques.

Regional exchange and exclusive elite rituals in Iron Age central Anatolia: dating, function and circulation of Alişar-IV ware

AbstractAlişar-IV ware is one of the most characteristic ceramic productions of early first-millennium BC central Anatolia and the only one characterised by painted figurative motifs besides geometric decorations. The ongoing excavations at Niğde-Kınık Höyük have uncovered a collection of fragments belonging to 42 Alişar-IV vessels, and this systematic material study of these sherds contributes much to understanding aspects of their production, use and consumption. Petrographic and chemical evidence presented in this study indicates that two-thirds of them were produced locally. Conversely, the study of Alişar-IV fragments from other regions of the Anatolian plateau has shown that they are non-local productions. We thus suggest that Alişar-IV ware is a product of a few centres within south-central Anatolia and that, from there, it circulated among and beyond these centres. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the main period of production of this ware covers the tenth and ninth centuries BC, in agreement with the evidence from Polatlı Yassı Höyük, Kaman-Kalehöyük and Böğazköy-Büyükkaya. The small number of Alişar-IV vessels found at each site is indicative of a limited, exclusive production. A combined study of their shapes and iconography might support the hypothesis that the Alişar-IV ware was primarily associated with wine circulation and consumption.

Contextualizing an Iron Age IIA Hoard of Astragali from Tel Abel Beth Maacah, Israel

Astragali, the knuckle or ankle bones of mammals, have been collected, used and modified by humans in different parts of the world for millennia. Large hoards dating from Iron Age IIA (tenth–ninth centuries BC) are attested at a number of sites in the southern Levant, and a recently discovered hoard of 406 astragali at Tel Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel presents an opportunity to investigate this phenomenon, shedding light on the function of these bones and why they bore special status and meaning that crossed cultural and temporal boundaries. In this study, the zooarchaeological analysis of the astragali provides the basis for an extensive discussion of the hoard’s formation process and function that explores ethnographic literature, archaeological data and ancient Near Eastern and classical documentary sources. The findings of this study demonstrate that while the individual bones had many different functions, once deposited together the astragali took on a new meaning, possibly related to divinatory practices.

A Decorated Bronze Belt from Gargul, Iran

ABSTRACTDuring the early first millennium BC, the southern Lake Urmia basin in northwestern Iran was in the throes of political, military and cultural upheaval. Its material culture, as exemplified by the finds at Hasanlu, Marlik and in Luristan, suggests the elite in the area were consumers of fine, locally produced metalwork. This paper discusses the discovery of an artifact that expands our understanding of the material culture of northwestern Iran during the ninth century BC: a decorated bronze belt found at Gargul, Iran. The chance discovery of this belt, which is closely related to a type known only from the most elite contexts at Hasanlu, Iran, provides a hint of the richness and complexity of the entire region. This belt demonstrates that Hasanlu was not the only regional polity wealthy and powerful enough to employ skilled artisans for the creation of sophisticated luxury goods. While the craftsmanship of this belt does not match that of exemplars from Hasanlu, it clearly evidences similarly advanced metallurgical skills, awareness of a range of contemporary and ancient iconographic traditions from the highest reaches of power in Assyria to local sites like Hasanlu, and the means and desire to combine them to aggrandise the bodies and identities of the local elite.

Geological evidence of tsunamis in the past 3800 years at a coastal lowland in the Central Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

We found seven event deposits during the past 3800 years in a total of 16 geological core samples from a coastal lowland in Fukushima Prefecture, about 12 km north of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The event deposits consisted of well-sorted and rounded fine to coarse sand with single normal grading structures, parallel laminae, mud drapes, rip-up clasts, and erosional basal contacts. They were distributed about 2 km inland from the current shoreline and commonly became thinner landward. The third and fifth sand layers were characterized by many climbing ripples and parallel and trough-cross bedding that were probably caused by storm surges or some other events during the period of absent beach ridges. The other deposits were characterized by sedimentological features common to tsunami deposits. The top layer appeared to have been deposited by the 2011 Tohoku tsunami, and the second layer might have been resulted from the AD 869 Jogan Tohoku tsunami. The other three tsunami deposits corresponded to tsunami events between the second and fourth centuries AD, the sixth and fourth centuries BC, and the twelfth and ninth centuries BC. The average recurrence interval of the paleo-tsunamis was estimated to be 560–950 years. These dates are mostly consistent with previous studies of the Sendai plain, suggesting that paleo-tsunamis that reached the Sendai plain also reached the coast of Fukushima Prefecture. However, no trace was found from an earthquake around the 15th century, which had been considered as a predecessor of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake (Mw 9.0) in the tsunami deposit surveys in Sendai plain.

The Atlas of Ancient Rome: Biography and Portraits of the City. Volume 1: Text and Images; Volume 2: Tables and Indexes

<i>The Atlas of Ancient Rome: Biography and Portraits of the City.</i> Volume 1: <i>Text and Images;</i> Volume 2: <i>Tables and Indexes</i>

The South Arabian woman and her social context = La position sociale de la femme dans l'Arabie méridionale antique

The paper focuses on the life of women of Ancient Southern Arabia from the ninth century BC to the fourth century AD-in modern day Yemen.Although few epigraphic or literary sources document the wor...

NAJSTARSZE HEBRAJSKIE INSKRYPCJE ALFABETYCZNE (ANALIZA EPIGRAFICZNA)

Today, science has six of the oldest Hebrew alphabetic inscriptions: ostracon from ʼIzbet Ṣartah (about 1200 BC), inscription from Tel Zayit (/ 11th / half of 10th century BC), ostracon from Chirbet Qeiyafa (decline 11th - the first half of 10th century BC – reign of Saul ); a new inscription from Chirbet Qeiyafa (dated as the previous one); new ostracon form Ophel, Jerusalem (11th or half of 10th BC – reign of Solomon, it is also the oldest Hebrew inscription from the area of Jerusalem); Gezer Calendar (second half of 10th BC – reign of Solomon or the first half of the ninth century BC). This article discusses the contemporary state of research on early Hebrew inscriptions. It also presents the author's own findings and related issues on ancient Hebrew epigraphic.

Say a prayer for the safe cutting of a child's teeth: The folklore of teething.

Say a prayer for the safe cutting of a child's teeth: The folklore of teething.

I Fenici sulle rotte dell'Occidente nel IX sec.a.C.: cronologie, incontri, strategie

The Phoenician ships begin to sail the seas of the West during the second half of the ninth century BC. Between the Atlantic area and the central Mediterranean a series of emporia, such as Huelva, La Rebanadilla and Utica return the earliest evidence of this important phenomenon of interaction with the local communities. It will lead, by the end of the century, to the structuring of a real Phoenician trade network stretched from the coasts of the Near East to the Portuguese and Moroccan coast. This paper examines the general outlook of the first Phoenician voyages starting from a center-Mediterranean perspective and prioritizing the strategic role played by the Sardinian island in the definition and expansion of the Phoenician trading strategies.

The early history of the Greek alphabet: new evidence from Eretria and Methone

Abstract

Conflict and Interaction in the Iron Age: The Origins of Urartian–Assyrian Relations

The Neo-Assyrian Kingdom and the Urartian Kingdom were two important Near Eastern states in the Middle Iron Age (ninth to sixth centuries BC) that steered political developments and considerably transformed the lives of populations within their territories. This article aims to explore the origins of Urartian–Assyrian relations: the processes and ways through which Mesopotamian and Assyrian influences reached the eastern Anatolian highlands. The populations who founded the Urartian Kingdom lived mostly as semi-nomadic tribes in eastern Anatolia and surrounding areas during the Early Iron Age (thirteenth to ninth centuries BC). It is impossible to explain the emergence of the Urartian Kingdom in the Van region towards the mid-ninth century BC—which quickly became a powerful rival of its contemporaries—as a natural development of local culture. The main question at this stage is how and from where Assyrian influences were transmitted to the tribes who founded the Urartian Kingdom. Our opinion is that the answer to this question should be sought in the Upper Tigris region, which was inhabited by both cultures (Pre-Urartian and Assyrian) before the foundation of the Urartian Kingdom.

Deterioration of an Etruscan tomb by bacteria from the order Rhizobiales

The Etruscan civilisation originated in the Villanovan Iron Age in the ninth century BC and was absorbed by Rome in the first century BC. Etruscan tombs, many of which are subterranean, are one of the best representations of this culture. The principal importance of these tombs, however, lies in the wall paintings and in the tradition of rich burial, which was unique in the Mediterranean Basin, with the exception of Egypt. Relatively little information is available concerning the biodeterioration of Etruscan tombs, which is caused by a colonisation that covers the paintings with white, circular to irregular aggregates of bacteria or biofilms that tend to connect each other. Thus, these colonisations sometimes cover extensive surfaces. Here we show that the colonisation of paintings in Tomba del Colle is primarily due to bacteria of the order Rhizobiales (Alphaproteobacteria), which were likely influenced by the neighbouring rhizosphere community and the availability of nutrients from root exudates.

An Interdisciplinary Study on the Environmental Reflection of Prehistoric Mining Activities at the Mitterberg Main Lode (Salzburg, Austria)

A multi-proxy study by palynological, geochemical, archaeological and dendrochronological analyses discloses the mining activities at the Mitterberg Main Lode. By these means, several mining phases with varying intensity are recorded during the Bronze and Early Iron Age, whereupon a west to east shift of the mining activity at the Mitterberg Main Lode can be observed. The initial mining phase (Phase II), from the 21st to the 15th centuries bc, is characterized by an opening up of the forest vegetation and, additionally, by slightly elevated heavy metal deposition. Phase III shows a first bloom phase of the chalcopyrite mining during the 14th and 13th centuries bc. Pollen analyses disclose extensive clearings used for pasture and settlement. The increased human impact and higher heavy metal pollution suggest intensive mining activity, which is corroborated by the dendrochronological and archaeological data. Phase IV is characterized by mining activities in progress during the 12th century bc. The pollen data reflect a stabilization of the vegetation and slightly elevated As/Cu/Sb to Sc ratios. During Phase V, in the 11th century bc, new clearings indicate a re-intensification of the mining activities at the Mitterberg Main Lode. Phase VI, from the ninth century bc onwards, describes a human impact with lower intensity at the mining site. This interdisciplinary study at the Mitterberg Main Lode contributes new environmental data for an important area of past metal mining and extends our understanding of the relationship between miners and their landscape.

On the Constitution and Transformation of Philistine Identity

SummaryRecent discussion of the formation and alteration of Philistine identity in the Levantine Iron Age continues to reference primarily pottery styles and dietary practices. Such traditional narratives propose that the Philistines comprised one group of the ‘Sea Peoples’ and that the cultural boundary markers that distinguished their society in the Iron Age I (twelfth–eleventh century BC) diminished in importance and disappeared suddenly in the early Iron Age IIA (tenth century BC), with the ascendancy of the Judahite kingdom. Based on data from the Levant (especially Philistia), the Aegean and Cyprus, we argue for a more complex understanding of the Philistines who came to the region with an identity that drew on, and continued to engage with, a broad range of foreign artefact styles and cultural practices with non‐Levantine connections. Concurrently they incorporated local cultural attributes, at least until the late ninth century BC, a feature that we argue was unrelated to the supposed tenth century expansion of the Judahite kingdom.

A 3,000-year-old child's toy

We present the oldest children's toy in Europe, the clay horse of Lefkandi (tenth to ninth century BC), which was found on the western coast of the island of Euboea in Greece. This remarkable 3,000-year-old toy, carrying not a warrior but a pair of amphoras, does not promote violence and it rather enhances creativity, coordination, and an understanding of the mechanics of wheeled vehicles.

Late Bronze Age waterlogged remains at Willingdon Levels, Sussex

Remains of a timber platform and trackway were discovered in 1995 at the edge of the Pevensey Marshes in Southeast England. The platform is the first of its type to be found in the region, and the objects excavated include an exceptionally well preserved metal hook still attached to its wooden handle, which has been radiocarbon dated to the ninth century BC.