Tel Burna Research Articles

Object Biographies, Object Agency and a Local Community's Encounter with and Response to Foreign Commodities: The Pithoi from LB Tel Burna as a Case Study

This study investigates the effects that an encounter with a foreign object can have on local traditions. Notions of object agency and object biographies will be utilized to address what happens when people become entangled with new things: the new context can have an impact on the newly introduced object, and those newly introduced objects can similarly impact locals and their traditions. The Late Bronze Age southern Levantine site of Tel Burna will serve as a case study, where a number of imported Cypriot pithoi were found alongside locally produced pithoi. It will be demonstrated that in their new context, the Cypriot pithoi were given new meaning and function. At the same time, the imported pithoi played active roles in the local potters of Tel Burna making pithoi. However, the local pithoi resemble local storage jars, so while the potters mimicked the concept of the Cypriot pithoi, they did so according to local normative forms.

Big-cat hunting in the Bronze and Iron Ages of the Near East: a view from Tel Burna

In ancient Near Eastern iconography, panthers and lions were frequently used to express social status. The zooarchaeological remains of panthers and lions found in this region, however, are most commonly interpreted only as evidence for the management of dangerous animals. Starting with the faunal material from Iron Age Tel Burna, the authors collate and analyse zooarchaeological evidence for big cats across the Near East, from the Neolithic to the Iron Age (c. 9500–50 BC). The results show a shift in assemblage composition and find contexts starting in the Chalcolithic period, indicating the display of these animals by political leaders. The results also urge caution in the use of archaeological remains for reconstructing the natural ranges of big cats.

New fingerprint evidence for female potters in Late Bronze Age Canaan: The demographics of potters and division of labour at Tel Burna

Techno-stylistic studies in ceramic analysis have largely focused on characterising production groups, based on the similarity of various objects and how they were made. The demographics of potters and the division of labour often remain enigmatic in current chaîne opératoire research. A growing number of biometric studies have demonstrated the potential of fingerprints preserved on ceramic surfaces for classifying the age and sex of potters. In this paper, we use a recently introduced identification matrix to model labour divisions based on 52 fingerprints preserved on a diverse range of objects from the Late Bronze Age II stratum at Tel Burna. The sample includes objects from the recently exposed cultic enclosure. Based on broad ethnographic considerations, women were the principal potters in Canaanite society. Our study tests this hypothesis with regards to who made pottery for cultic use. We identify patterns in age categories and a sexual division of labour for the manufacture of select objects and vessel types. The results lead us to discuss possible effects of imperialism on labour organisation. We provide the first compelling insights into the social relations of pottery production at a time when Egypt exercised hegemony over the city-states of the Southern Levant.

Tree of Life Motif, Late Bronze Canaanite Cult, and a Recently Discovered Krater from Tel Burna


 
 
 This paper discusses a krater recently discovered in a cultic building at Tel Burna in the Shephelah. Of special interest is the krater’s relatively well-preserved decoration containing multiple nature scenes related to the so-called tree of life or sacred tree motif. The krater’s physical description and archaeological context and the decoration’s relationship to relevant comparanda are explored in order to elucidate the significance of its iconography. In light of this discussion, we conclude that the decoration includes an abstract representation of a Canaanite goddess as a “pubis of life” variation of the “tree of life” motif on the krater as a votive vessel in the Late Bronze Age cult.
 
 

The contribution of POSL and PXRF to the discussion on sedimentary and site formation processes in archaeological contexts of the southern Levant and the interpretation of biblical strata at Tel Burna

Site formation processes at ancient tells in the southern Levant have been the focus of several micromorphological studies, contributing to the differentiation of anthropogenic remains from long-term natural sedimentation, occurring post-abandonment. This paper discusses how the study of sedimentary processes and chemical compositions of sediments can be used within the context of an ongoing archaeological project, and how they can contribute to archaeological, historical and geomorphological interpretations. Sedimentary processes were studied implementing POSL, granulometry and PXRF as part of the archaeological research at Tel Burna, Israel. Focusing on the area along the northwestern fortification walls (Area B2), data was collected from multiple strata inside and outside the casemate fortifications dating from the Late Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age.The gradual increase of OSL values obtained inside the casemate wall, indicate accumulation of sediment during a long period of time. Whereas similar values along the entire profile outside the casemate wall indicate sediment accumulation in one-time event. This might be related to defensive preparations, allegedly in response to advances made by Sennacherib's army in 701 BCE. In addition, results from the PXRF studies demonstrated correlation between human activities and the Cu, P, K, Zn, Mn values. Specifically, it was found that as K content increased from younger to older periods, it can be used as a pseudo-dating element. Ca content decreased as sampling descended from the tell's surface, suggesting its origin in long-term aeolian processes. The results show that the use of POSL and PXRF on archaeological contexts are useful for determining sedimentary processes. Furthermore, chemical content enabled pseudo-dating of strata and facilitated the distinction between natural and anthropogenic processes in archaeological sites and landscape.

Tel Burna after a Decade of Work

Tel Burna is located in the southern Shephelah in modern-day southern Israel. Work at the site has revealed remains dating to the Late Bronze II through the Persian period with peaks of activity during the Late Bronze and Iron Age IIA–B. Occupation reached its apex at the site during the Late Bronze Age, when both the summit and the lower plateau were inhabited. An impressive cultic enclosure, with numerous items related to ritual activities, dating to the Late Bronze was excavated in Area B1, on the lower platform. Excavations of the summit have exposed a well-fortified casemate wall (70 × 70 m) dating to the Iron II. This occupation is clearly related to the kingdom of Judah and it appears that Tel Burna was built as a border site between the largest cities in the region, namely, Philistine Gath and Judahite Lachish.

Bedrock Installations Used and Reused Outside Tel Burna

In the summer of 2015, the Tel Burna Excavation Project in Israel opened Area C, with the goal of better understanding the adjacent agricultural areas. During the 2015 and 2016 seasons, installations of various sizes and shapes were found carved out of the limeston bedrock. Although some Byzantine and Persian occupation is known at the site, survey results from this area demonstrate the predominance of Bronze Age occupations and Iron Age II finds concurrent with excavated areas on the tell. Rock-cut installations revealed exclusively Bronze and Iron Age finds.

Two Cypriot Pithoi from Late Bronze Age Tel Burna

Bronze Age trade in the Eastern Mediterranean is well attested in south Levantine archaeological research, with imported vessels generally playing a significant role in the ceramic assemblage. While the majority of these vessels are found repeatedly at many different sites, there are cases where a rare find sheds new light on the way in which trade patterns are perceived. Such is the case with two fully restored pithoi found in a Late Bronze IIB building at Tel Burna. This paper presents the context in which the pithoi were uncovered, followed by a study of the vessels themselves, including their typology, provenance, volume and contents, as well as the nature of Late Bronze Age trade in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Agricultural Landscape of Tel Burna: Ecology and Economy of a Bronze Age/Iron Age Settlement in the Southern Levant

Abstract The Shephelah, known as the breadbasket of the southern Levant, is one of the more extensively investigated regions of the southern Levant in terms of archaeobotanical research. However, studies dealing with agriculture are scarce in comparison to the archaeobotanical data available. The analysis of the archaeobotanical assemblage in combination with the archaeological remains from Tel Burna will contribute to the investigation of the agriculture of the Shephelah. Several seasons of excavation revealed a cultic complex dating to the Late Bronze Age and an Iron Age II settlement with various agricultural installations such as silos and wine or olive presses. In this paper, we present the agricultural features in conjunction with the systematical archaeobotanical sampling, which enables us to reconstruct the types of crop plants cultivated at the site. Grass pea seeds dominate the assemblage collected from the Late Bronze Age complex, which may point to a connection to the Aegean. The Iron Age assemblage is distinguished by a significantly broad range of crop plants which were cultivated in vicinity of the tell. The archaeological Iron Age remains indicate that the processing of secondary products such as olive oil, wine, or textiles took place within the Iron Age settlement of Tel Burna. This first comprehensive overview describes the character of agricultural production in the Late Bronze Age to Iron Age environmental and geopolitical transformations.

Multi-element mapping of anthropogenically modified soils and sediments at the Bronze to Iron Ages site of Tel Burna in the southern Levant

Human settlement activities have caused changes in soil chemical properties that might remain preserved in the soil archive for a very long time. These traces might be close to irreversible on the timescale of known civilizations. Our study explores the potential of an extensive mapping of the multi-elemental composition of soil and buried sediments by a portable XRF spectrometer, using the Tel Burna site in the southern Levant as a case study. The tell, dating from the 3rd to the 1st millennium BCE, is known as a Bronze Age Canaanite settlement, and later in the Iron Age as a stronghold on the historic border between the Kingdom of Judah and Philistia. We compared the results of our geochemical survey conducted on the surface layer of contemporary soil with the data acquired by the same method from the archaeological stratigraphy exposed during excavations of the site. We found that handheld XRF spectrometry can reveal archaeologically meaningful patterns of the multi-elemental composition of soils and sediments in the horizontal plane, as well as in vertical profiles. Such patterns correspond to areas and loci of ancient settlement activities, dated to millennia ago. This methodology, if used critically, provides a rapid and cost-effective analysis of soil chemical composition that can significantly enhance our understanding of archaeological sites in arid environments.

Ancient settlement activities as important sources of nutrients (P, K, S, Zn and Cu) in Eastern Mediterranean ecosystems – The case of biblical Tel Burna, Israel

Human settlement activities are connected with the accumulation of nutrients in archaeological soils. We address the question of whether the large-scale mapping of the elemental composition of the topsoil in contemporary rangeland can be used for the detection of ancient settlement activities.Using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), we mapped the elemental composition of contemporary soils over an area of 67ha in and around the Bronze and Iron Age settlement of Tel Burna (identified as probably corresponding with biblical Libnah).Ancient settlement activities substantially increased concentrations of nutrients (P, K, S, Zn and Cu) in the contemporary topsoil owing to the deposition of biomass ashes and organic wastes. Increased concentrations of elements were detected 2500 years after the site was abandoned and we can therefore suppose that changes in the elemental composition of the soil caused by ancient settlement activities are irreversible on a timescale in which human societies operate. Ancient settlement activities increased concentrations of nutrients in contemporary soil to the same level as recent intensive fertiliser application on an adjacent arable field used for vegetable production. Concentrations of nutrients higher than those on the tell summit were recorded only in recent cattle resting areas with intensive deposition of cattle faeces. Changes in the elemental composition of the soil caused by ancient settlement activities consequently result in differential nutrient availability for contemporary vegetation, affecting ecosystem functions for thousands of years. Using pXRF, large-scale mapping of the elemental composition of the topsoil layer at archaeological sites can help to identify the extent and provide basic information on the character of past human activities in the affected landscape units.

All for Archaeology and Archaeology for All: The Tel Burna Archaeology Project's Approach to Community Archaeology

Since its start in 2009, the Tel Burna Archaeological Project has had an open-door policy, allowing for anyone of any age to volunteer, with no applied time limit. This inclusive policy has exposed many different types of people to various aspects of archaeological fieldwork and research. The openness of the project is integral to the project's philosophy regarding archaeological outreach, but poses several challenges. This paper presents the project's approach to community archaeology, the problems that we have encountered, and our suggested solutions to those problems.

Late Bronze Age Cultic Activity in Ancient Canaan: A View from Tel Burna

Excavations at Tel Burna, Israel, have uncovered portions of a large structure from the Late Bronze Age IIB, yielding numerous finds that suggest ritual and cultic practices occurred in the building, particularly in its central courtyard. This article presents the finds from the excavations, examining the meaning of the cultic artifacts discovered and comparing the building with the nearby Fosse Temple at Lachish. It is hoped that the discovery and presentation of the finds will help yield important information on cultic practices occurring in the 13th-century b.c.e. Shephelah.

Supra-regional trade networks and the economic potential of Iron Age II sites in the southern Levant

Palaeoclimate proxy data from different locations in Israel indicate relatively dry conditions with environmental collapse at the end of the Bronze Age and during the subsequent Iron Age. The historical and archaeological evidence, however, supports the existence of a flourishing economy in the Levant and involvement in supra-regional trade networks, which were heavily based on agricultural production. Local environmental data may help to clarify how these seemingly contradictory patterns can be explained.We investigate Iron Age II plant remains from Tel Burna for their stable carbon isotope signatures. Our data indicate extremely favorable conditions for crop growth during the Iron Age II and, in particular, high soil moisture availability, which would have allowed surplus production of a large number of crop species, including olives, grapes and flax.Besides contributing to our knowledge of the economic preconditions at a time of supra-regional trade networks, our results demonstrate the necessity of using independent tools such as stable carbon isotope analysis on archaeobotanical remains at the site-individual level for understanding the layout of complex economic systems in geographically and politically diversified landscapes.

THE EXPLORATIONS OF TEL BURNA

This article provides a detailed review of the early explorations of Tel Burna (Arabic Tell Bornat) from the earliest explorers until the recent excavations led by Itzhaq Shai and Joe Uziel under the auspices of Bar-Ilan University. Beyond offering various possibilities for the identification of the site, this paper's purposes are as follows: first, to serve as a case study on investigation of the early sources associated with the discipline of Historical Geography; second, to provide a detailed history of research related to Tel Burna by examining each major explorer and their respective contributions; third, to compare the recent survey and ongoing excavation to the results of the explorations of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Settlement History of Tel Burna: Results of the Surface Survey

The paper presents the results of the survey at Tel Burna, conducted in June 2009 in preparation for the long-term archaeological project undertaken at the site by the authors. The survey revealed that the mound was settled intensively in the Bronze and iron Ages, and was probably an important site along the Judah-Philistine border. The paper also details the site's settlement history in relation to its surroundings in the Shephelah; suggests possible identification of the site as libnah, one of the levitical cities; and discusses the implications of the methodology of this type of fieldwork.

A Note on an Amenhotep III Plaque from Tel Burna

The discovery of a plaque associated to the New Kingdom at Tel Burna in the southern Levant augments archaeological evidence to enhance historical understanding of the Late Bronze Age occupation at the site.

The Location of Biblical Makkedah

The location of has been most elusive for those involved in biblical research and the historical geography of Israel. Proposals for its identification, which have ranged all over the Shephelah and Philistia, include Mughar (map coordinates 129138) in the northern Philistine plain (Conder and Kitchener 1883:411-413; Warren 1884:443; Garstang 1931:181; Press 1952:596), Deir edh-Dhibban (139120) and Tell e~-Sari (Tel Zafit, 135123) in the western Shephelah (Albright 1923:14, n. 14; 1924:9), Kh. el-Kheishum (tIorvat Hushsham, 145126) in the central Shephelah (Abel 1938:378), Tell Bornat (Tel Burna, 138115) in the southwestern Shephelah (Kallai 1958:155; 1967:320), Kh. Beit Maqdum (147104) in the southern Shephelah (Holzinger 1901:39; Elliger 1934:57), and even one site far to the north in the Ephraimite foothills, QalCat el-Muwaqdah (151148; Ben-Shem 1960:88). More recent studies (Aharoni 1967:195, n.59; Broshi 1968:303; Kaufman 1970:143; Weippert 1971:30, n. 80; Soggin 1972:126) consider Makkedah's location unknown. occurs nine times in the book of Joshua, distributed among five separate contexts or episodes. The passages most influential in the scholarly search for are those associated with Azekah in the narrative of Joshua's victory at Gibeon (Josh. 10). The Israelites, after routing the confederated forces of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon at Gibeon chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them as far as ('31) Azekah and [as far as] ('311) Makkedah (vs. 10). Azekah (Tell Zakariyehffel CAzeqa, 144123) lies about 25 kms. south of Lower Beth-horon (Beit cOr etTai}tii, 158144). This passage has led many writers (Abel 1938:379; Wright 1946:110, n. 13; Broshi 1968; Kaufman 1970:143) to assume the proximity of Azekah and and hence to seek in the vicinity of Azekah. This is the same line of thought that led to the identification of with Mughar (Warren 1884:443). The patristic evidence and the association with Lachish in Josh. 15:41, however, require that be located farther south. So the problem before us is to try and harmonize these apparently conflicting lines of evidence. First of all, it should be noted that the prepositional construction in Josh. 10:10, '31' •••'31, normally presents two termini, the second of which lies, not near, but beyond the first (contra Ben-Shem 1960: 87-88). A useful example is Josh. 16:3 where the southern boundary of the sons of Joseph is said to continue (':11) Lower Beth-horon and unto ('311) Gezer. The latter of these two sites (Tel Gezer; 142140)was about 15 kms. beyond Lower Beth-horon. Other examples can be cited for comparison, e.g. Neh. 3:16, 24,31; 1 Sam. 17:52a, b; and possibly 1Kgs. 18:45. Therefore, the statement in Josh. 10:10 merely indicates that should be beyond Azekah for someone coming from Beth-horon.