Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-r7xzm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-19T11:49:01.323Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Radiocarbon Dates from Iron Age Strata at Tel Beth Shean and Tel Rehov

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Amihai Mazar
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel, 91904. Email: Mazar@h2.hum.huji.ac.il.
Israel Carmi
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, 76100
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We discuss the significance of 32 radiocarbon dates from the archaeological sites of Tel Beth Shean and Tel Rehov in northern Israel. All dates are from Iron Age I and II archaeological contexts (12th–8th centuries BCE). Most of the dates were done on short-lived samples (seeds and olive pits), while some are on charred timber. The samples are organized in several homogeneous clusters according to their context. This series is one of the largest groups of 14C dates from the Iron Age in the Levant. The paper discusses the correlation between the 14C dates and the traditional archaeological dates of the same context. Results from two laboratories and two calibration curves are compared, showing some significant differences in one case. We conclude with an evaluation of the relevance of 14C dating for the current debate about the chronology of the Iron Age in Israel, and in historical periods in general.

Type
Near East Chronology: Archaeology and Environment
Copyright
Copyright © 2001 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

Aharoni, Y, Amiran, R. 1958. New scheme for the subdivision of the Iron Age in Palestine. Israel Exploration Journal 8:171–84.Google Scholar
Ben-Tor, A. 2000. Hazor and the chronology of Northern Israel: a reply to Israel Finkelstein. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 317:916.Google Scholar
Ben-Tor, A, Ben-Ami, D. 1998. Hazor and the archaeology of the tenth century BCE. Israel Exploration Journal 48:138.Google Scholar
Bronk-Ramsey, C. 1995. Radiocarbon calibration an analysis of stratigraphy. In: Harkness, D, editor. Proceeding of the 15th International Radiocarbon Conference. p 425–30.Google Scholar
Bronk-Ramsey, C. 1999. OxCal Radiocarbon Program. University of Oxford, Research Lab for Archaeology.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I. 1996. The archaeology of the United Monarchy: an alternative view. Levant 28:177–87.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I. 1998. Bible archaeology or archaeology of Palestine in the Iron Age? A rejoinder. Levant 30:167–73.Google Scholar
James, F. 1966. The Iron Age at Beth Shan. Philadelphia: University Museum Publications.Google Scholar
Maisler, B. 1951. The stratification of Tell Abu Hawam on the Bay of Acre. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 124:21–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mazar, A. 1993a. Beth Shean. In: Stern, E, editor. The new encyclopedia of archaeological excavations in the Holy Land. Vol. 1. Jerusalem and New York: Israel Exploration Society. p 214–23Google Scholar
Mazar, A. 1993b. Beth Shean in the Iron Age: Preliminary report and conclusions of the 1990–1991 excavations. Israel Exploration Journal 43:201–29.Google Scholar
Mazar, A. 1997a. Four thousand years of history at Tel Beth Shean: an account of the renewed excavations. Biblical A rchaeologist 60:6276.Google Scholar
Mazar, A. 1997b. Iron Age chronology: a reply to I Finkelstein. Levant 29:157–67.Google Scholar
Mazar, A. 1999a. The 1997–1998 excavations at Tel Rehov: preliminary report. Israel Exploration Journal 49:142.Google Scholar
Mazar, A. 1999b. Beth Shean during the Iron Age II: stratigraphy, chronology and Hebrew Ostraca. Eretz-Israel 26:91100 (in Hebrew).Google Scholar
Stuiver, M, Reimer, PJ. 1993. Extended 14C data base and revised calibration 3.0.3 14C age calibration program. Radiocarbon 35(1):215–30.Google Scholar
INTCAL. 1998. Radiocarbon age calibration, 24,000–0 cal B P. Radiocarbon 40(3):1041–83.Google Scholar
Ward, Wilson. 1978. Procedure for combining radiocarbon age determination: a procedure for comparing and combining radiocarbon ages. Archaeometry 20:1931.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Beek, G. 1955. The date of Tell Abu Hawam, Stratum III. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 138:34–8.Google Scholar