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Preliminary Radiocarbon Results for Late Bronze Age Strata at Tel Azekah and Their Implications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2017

Lyndelle C Webster ,
Omer Sergi ,
Sabine Kleiman ,
Oded Lipschits ,
Quan Hua Open the ORCID record for Quan Hua [Opens in a new window] ,
Geraldine E Jacobsen ,
Yann Tristant  and
Yuval Gadot
Lyndelle C Webster*
Affiliation:
Department of Ancient History, Building W6A, Level 5, Macquarie UniversityNSW 2109, Australia
Omer Sergi
Affiliation:
Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, Gilman Building, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
Sabine Kleiman
Affiliation:
Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, Gilman Building, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
Oded Lipschits
Affiliation:
Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, Gilman Building, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
Quan Hua
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia
Geraldine E Jacobsen
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia
Yann Tristant
Affiliation:
Department of Ancient History, Building W6A, Level 5, Macquarie UniversityNSW 2109, Australia
Yuval Gadot
Affiliation:
Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, Gilman Building, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
*
*Corresponding author. Email: lyndelle.webster@students.mq.edu.au.
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Abstract

This article presents the first radiocarbon (14C) results from the Late Bronze Age levels of Tel Azekah (Israel). The results testify to the long and prosperous occupation of the site during this period, commencing at least in LB IIA and ending with a severe destruction at the close of LB III. In the extra-mural quarter (Area S2), a pre-monumental building phase (S2-6) dates to the 14th or early 13th century BCE. Two sub-phases of a public building constructed above this yielded dates in the second half of the 13th century and first two-thirds of the 12th century BCE, suggesting that occupation persisted through the “Crisis Years” of the eastern Mediterranean region. On the top of the mound, in Area T2, the destruction of the final LB III level (T2-3) most likely occurred near the end of the 12th century BCE. The preliminary Azekah results are in good agreement with existing data from Lachish and Megiddo, but seem at odds with results from nearby Tel es-Safi/Gath.

Keywords

Late Bronze Age chronologyradiocarbon datingShephelahTel Azekah
Type
Research Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 60 , Issue 1 , February 2018 , pp. 309 - 331
Copyright
© 2017 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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