Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T11:57:04.942Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Radiocarbon Dating Khirbet Qeiyafa and the Iron I–IIA Phases in the Shephelah: Methodological Comments and a Bayesian Model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2016

Israel Finkelstein  and
Eli Piasetzky
Israel Finkelstein*
Affiliation:
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
Eli Piasetzky
Affiliation:
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
*
1 Corresponding author. Email: fink2@post.tau.ac.il.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article discusses methodological issues related to the radiocarbon dating of Khirbet Qeiyafa, mainly the question of whether the site should be dated solely according to samples retrieved there or dated as part of a regional sequence of stratigraphically based ceramic typology phases. For the latter, we deploy the large number of 14C determinations now available for several sites in the Shephelah, which are located in close proximity to each other, in order to establish a Bayesian model for the absolute chronology of the Iron I–IIA phases in the region. We argue that the information assembled from six neighboring sites in the Shephelah pushes forward the date of Qeiyafa to the 10th century, a date later than the one the excavators estimated based on the more limited 14C information from the site alone.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 57 , Issue 5 , 2015 , pp. 891 - 907
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arie, E. 2011. “In the Land of the Valley”: settlement, social and cultural processes in the Jezreel Valley from the end of the Late Bronze Age to the formation of the monarchy [PhD dissertation]. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University.Google Scholar
Ben-Dor Evian, S. 2014. Egypt and Philistia in the Early Iron Age: the historical record and the archaeological remains [PhD dissertation]. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University.Google Scholar
Boaretto, E. 2006. Radiocarbon dates. In: Finkelstein, I, Ussishkin, D, Halpern, B, editors. Megiddo IV: The 1998–2002 Seasons. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. p 550–7.Google Scholar
Boaretto, E. 2015. Radiocarbon and the archaeological record: an integrative approach for building an absolute chronology for the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in Israel. Radiocarbon 57(2):207–16.Google Scholar
Boaretto, E, Finkelstein, I, Shahack-Gross, R. 2010. Radiocarbon results from the Iron IIA site of Atar Haroa in the Negev Highlands and their archaeological and historical implications. Radiocarbon 52(1):1–12.Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 1995. Radiocarbon calibration and analysis of stratigraphy: the OxCal program. Radiocarbon 37(2):425–30.Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2001. Development of the radiocarbon program OxCal. Radiocarbon 43(2A):355–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2009. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 51(1):337–60.Google Scholar
Bunimovitz, S, Lederman, Z. 2001. The Iron Age fortifications of Tel Beth Shemesh: a 1990–2000 perspective. Israel Exploration Journal 51(2):121–47.Google Scholar
Bunimovitz, S, Lederman, Z. 2006. The early Israelite monarchy in the Sorek Valley: Tel Beth-Shemesh and Tel Batash (Timnah) in the 10th and 9th centuries BCE. In: Maeir, AM, de Miroschedji, P, editors. I Will Speak the Riddles of Ancient Times”: Archaeological and Historical Studies in Honor of Amihai Mazar. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns. p 407–27.Google Scholar
Bunimovitz, S, Lederman, Z. In press. Tel Beth-Shemesh: A Border Community in Judah. Renewed Excavations 1990–2000. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University.Google Scholar
Carmi, I, Ussishkin, D. 2004. 14C dates. In: Ussishkin, D. The Renewed Archaeological Excavations at Lachish (1973–1994). Volume V. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. p 2508–13.Google Scholar
Dothan, T, Gitin, S. 2008. Miqne, Tel (Ekron). The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land 5, Supplementary Volume. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society. p 1952–8.Google Scholar
Dothan, T, Zukerman, A. 2004. A preliminary study of the Mycenaean IIIC:1 pottery assemblages from Tel Miqne-Ekron and Ashdod. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 333:1–54.Google Scholar
Faust, A. 2010. The Large Stone Structure in the City of David: a reexamination. Zeitschrift des Deutschen Pälastina-Vereins 126:116–30.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I. 1995. The date of the settlement of the Philistines in Canaan. Tel Aviv 22:213–39.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I. 2002. Chronology rejoinders. Palestine Exploration Quarterly 134:128–39.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I. 2011. The “Large Stone Structure” in Jerusalem: reality versus yearning. Zeitschrift des Deutschen Pälastina-Vereins 127:1–10.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I, Fantalkin, A. 2012. Khirbet Qeiyafa: an unsensational archaeological and historical interpretation. Tel Aviv 39:38–63.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I, Piasetzky, E. 2009. Radiocarbon-dated destruction layers: a skeleton for Iron Age chronology in the Levant. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 28(3):255–74.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I, Piasetzky, E. 2010. Radiocarbon dating the Iron Age in the Levant: a Bayesian model for six ceramic phases and six transitions. Antiquity 84(324):374–85.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I, Silberman, NA. 2001. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts. New York: The Free Press.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, I, Herzog, Z, Singer-Avitz, L, Ussishkin, D. 2007. Has the palace of King David in Jerusalem been found? Tel Aviv 34:142–64.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y, Kang, HG. 2011. The relative and absolute chronology of Khirbet Qeiyafa: very late Iron Age I or very early Iron Age IIA? Israel Exploration Journal 61(2):171–83.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y, Ganor, S, Hasel, MG. 2010. The contribution of Khirbet Qeiyafa to our understanding of the Iron Age period. Strata, Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society 28:39–54.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y, Streit, K, Ganor, S, Hasel, MG. 2012. State formation in Judah: biblical tradition, modern historical theories, and radiometric dates at Khirbet Qeiyafa. Radiocarbon 54(3–4):359–69.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y, Streit, K, Ganor, S, Reimer, PJ. 2015. King David's city at Khirbet Qeiyafa: results of the second radiocarbon dating project. Radiocarbon 57(5):881–90.Google Scholar
Gilboa, A. 2012. Cypriot barrel juglets at Khirbet Qeiyafa and other sites in the Levant: cultural aspects and chronological implications. Tel Aviv 39:133–49.Google Scholar
Gilboa, A, Sharon, I, Boaretto, E. 2013. Radiocarbon dating of the Iron Age levels. In: Finkelstein, I, Ussishkin, D, Cline, E, editors. Megiddo V: The 2004–2008 Seasons. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. p 1117–27.Google Scholar
Herzog, Z, Singer-Avitz, L. 2004. Redefining the centre: the emergence of state in Judah. Tel Aviv 31:209–44.Google Scholar
Kahn, D. 2011. The campaign of Ramesses III against Philistia. Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 3:1–11.Google Scholar
Katz, H, Faust, A. 2014. The chronology of the Iron Age IIA in Judah in the light of Tel 'Eton Tomb C3 and other assemblages. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 371:103–27.Google Scholar
Kitchen, KA. 2000. Regnal and genealogical data of ancient Egypt (absolute chronology I). The historical chronology of ancient Egypt: a current assessment. In: Bietak, M, editor. The Synchronization of Civilisations in the Eastern Mediterranean in the Second Millennium B.C. Proceedings of an International Symposium at Schloß Haindorf (November 15–17, 1996) and at the Austrian Academy, Vienna (May 11–12, 1998) (Contributions to the Chronology of the Eastern Mediterranean I). Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. p 39–52.Google Scholar
Krauss, R. 1994. Ein wahrscheinlicher terminus post quem für dad ende von Lachisch VI. Mitteilungen der Deutchen Orient-Gesellschaft zu Berlin 126:123–30.Google Scholar
Lalkin, N. 2004. A Ramesses IV scarab from Lachish. Tel Aviv 31:17–21.Google Scholar
Maeir, AM. 2012. The Tell es-Safi/Gath archaeological project 1996–2010: introduction, overview and synopsis of results. In: Maeir, AM, editor. Tell es-Safi/Gath I: The 1996–2005 Seasons. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. p 1–88.Google Scholar
Master, DM, Stager, LE, Yasur-Landau, A. 2011. Chronological observations at the dawn of the Iron Age in Ashkelon. Egypt and the Levant 21:261–80.Google Scholar
Mazar, A. 2007. Myc IIIC in the Land of Israel: its distribution, date and significance. In: Bietak, M, Czerny, E, editors. The Synchronisation of Civilisations in the Eastern Mediterranean in the Second Millennium B.C. III: Proceedings of the SCIEM 2000–2nd Euro Conference. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences. p 571–83.Google Scholar
Mazar, A. 2010. Archaeology and the biblical narrative: the case of the United Monarchy. In: Kratz, RG, Spieckermann, H, editors. One God – One Cult – One Nation: Archaeological and Biblical Perspectives. Berlin: De Gruyter. p 29–58.Google Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Bard, E, Bayliss, A, Beck, JW, Blackwell, PG, Bronk Ramsey, C, Buck, CE, Cheng, H, Edwards, RL, Friedrich, M, Grootes, PM, Guilderson, TP, Haflidason, H, Hajdas, I, Hatté, C, Heaton, TJ, Hoffmann, DL, Hogg, AG, Hughen, KA, Kaiser, KF, Kromer, B, Manning, SW, Niu, M, Reimer, RW, Richards, DA, Scott, EM, Southon, JR, Staff, RA, Turney, CSM, van der Plicht, J. 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration curves 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55(4):1869–87.Google Scholar
Shahack-Gross, R, Boaretto, E, Cabanes, D, Katz, O, Finkelstein, I. 2014. Subsistence economy in the Negev Highlands: the Iron Age and the Byzantine/Early Islamic period. Levant 46(1):98–117.Google Scholar
Shai, I, Maeir, AM. 2012. The Late Iron IIA pottery assemblage from Stratum A3. In: Maeir, AM, editor. Tell es-Safi/Gath I: The 1996–2005 Seasons. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. p 313–64.Google Scholar
Sharon, I, Gilboa, A, Jull, AJT, Boaretto, E. 2007. Report on the first stage of the Iron Age Dating Project in Israel: supporting a low chronology. Radiocarbon 49(1):1–46.Google Scholar
Singer-Avitz, L. 2002. Arad: the Iron Age pottery assemblages. Tel Aviv 29:110–214.Google Scholar
Singer-Avitz, L. 2010. The relative chronology of Khirbet Qeiyafa. Tel Aviv 37:79–83.Google Scholar
Singer-Avitz, L. 2012. Khirbet Qeiyafa: late Iron I in spite of it all. Israel Exploration Journal 62:177–85.Google Scholar
Stager, LE. 1995. The impact of the Sea Peoples in Canaan (1185–1050 BCE). In: Levy, TE, editor. The Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land. London: Leicester University Press. p 332–48.Google Scholar
Tappy, RE, McCarter, PK, Lundberg, MJ, Zuckerman, B. 2006. An abecedary of the mid-tenth century B.C.E. from the Judaean Shephelah. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 344:5–46.Google Scholar
Toffolo, MB, Arie, E, Martin, MAS, Boaretto, E, Finkelstein, I. 2014. Absolute chronology of Megiddo, Israel, in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages: high-resolution radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon 56(1):221–44.Google Scholar
Ussishkin, D. 1985. Levels VII and VI at Tel Lachish and the end of the Late Bronze Age in Canaan. In: Tubb, JN, editor. Palestine in the Bronze and Iron Ages, Papers in Honour of Olga Tufnell. London: University of London. p 213–28.Google Scholar
Ussishkin, D. 2004. A synopsis of the stratigraphical, chronological and historical issues. In: Ussishkin, D. The Renewed Archaeological Excavations at Lachish (1973–1994). Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. p 50–119.Google Scholar
Zimhoni, O. 2004. The pottery of Levels V and IV and its archaeological and chronological implications. In: Ussishkin, D. The Renewed Archaeological Excavations at Lachish (1973–1994). Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. p 1643–78.Google Scholar