The Bronze Age Necropolis at Kibbutz Hazorea, Israel 9780860546795, 9781407348285

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The Bronze Age Necropolis at Kibbutz Hazorea, Israel

·

Ezra L. Meyerhof

BAR International Series 5 34 1989

B.A.R. 5, Centremead, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 ODQ, England.

GENERAL EDITORS A.R. Hands, B.Sc., M.A., D.Phil. D.R. Walker, M.A.

BAR S534,1989 The Bronze Age Necropolis at Kibb utz Hazorea,Israel

©

Ezra L.Mayerhof,1989

The author’s moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher. ISBN 9780860546795 paperback ISBN 9781407348285 e-book DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860546795 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library This book is available at www.barpublishing.com

Table of Contents Pages: ii

List of Figures, Plates and Tables Introduction Types and Description of Tombs Discussion of the Ceramic Corpus from the Hazorea Cemetery Finds of the "Hillsite Tombs" (Ceramics Only) The Ceramics of the "Valley Group" (Tombs 30 and 33) Evaluation of Ceramic types of th~ "Hillsite" and "Valley Group" The Place of Ceramics from the Necropolis at Hazorea between the Early Bronze and Middle Bronze IIA Metal Implements in the "Hillsite Tombs" Ornaments and Jewelry from the "Hillsite Tombs" Anthropological Aspects of the "Hillsite Tombs" Metal, Ornaments and Jewelry in Tomb 33 (Middle Bronze I) Metal, Ornaments and Jewelry in the Early Bronze Layer of Tomb 33 Introduction to the Inventory of the Finds Inventory of the Ceramics (M.B.I) in the "Hillsite Tombs" Inventory of the Ceramics (M.B.I) of the "Valley Tombs" Inventory of the Early Bronze Ceramics (Tomb 33) Inventory of the Metal, Ornaments and Jewelry from the Necropolis Pottery and Flint Implements from the M.B.I./M.B.IIA Settlement List of Photographs and Photographs Summary Bibliography (English, French, German) Bibliography of Sources in Hebrew Some Demographic Aspects on an Early Bronze Human Skeletal Population in Hazorea, Israel, by Prof. Arensburg & Yakar, Tel Aviv University The Lithic Finds in Middle Bronze Age Tombs at Hazorea, Israel, by Prof. Ronen~ University of Haifa

i

iii 1 -

Vl

39

40 47 -

46 49

-

51

53 54 55 56 56

54 55

50 52

57 58 59

-

94

94 - 105 106 - 115 116 - 129 130 136 141 145 153

-

135 140 143 152 155

157 - 164 167 - 174

List of Figures, Plates and Tables Figure

No. Pages

Plan of northern cemeteries and settlements in Israel

1

V

Plan of the Hazorea Necropolis

2

vi

Plan and Section of tomb lB

3

3

Plan of chamber A of tomb lB

4

4

Section of chamber A of tomb lB

5

5

Plan of tomb 2 and corners of tomb lA & lB

6

7

Plan of tomb 3

7

10

Section of tomb 3

8

11

Plan of tomb 4

9

14

-10

15

Plan of tomb 5

11

17

Sections of tomb 5

12

18

Plan and section or tomb 7

13

20

Section of tomb 23

14

24

Plan of tomb 23

15

24

Plan or tomb 30

16

Section of tomb 30

17

Plan of tomb 32

18

Sections of tomb 32

19-22

25 26 39 31-34..

30

33

Plan of M.B.I. phase of tomb 33

23

37

Plan of E.B. phase of tomb 33

24

38

Section of tomb 33

25

39

Ceramic types of the statistic evaluation

26a

45a

Statistic evaluation of ceramic types found in 9 sites

26b

46-49

Section of tomb 4

lnventof"l/ of the finds: Ceramics of the M.B.I. Period

Plate 1-23

pages 60-105

Ceramics of the E.B.I. Period

Plates 24-28

pages 106-115

Metal and Ornaments

Plates 29-35

pages 116-129

Ceramic and flint tools from the M.B.I. - M.B.11 Settlement

Plates 36-38

pages 130-135

List of photographs and photographs

Plates 39-42

pages 136-140

Prof. Arensburg: tables 1-4

pages 162-164

Prof. Ronen: Figure 27, Flint tools found in tombs 3,4,23

page 171 pages 172-173

Tables 1-2

ii

Bronze Age Necropolis

at Kibbutz Hazorea,

Israel

Introduction This book is a report on 30 years of excavations and research in a necropolis dating from the Middle Bronze Period I, and one of whose tombs contains a further layer from the Early Bronze IA. I pref er the term "Middle Bronze I"; without going into the endless argument about the "correct name", I am keeping to the name given to it by Albright. The establishment of a new name without international agreement would lead to misunderstandings in connection with the following period (Middle Bronze Period I = Middle Bronze IIA!). The cemetery lies on a spur of the Menashe Mountains which juts towards the Valley of Yizre'el, not far from the Haifa Megiddo highway (see map, figure 1). 18 tombs have been excavated, unearthing about 430 artefacts. The drawings were executed by Prof. Anati, Ms. Yarden, Ms . Pollak, Ms. Yaroshevits, Ms. Perry, a n d the author of this report. The quantity and v..ariety of the finds opens possibilities for statistics and comparisons . There are new types, but one is also str uck ty the absence of some of the usual types. Most of the material belongs to Fa m ily C of A m iran . Also of importance is the fact that there was no secondary u se of the Middle Bronze I tombs in the necropolis, so that the evidence of specific burial practices, which would have been destroyed by re-use of the tombs, has be en preserved. As already stated, the cemetery is located near the Haifa-Megiddo highway, about 12 miles north of Megiddo (see map, figure 1). All the tombs were discovered as a result of the operation of mechanical tools, either for preparation of building sites or of road-building . Some of the tombs were partially destroyed; in several cases only corners remained to tell of a destroyed tomb, while other tombs were almost undamaged. I have prepared complete and partial floor-plans and sections; in all 18 tombs were discovered, and of 11 of these floor-plans and sections have been drawn. The location of the tombs is shown on the plan of the area (see figure 2). The tombs are numbered according to their groupings in the area : the first group A (tombs 1- 10) is located at the top of the spur, between 85m and 76m above sea level, ref erence points 1618- 1619/2275- 2276; the second group B, which comprises tombs 20- 23, lies between 73m and 67m above sea level, reference points 1618- 1619/2272 - 2273. Groups A and B are referred to as "hillsite tombs." The third group, which includes tombs 30- 33, is situated close to the highway between 72m and 62m above sea level, reference points 1618- 1619/2273 - 2274. This group we have called the "valley tombs." The cemetery extends o~er an area of 350m by 100m.

iii

This book was published in Hebrew in 1986; in that edition the bibliography of Hebrew sources was printed in Hebrew. In this edition the Hebrew bibliogra­ phy is printed in Latin letters, but after the bibliography of sources in languages other than Hebrew. A quotation in the essay may be found in both bibliographies (by name of author and by year of publication). Finally, I would like to express my gratitude for the encouragement, help and advice which I have received from Prof. Ruth Amiran, Prof. Dever, Prof. Gufna and Dr. Hecht; thanks are also due to the Department of Antiquities for permission to publish this report. The Hebrew manuscript was translated by Ms. Esther Camerun. A donation from Prof. Vilmar made it possible to translate the Hebrew manuscript. Ezra Meyerhof

iv

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Types of Tombs Three types of tombs are represented: 1. Tombs similar in their form and in the artefacts they contain to those of Megiddo. We found only one tomb which corresponded exactly in plan to the pattern published in "Megiddo Tombs," p. 136, but at Megiddo, too, there were many deviations from the standard plan. Almost all the tombs were entered by a square shaft whose dimensions were approximately lm by lm, with slight variations. Only tombs 5 (and perhaps also tomb 33) was entered by a ditch dug in the slope. A similar entrance was also discovered near Kibbutz Ramot Menashe, and perhaps the cave near Qedesh was also entered in this fashion. (Tadmor 78:2). The depth to which the shafts were dug varied from 1.50m to 4m. The differences in shaft depth are connected with the technique used by the diggers of the tombs: the shafts were dug in soft limestone along a vein of hard rock, until beneath the vein of hard rock a soft layer was found. This soft layer was conducive to the digging of chambers, which the hard rock served as a safe ceiling. (See also R. Gonen: Qadmoniot 1981, no. 53/54, p. 27). Almost all these tombs at Hazorea had several rooms, showed special features of construction: stone tiling, piles of stones surrounding whole ceramic vessels, channels in the floor, and benches. By the evidence of all the tombs in which the bones have been presertved, secondary burial was the custom in this cemetery. In the tombs of the second type the shafts have not been preseved, the chambers were round, the roofs were vaulted, and the artefacts were sparse. Tombs 6 and 7 are of this type. The third group (tombs 30, 31, 33 and perhaps 21) differs from the other groups in the ceramic finds and in certain architectonic details, of which the most interesting was a shimney cut from the roof out to the surface; this feature was found in tombs 30 and 33 and probably also in 21 (which could not be excavated because of the danger of rockfalls).

In group A and B there was only one layer of burials (from Middle Bronze I), except for one case, in which a juglet from Middle Bronze IIA was found about 50cm above all the other artefacts, which were from Middle Bronze I; this was in room B of tomb 2. Description

of the Tombs

Tomb 1 was the first tomb discovered (when a bulldozer leveled the ground for building), and it is also the outermost tomb on the northwest border of the area (see map, figure 2). It is about 350m distant from tomb 33.

-1-

The tomb was entered by a square shaft (I.lOm by I.lOm), I.50m deep. The shaft served as entrance to two systems of tombs: IA and IB. In system IA only one corner and a few vessels remained, all the rest being destroyed by the bulldozer (see figure 6 of tomb 2). Tomb IB remained intact and was excavated by Prof. Anati on behalf of the Department of Antiquities, with the assistance of 4 workers, volunteers from Kibbutz Hazorea, and of the author of this report. The measurements were made by the late Mr. Moskovits. The drawings of the vessles were done by Prof. Anati. The entrances to the two systems were at the same height; the passage ("Dromos") was closed in front by two large rock slabs which were found in situ. The slabs had been dressed on one side only by a broad tool (an axe?). The dromos was 70cm high and 58cm wide. The tomb had 4 rooms: the first in an almost straight line with the direction of the dromos (approximately north-south), though the third room was displaced a little toward the east. The fourth room was cut to the left (toward the east) of the entrance and the first room, room A (see figure 3). Except from room 4, the side room, which was square, the rooms were "broad rooms," wider than they were long. The height of the rooms, from vault to floor, ranged from 65cm to I.35m. The deviation from the standard four-room plan at Megiddo (two rooms in a straight line from the dromos, one to the left and one to the right of the central room) was occasioned, in my opinion, by the poor quality of the rock to the right of the central (western) room, which forced the hewers to make this change; still it is interesting that they did not give up the division into four rooms (see the plan of the entire tomb, figure 3 above). Arrangement of Artefacts and Architectonic Details {See also the detailed plan and section in figures 4 and 5):

in Tomb 1

Room A was interesting because of architeconic details and the quantity of finds. It had stone tiling over the rock floor {indicated in the plan by hatched lines). This tiling left an untiled path which continued the direction of the dromos, 1.20 meters long and about 50cm wide. This tiling constitutes the bottom layer in room A. At the western edge of the tiling stood seven pottery vessels in a curved line in a north-south direction. In the northwest corner stood a large jug (no. 6) with a trefoil mouth, about 30cm above the floor (an additional layer after filling, a wooden stand?). At the end of the passage between the stones of the tiling, in front of the step up to room B, a pile of stones had been built, in such a way that the stones were fitted around eight intact pottery vessels. These were clearly not the result of a rockfall, but of intentional construction. The pile of stones closed off the way from the unpaved area to room B. Similarly, a jug (no. 33) stood at the corner of rooms A-B-D; it contained a copper needle (for an understanding of the arrangement of room A see the plan and section in figures 4 and 5. The roof of room A showed traces of an upward opening, perhaps and auxiliary arrangement for the removal of chipped-out rock.)

- 2-

c:O ~r D :_:

Figure

3

Chamber B

'----11@ chamber C.

Plan an d SP.· .,...... ~....... ,..... ....... ,.~ ..... ... ,...... ;.,,, ... ,,, ...... ::: •.•.•.•x· ~ ...... ,.. ...... :..,~ ..-........ ,...... ................... ~Jr ,:c•,·· ••:•.•, ..,....

A-A 0

n~

50Cm.

B

Tomb 4 (Cont.) The arrangement of the ceramic vessels as offerings in the tomb recalls arrangements in the preceding tombs: a. Beside the entrance to room A on the south side were found the sherds of a large jar. This arrangement is similar to the positioning of large vessels beside the entrances to other tombs: in tomb 1 the large jug that stood higher than the other vessels in the offering; the large cooking pot which stood beside the entrance to room A of tomb 3, elevated on a platform above the other finds. Beside the passage to the room (which was opened by the bulldozer) were two whole vessels-again, an arrangement familiar from all the previous tombs: the choice of a place beside a passage for a group of vessels. One isolated vessel stood exactly in the middle of the room, recalling the storage jar placed at the centre of room A of tomb 3. b. Similarly, the arrangement of a pile of stones in which were placed whole ceramic vessels (see tomb 1 in the passage from room A to room B and the group of vessels in the passage from room A to room D of tomb 3) was repeated in this tomb. In the southwest corner of room A a pile of stones had been placed in a north-south direction, and within it was the greater part of the ceramic finds in this tomb (see plan in figure 9, and section in figure 10). In the southeast corner began the passage to room B, which was opened by the bulldozer and which continued as a depression in the floor of room B. From the beginning of the passaage together with the depression (shallow trench) the floor of room B rose 20cm. Room B was devoid of any artefacts save three sherds of crude pottery. probably the room was not finished. The ceramic finds of tomb 4 included an oval storage jar with high flaring necks, painted red. Probably one of the jugs was decorated with stripes of color, but this is uncertain because of the fading of the colors. One of the most interesting finds was a jug with wavy and straight combing and impressed decoration on the handle. In all 14 ceramic vessels had been brought into room A of tomb 4.

Tomb 5: On the east side of the tomb a room had been opened already in 1973 (during the Yorn Kippur War, at the same time as tomb 4) by the bulldozer. This tomb is located a short distance to the south of tomb 4. The levelling by the bulldozer had destroyed only the eastern wall of the room, without damaging it. The entrance with the blocking stone likewise remained undamaged. It seems likely that this tomb was not entered by a shaft but by the digging of a ditch dug in the slope; a wall of smoothed rock has been preserved behind and above the blocking stone, but outside that wall there was no rock in which a shaft could have been cut. This arrangement by which a ditch is dug in the slope instead of a shaft is known from other tomb sites from the Middle Bronze Period I: I know a tomb of this kind near Kibbutz Ramot Menashe*): the entrance to the "cult cave" in Qedesh was apparently * See also: Archeological Survey or Israel, Daliya Map (31), 15-22, 'Olami, Jerusalem, 1981. On pp. 61-62 are a plan and section or tomb-caves D and E.

-16-

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41: 11- 15

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0

100cm.

likewise through a trench. (Tadmor 78, English section, p. 2). And for an example from Beth Shan see Oren 1973b, "The Northern Cemetery of Beth Shan," on tomb 26 (p. 6; plan, p. 169, figure 17). In tomb 5, too, the upper part of the blocking stone had sunk outward; a large number of stones had been arranged beside it to · support it. Behind the blo cking stone a steep descent of 70cm in a length of 60cm had been cut out (a slope of 60 degrees!) to the first room (A), and two narrow steps had been cut in the descending slope. The first room was cut in a diamond shape: beside the door on the eastern side it had a breadth of 2.10m, and the two connecting walls were 1.40m wide. Opposite the entrance an attempt had been made to cut another room, but the work had been interrupted, because they had reached a layer of clay, gravel and stones instead of rock (see figure 11, plan of the tomb). The breadth of the wall opposite the entrance (to the west) was only 1.60m. The roof of the entire tomb was very low: only 1.20m to 1.40m above the floor. The roof was straight, parallel to the floor, not vaulted as in most of the 'tombs in the necropolis. In several places cracks in the roof had necessitated the placing of supports. The finds in room A were rich, but in part very much shattered by rock falling from the ceiling, especially in the vicinity of the futile attempt to cut another room opposite the entrance. Some of the vessels were scattered over a wide area and the sherds of several vessels were mixed together. Most of the finds in this room were concentrated on the northwest side. In this room were found 17 ceramic vessels, a spiral drill also of copper and a rectangular earring made of copper (not yet examined by a metallurgist). A passage 60cm wide, 60cm high, and 70cm long led to two further fooms. Right of the passage was a rectangualr room, 1.20m by 1.10m, which had been opened by the bulldozer. Left of the passage the wall continued at a 90-degree angle for a length of 1.50m, and there the cutters came to the same layer of clay and gravel and turned north for 1.50m. The far corner was cut out in an isosceles triangle whose vertex at the far end was cut off, leaving a surface 50cm wide; from there the wall returned to the square room, (see plan of the room, figure 11). The two rooms had been looted through the open wall of the square room, and almost no artefacts remained; only in the far corner were found three ceramic vessels and a metal awl. In all the following artefacts remained in tomb 5: three amphoriskoi, 11 teapots, 11 jugs and three metal tools.

Tomb 6: Only a round corner and a vaulted ceiling remained; in this tomb were found two jugs with a trefoil mouth, one of them broken and without a handle. No indication of the entrance remained, and from what was found of the architecture it may be assumed that the room was round. The room may be located on the map of the necropolis, figure 2.

-19-

0 Silver ring

rn

/!l

A ........ _J_

-----Figure 13: Plan and Section of Tomb 7 Photograph

of silver

ring:

A-A 0

lm.

- 20-

Plate

40: 10

Tomb 7:

Of this tomb, southeast of tomb 6, there remained the greater portion of a round room, and from the direction in which the walls started out it may be assumed that here too the roof was v aulted. Here, t oo, no trace of an entrance remained. The room was traversed in the middle by a channel 35cm deep which divided it into two equal parts-an arrangement similar to that in room C of tomb 3. Between the wall and the beginning of the channel an amphoriskos with two groups of combing on the shoulder had been placed in such a way that it was elevated above the floor (see plan and section, figure 13). In the northern part of the floor I found a silver ring with two curled ends, 5cm in diameter. Tomb 8:

This tomb was not excavated because of danger of rockfalls, and I only cleared the outer edges; There I found a jug with impressed decoration on the shoulder and on the handle, and with a large trefoil mouth. The l~wer part of this jug was not found. This jug recalls finds from Ma'ayan Barukh (Amiran 1961, ~tikot, English series, figure 7:10, 13, 18, p. 90). In this limited area at the outer edge a relatively large number of metal tools was uncovered: four awls, one of which showed traces of a bone handle, and a needle with a twisted end. Tomb 9:

A small rectangular corner was preserved, containing two basalt mortars. In such circumstances it is not possible to establish with certainty that this was a tomb - only the location in a row consisting enti rely of tombs indicate s that such was t h e case. Tomb 10:

Not excavated (I could not obtain a license), and meanwhile a concrete foundation has been built on it for containers of feed for the chicken coops. Tom.b 20:

Discovered only after completion of the building of a hen house; upon digging of a foundation for the wall of a building, a collection of ceramic vessels was found, among them an unususal amphoriskos, with slightly carinated body, a flaring neck that rose to a height equal to that of the body, and two pierced handles connecting the neck and the body. Tom.b 21: In this tomb there was again danger of rockfalls, so that we could not excavate it; it has been cut lengthwise, apparently from above, but its condition did not justify the sketching of a plan and section. On the vaulted roof were indications (not certain) that this tomb too had a "chimney" from the roof to the surface, like those which were excavated in tombs 30 and 33.

- 21 -

A large whole cooking pot was found, with traces of soot, of the round type which was found in a number of tombs: lA, 2, 3, and 22; also a large amphoriskos and part of a jug which could be sketched (the entire cross-section, with the han­ dle, was preserved). Tomb 22:

Was in the vicinity of tomb 20, and perhaps the two belonged to a single system of tombs, but because of the destruction wrought by the bulldozer this could not be established with certainty. Traces of one retangular room remained; in the 90-degree angle of the corner were found 4 vessels which could be completely restored, including a cooking pot with impressed decoration on the neck; beneath the impressed decorations were two combed lines. A similar sherd was sketched among the finds in "Megiddo Tombs" (plate 60:37 in tomb 63B); in the report this was mentioned an "intrusive belonging not to the Middle Bronze Period I but to the end of the Early Bronze. Still another vesel of similar type was found in tomb 1101 (lower), plate 6:27. vessels from tomb 22 were completed only in the drawing: a teapot-amphoriskos of the usual type and a vessel which was ap­ parently an amphoriskos with a "nipple" and vertical red lines. The nipple was stuck on near the middle, between two pierced handles. In the composition of the restored group there appears one further vessel (jug) with a nipple opposite the loop handle which was broken off and is missing. In the group from tomb 20 there was also a vessel with a nipple and without a handle. The occurrence of more than one vessel of this rare type and their proximity makes it seem likely that they were two parts of one tomb. (The numbers of the vessels with nipples are 20:5, 22:5, and 22:3.) Tomb 29:

This tomb was dicovered when the bulldozer cleared an area after a rockfall. The bulldozer damaged the northern wall without destroying the interior of the room, but removed the entire shaft (or entrance?) area, so that we do not know where it was located. This tomb has an irregular form (see plan, figure 15), but four distinct areas can be discerned in it: 1. Part C is rectangular and full of artefacts. (Ceramic vessels and metal objects), with bones and teeth to the south; 2. The round area D to the northwest contains no bones and only a few artefacts on the easten border. 3. The rounded area B, to the northeast, is separated from part D by a short wall of 70cm lenght. In area B there was a large concentration of ceramic vessels (see plan, figure 15, and section, figure 14 ). 4. The fourth area A bordered on the other thr�e. Its floor was 30cm lower than the floor of the other parts, and in this depression a pavement had been laid, and on it ceramic vessels had been placed (see plan and section). In this area human bones and teeth were found.

- 22 -

Despite the architectural differen ces betw een thi s a nd t he other tomb s, t here are still certain comm on features: a. A nu mb er of cer a m ic jugs were placed in an elevated position above the floor; no. 35 wa s abo ut 15cm above the floor, and no. 13, an amphoriskos, was also elev ate d. b. On the border between area A and area D a small wall of stones had been built, and into it vessel no. 30 had been fitted . c. In this tomb, too, the ceramic vessels were arranged in groups separated areas that were empty of artefacts.

by

d. In this tomb , too, there were fragments of a vessel (no. 6) disperesed over three areas. Vessel no . 50 was sunk to a third of its he ight in a small pit (in area C), and beside it a slab of stone stood upright. e. In t h is tomb, t oo, th ere is a paved area .

To1nb 90 : Tomb 30 differed in its plan from the other t ombs we ha ve described so far, yet there is no doubt that it belonged to the Middle Bronze Period I. The ceramic typology is also different; we shall discuss this in conne ction with the similar but larger finds from the neighbouring tomb 33. This tomb is distant from tombs 1-23; it is close to the valley, 350m away from tomb 1 in a southeasterly direction. this tomb too was discovered as a result of the operation of a bulldozer, this time in the course of roadbuilding. Luckily, however, while part of burial room A was destroyed, the bulldozer passed about 30cm above the floor of the room in an area where no ceramic vessels were found, so that the entire contents of the room were preserved. The tomb was entered through a round shaft, in which recesses were cut to facilitate the descend into the room. At a depth of 60cm a rectangular dressed stone which broadened downward (see section, figure 17) had been placed. Around it were rammed earth and small stones. Under this stone the shaft was full of stones a n d earth; at a depth of 1.15m the stones became larger. At 1.35m the blockage of the shaft began in earnest, with large heavy stones placed horizontally : some weigthed as much as 250 and 300kg! these stones filled the shaft to a depth of 1.70m, and under them was more filling of rammed earth and small stones. The base of the shaft was at a depth of 3m, and from it two entraces branched out: one to rooms Band C, which were rectangul ar and empty except for a few crude potsherds, and one t o room A (see plan, figure 16, on p. 24).

- 23 -

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