A numbers game: analyzing pottery usage patterns of 4th millennium BCE sites in the southern Levant

Abstract

Excavations of 4th millennium BCE sites conducted in the past two decades have provided a significant amount of quantitative data regarding the use of pottery. This accumulated data provides an opportunity to engage in a comparative analysis between sites of different regions in the southern Levant, as well as of the different periods comprising the 4th millennium, including the Late Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age IA, Early Bronze Age IB and Early Bronze Age II. The aim of the current study is to utilize quantitative data to detect general trends in the usage patterns of pottery vessels. The study was based on a division into three general categories: serving, cooking and storage vessels. The results show that each period had its own specific usage pattern or patterns, and that during the Late Chalcolithic and the late EBA IB these patterns were similar throughout the southern Levant. The results of this study are also used to explore some of the associated socio-political implications.

Keywords:

• ceramic production
• usage patterns
• quantitative data
• serving
• cooking
• storage

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Assaf Nativ for his important comments and observations. We also wish to thank Mark Iserlis and Uri Davidovich for their remarks and insights.

Notes

1 The quantitative data presented in Table 2 for Tel Bareqet reflect this distinction.

2 This calculation creates different percentages for each category of vessel in the original publications (referred to in the last column of Table 2).

4 The authors wish to thank A. Golani for allowing us to use the still unpublished data from Ashqelon Barnea.

5 The authors wish to thank I. Milevski and M. Pasternak for allowing us to use the quantitative data related to the site.

6 The authors wish to thank A. Golani for allowing them to use the unpublished data from Ashqelon Barnea.

7 The authors wish to thank E. Eisenberg (Ramat Bet Shemesh) and A. Golani (Eshtaol) for permitting the use of data from their, as yet, unpublished excavations. The chapter dealing with the ceramic assemblage of Eshtaol was written by Y. Paz and will be found in the forthcoming publication of the excavation.