Methods Of Investigation Of The Dead Sea Scrolls And The Khirbet
Investigating the Ancient Past - MQ...Investigating the Past at Khirbet el- Rai Khirbet...
Transcript of Investigating the Ancient Past - MQ...Investigating the Past at Khirbet el- Rai Khirbet...
Investigating the Ancient Past
ARCHAEOLOGY AT KHIRBET EL-RAI
Photo of Khirbet el-Rai, 2019 Winter Season, Khirbet el-Rai Facebook Page
3
Map retrieved
from Wikipedia
Commons
Map of the
Shephelah,
Kyle Keimer
Investigating the Past at
Khirbet el- Rai
Khirbet el-Ra‘i (pronounced ‘el’ ‘r-eye’) is an archaeological site in Southern
Israel. It sits at the western edge of the mountain range known as the ‘Judean
Shephelah’.
The Arabic word ‘Khirbet’
translates as ‘Ruin of a Hill’
in English. The site is named
this because it is sits upon a
hill, or what is known as a
‘Tel’ in archaeology.
4
Photo of Khirbet el-Rai, 2019 Winter Season,
Khirbet el-Rai Facebook Page
What is a Tel?
When many generations of people use the same area of ground, the destroyed architecture and remains of the previous people, over many hundreds of years, slowly build up to form a small hill. This is known as a ‘Tel’ in archaeology. This type of archaeological site is very useful in Ancient History and Archaeology. This is because when archaeologists excavate or dig at the site, each different time period can be easily viewed chronologically as they dig lower, from most recent to oldest.
5Photograph retrieved from Wikipedia Commons
In ancient times, Khirbet el-Rai was positioned
upon the boarder of two regions: Ancient Philistia
and Ancient Judah/Israel.
Philistia
was the
home of
the
Philistine
civilization
Judah was
the region
of the
Israelite
and
Canaanite
people.
Map of the Shephelah, Kyle Keimer
Choosing an Archaeological Site:
Khirbet el-Rai sits on a
large hill right between
many other archaeological
sites that have been
significant within in the
history of Ancient Israel
and archaeology.
Because of this,
Archaeologists decided to
investigate the hill closer by
doing a ‘field walking
survey’ of the land.
7
WHY KHIRBET EL-RAI?
Map of the Shephelah, Kyle Keimer
What is a ‘Field-Walking Survey?’
Field walking is one of the
first stages in an
archaeological excavation.
It is simply when a small
group of people walk upon
an area of land in an
organised line. As they
walk, they collect any
material (such as pottery,
clay, glass) which appears
on the surface.
8
EXACTLY AS IT SOUNDS!
Photograph accessed from Wikipedia Commons
What is a ‘Field-Walking Survey?’
The collected material is then examined by archaeologists. They show a
sneak peak of what archaeological data may lie hidden beneath the
surface.
For example, if there are many pottery shards which are Roman in style
collected from the surface of a site, it is likely that a Roman site lies
beneath the ground surface.
9
EXACTLY AS IT SOUNDS!
Photographs
accessed from
Wikipedia
Commons
Choosing an Archaeological Site:
The field-walking survey at Khirbet el-Rai collected pottery dating to
the 12th, 11th and 10th centuries BCE (1200-1000 BCE). This means
that humans were living on the Tel (Hill) in these time periods.
10
WHY KHIRBET EL-RAI?
What does Khirbet el-Rai Look
Like?
The site has been split into five ‘areas’ for archaeologists to
investigate. We call them Area A, Area B, Area C, Area D1 and Area
D2.
11
Area A
Area C
Area B
Area D2Area D1
Area A
12
Photo of the Squares from Area A, 2019
Winter Season, Macquarie University
Area D2
13
Photo of the Squares from Area D2, 2019
Winter Season, Macquarie University
Area BLET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK…….
Area B
15
Photo of the Squares from Area B, Macquarie University
In Area B, archaeologists
were able to fully uncover the
remains of several stone
walls which form a large
ancient building, with several
rooms.
Inside the building,
archaeologists collected
approximately 100 complete
vessels which were able to
be fully restored (pieced back
together).
What has been found so far?
16
N
SMALL STORAGE JUG
Photo of intact jug from Area B,
Eva Rummery
What has been found so far?
17
N
STORAGE JARS
Photo of smashed pottery from Area B,
Kyle Keimer
What has been found so far?
18
SMALL STORAGE JUG AND LARGE STORAGE VESSELS
• Storage jars were used to hold large portions of grain, oil or other food items.
Based on their shape and contents, we can learn what types of food the
household or village was consuming.
• Small Storage Jugs were used in Ancient Israel to store precious goods that
were not traded in large quantities. This jar shows that the people living at
the house were able to more expensive items, which could be transported in
small jars like these.
Photo of
reconstructed
pottery from
Area B,
Kyle Keimer
Photo of Jar from
Area B,
Eva Rummery
Dating Methods at Khirbet El-Rai
For archaeologists, pottery acts like a calendar. Just like fashion and clothing,
in the ancient world, pottery would change shape over periods of time. As the
food in which populations consumed changed over time, and as technology
evolved ( like the invention of the potting wheel) pottery was crafted differently.
Because of this, pottery can tell us an approximate date (a date range) of the
area in a site which it is found.
19
WHY IS POTTERY IMPORTANT?
Late Bronze Age
1600- 1300BCIron Age 1
1200-1000BC
Iron Age 2
1000-800BC
Pictures accessed from the Megiddo Excavation reports
Why is pottery important?
Large Storage Jars in Ancient Israel slowly become rounder, and circular in
shape over time. Though they look similar, can you notice the defining
differences between these storage jars from different time periods? Look
closely at the rims and in the shoulders of the jar.
20
EXAMPLE: CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?
Late Bronze Age
1600- 1300BCIron Age 1
1200-1000BC
Iron Age 2
1000-800BC
21
Late Bronze Age
1600- 1300BC
Iron Age 1
1200-1000BC
Iron Age 2
1000-800BC
Based on the shape, can you work out which time
period this jar found in Area B at Khirbet el-Rai
dates to?
Dating Methods at Khirbet El-Rai
This pot dates to the Iron Age I, or 1200-1000BC! The shape has not quite
become as round as those pots from Iron Age II, but curvier then those of the
Late Bronze Age.
Some of these jars found in Area B still contained seeds from their original use!
These were used for Carbon 14 dating. The Carbon 14 results also dated the
collection of pottery from the layer of Area B where this pot was found to the
Iron Age I period, giving a more accurate date of 1100 BC.
22
IRON AGE I
Why are all the pots broken?
It is typical in an excavation to find shattered pottery. However in Area B, Some
vessels were found lying within another smashed pot, showing that they had
fallen upon one another as they broke. Many layers of ash were also found
between the pots alongside large beams of burnt wood.
What does this tell Archaeologists?
23
DESTRUCTION IN AREA B
Photo of
smashed
pottery in Area
B,
Eva Rummery
Why are all the pots broken?
This evidence all shows that the building of Area B was severely burnt, and fell
to the ground during this fire. This destruction s dated to the same time period
as many similar burnt buildings at surrounding sites. These fires are believed to
have been caused by Philistine people as they moved inland into Israel from
the coast.
24
DESTRUCTION IN AREA B
3D
reconstruction
of Square
DD16, Area B,
Kyle Keimer