Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-pwrkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-19T23:00:55.171Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

On early metallurgy and textile-production technologies in the southern Levant: a response to Langgut et al. (2016)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2017

Erez Ben-Yosef ,
Orit Shamir  and
Janet Levy
Erez Ben-Yosef*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, Tel Aviv University, Gilman Building 225, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Orit Shamir
Affiliation:
Israel Antiquities Authority, Rockefeller Museum, Sultan Suleiman Street 27, Jerusalem 91004, Israel
Janet Levy
Affiliation:
Department of Bible Archaeology and the Ancient Near East, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 1025, Beer-Sheva, Israel
*
*Author for correspondence (Email: ebenyose@post.tau.ac.il)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In a recent article published in this journal, Langgut et al. (2016: 973) proposed five Late Chalcolithic (c. 4300–4000 BC) wooden shafts to be “the earliest Near Eastern wooden spinning implements”. Here we discuss these unique finds in light of their cultural and technological contexts, and suggest an alternative interpretation according to which these wooden shafts, one with a lead macehead lodged on its upper end, were components of the cultic practices of the southern Levantine Ghassulian culture.

Type
Debate
Information
Antiquity , Volume 91 , Issue 357 , June 2017 , pp. 765 - 776
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017 

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

Abbo, S., Zezak, I., Lev-Yadun, S., Shamir, O., Friedman, T. & Gopher, A.. 2014. Harvesting wild flax in the Galilee, Israel and extracting fibers—bearing on Near Eastern plant domestication. Israel Journal of Plant Sciences 62: 52–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/07929978.2014.907672 Google Scholar
Aharoni, Y. 1961. Expedition B. Israel Exploration Journal 11: 11–24.Google Scholar
Bar-Adon, P. 1971. The Cave of the Treasure. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society (in Hebrew).Google Scholar
Bar-Adon, P. 1980. The Cave of the Treasure. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society.Google Scholar
Barber, E. 1991. Prehistoric textiles—the development of cloth in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Princeton (NJ): Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barber, E. 1994. Women's work: the first 20,000 years. New York: Norton & Company.Google Scholar
Barber, E. 1997. Textiles of the Neolithic through Iron Ages, in Meyers, E.M. (ed.) The Oxford encyclopedia of archaeology in the Near East, volume 5. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Ben-Yosef, E., Vassal, Y., van den Brink, E.C.M. & Beeri, R.. 2016. A new Ghassulian metallurgical assemblage from Bet Shemesh (Israel) and the earliest leaded copper in the Levant. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 9: 493–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.08.010 Google Scholar
Boertien, J.H. 2013. Unraveling the fabric: textile production in Iron Age Transjordan. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Groningen University.Google Scholar
Bonani, G.S. 1995. A 10,000-year-old comb from Wadi Murabba'at in the Judean Desert. ‘Atiqot 27: 205–206.Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2009. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 51: 337–60.Google Scholar
Crowfoot, G. 1931. Methods of hand spinning in Egypt and the Sudan. Halifax: Bankfield Museum Notes.Google Scholar
Davidovich, U. 2014. The Judean Desert during the Chalcolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages (sixth–first millennia BCE): desert and sown relations in light of activity patterns in a defined desert environment. Unpublished PhD dissertation, The Hebrew University.Google Scholar
Fischer, P. 2008. Tell Abu Al-Kharaz in the Jordan Valley, volume 1. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frodin, O. & Nordenskiöld, E.. 1918. Über Zwiren und Spinnen bei den Indianern Südamerikas. Gothenburg: Wald, Zachrissons Boktryckeri A-B.Google Scholar
Gal, Z., Shalem, D. & Smithline, H.. 2011. The Peqiin Cave: a Chalcolithic cemetery in Upper Galilee, Israel. Near Eastern Archaeology 74: 196–206. https://doi.org/10.5615/neareastarch.74.4.0196 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilead, I. 1988. The Chalcolithic period in the Levant. Journal of World Prehistory 2: 397–443. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00976197 Google Scholar
Gilead, I. 1995. Grar: a Chalcolithic site in the northern Negev. Beer-Sheva: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.Google Scholar
Golden, J. 2010. Elite tombs of the Chalcolithic: mortuary practices as evidence for social organization, in Golden, J. (ed.) Dawn of the Metal Age: technology and society during the Levantine Chalcolithic: 48–70. London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Gophna, R. & Lifshitz, S.. 1980. A Chalcolithic burial cave at Palmahim. ‘Atiqot 14: 1–8.Google Scholar
Goren, Y. 2014. Caves and scholars: Chalcolithic cult and metallurgy in the Judean Desert. Near Eastern Archaeology 77: 260–66. https://doi.org/10.5615/neareastarch.77.4.0260 Google Scholar
Gosic, M. 2015. Skeumorphism, boundary objects and socialization of the Chalcolithic metallurgy in the southern Levant. Issues in Ethnology and Anthropology 10: 717–40. https://doi.org/10.21301/eap.v10i3.8 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gosic, M. & Gilead, I.. 2015. Casting the sacred: Chalcolithic metallurgy and ritual in the southern Levant, in Laneri, N. (ed.) Defining the sacred: approaches to the archaeology of religion in the Near East: 161–75. Oxford: Oxbow.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guy, P.L.O. 1938. The Megiddo tombs (Oriental Institute Publications 33). Chicago (IL): The Oriental Institute, University of Chicago.Google Scholar
Hilden, J. 2010. Bedouin weaving of Saudi Arabia and its neighbours. London: Arabian.Google Scholar
Hochberg, B. 1980. Handspindles. Santa Cruz (CA): Bette & Bernard Hochberg.Google Scholar
Kissell, M. 1918. Yarn and cloth making. New York: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Krauss, S. 1945. Talmudic archaeology. Volume II. Tel Aviv: Dvir (in Hebrew).Google Scholar
Langgut, D., Yahalom-Mack, N., Lev-Yadun, S., Kremer, E., Ulman, M. & Davidovich, U.. 2016. The earliest Near Eastern wooden spinning implements. Antiquity 90: 973–90. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.99 Google Scholar
Leuzinger, U. & Rast-Eicher, A.. 2011. Flax processing in the Neolithic and Bronze Age pile dwelling settlements of eastern Switzerland. Vegetation, History and Archaeobotany 20: 535–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-011-0286-2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levy, J. 2006. The Chalcolithic textile industry in the southern Levant: tools, technology and products. Unpublished MA dissertation, Ben-Gurion University.Google Scholar
Levy, J. & Gilead, I.. 2013. The emergence of the Ghassulian textile industry in the southern Levant Chalcolithic period (c. 4500–3900 BCE), in Nosch, M.-L., Koefoed, H. & Strand, E. Andersson (ed.) Textile production and consumption in the ancient Near East: archaeology, epigraphy, iconography: 26–44. Oxford: Oxbow.Google Scholar
Levy, T.E. 1986. The Chalcolithic period. Biblical Archaeologist 49: 83–106.Google Scholar
Levy, T.E. (ed.). 1987. Shiqmim I: studies concerning Chalcolithic societies in the northern Negev Desert, Israel (1982–1984) (British Archaeological Reports international series 356). Oxford: British Archaeological Reports. https://doi.org/10.2307/3210005 Google Scholar
Levy, T.E., Conner, W., Rowan, Y. & Alon, D.. 2006a. The intensification of production at Gilat: textile production, in Levy, T.E. (ed.) Archaeology, anthropology and cult: the sanctuary at Gilat, Israel: 693–738. London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Levy, T.E., Alon, D., Anderson, J.D., Rowan, Y. & Kersel, M.. 2006b. The sanctuary sequence: excavations at Gilat: 1975–77, 1989, 1990–92, in Levy, T.E. (ed.) Archaeology, anthropology and cult: the sanctuary at Gilat, Israel: 95–212. London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Liu, R.K. 1978. Spindle whorls, part I: some comments and speculations. The Bead Journal 3: 87–103.Google Scholar
Mallon, A., Koeppel, S. & Neuville, R.. 1934. Teleilat Ghassul. Rome: Biblical Pontifical Institute.Google Scholar
Rast-Eicher, A. 2005. Bast before wool: the first textiles, in Bichler, P., Grömer, K., Hofman, D., Keijzer, R., Kern, A. & Reschreiter, H. (ed.) Hallstatt textiles (British Archaeological Reports S1351): 117–32. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.Google Scholar
Reimer, P.J., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J.W., Blackwell, P.G., Ramsey, C. Bronk, Buck, C.E., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., Friedrich, M., Grootes, P.M., Guilderson, T.P., Haflidason, H., Hajdas, I., Hatté, C., Heaton, T.J., Hoffmann, D.L., Hogg, A.G., Hughen, K.A., Kaiser, K.F., Kromer, B., Manning, S.W., Niu, M., Reimer, R.W., Richards, D.A., Scott, E.M., Southon, J.R., Staff, R.A., Turney, C.S.M. & van der Plicht, J.. 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration curves 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55: 1869–87. https://doi.org/10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16947 Google Scholar
Roberts, B.W., Thornton, C.P. & Pigott, V.C. 2009. Development of metallurgy in Eurasia. Antiquity 83: 112–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00099312 Google Scholar
Rosenthal-Heginbottom, R. 2013. The finds from the Roman period, in Mazar, E. (ed.) The northern cemetery of Achziv (10th–6th centuries BCE), the Tophet site: 239–50. Barcelona: Bellaterra.Google Scholar
Rowan, Y.M. & Golden, J.. 2009. The Chalcolithic of the southern Levant: a synthetic review. Journal of World Prehistory 22: 1–92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10963-009-9016-4 Google Scholar
Ryder, M. 1968. The origins of spinning. Textile History 1: 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1179/tex.1968.1.1.73 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schick, T. 1988. Nahal Hemar Cave—cordage, basketry and fabrics. ‘Atiqot 18: 31–43.Google Scholar
Schick, T. 1995. A 10,000 year old comb from Wadi Murabba'at in the Judean Desert. ‘Atiqot 27: 199–202.Google Scholar
Schliemann, H. 1979 [1884]. Troja. Results of the latest research and discoveries on the site of Homer's Troy 1882. New York: Arno.Google Scholar
Sebbane, M. 2014. The hoard from Nahal Mishmar and the metalworking industry in Israel in the Chalcolithic period, in Sebbane, M., Misch-Brandl, O. & Master, D.M. (ed.) Masters of fire: Copper Age art from Israel: 114–36. New York: New York University.Google Scholar
Sebbane, M. 2016. Ceremonial and ritual maces in the temples of the Ancient Near East, and the nature of the hoard from Nahal Mishmar, in Finkelstein, I., Robin, C. & Römer, T. (ed.) Alphabets, texts and artifacts in the Ancient Near East: studies presented to Benjamin Sass: 421–73. Paris: Van Dieren Editeur.Google Scholar
Segal, I. & Goren, Y.. 2013. Chemical, metallographical and petrographic study of copper-based finds from Peqi'in Cave, in Gal, Z., Smithline, H. & Shalem, D. (ed.) Peqi'in, a Chalcolithic burial cave in northern Israel. Kinneret: Institute for Galilean Archaeology & Ostracon.Google Scholar
Shalev, S. 1996. Metallurgical and metallographic studies, in Gopher, A. & Tsuk, T. (ed.) The Nahal Qanah Cave: earliest gold in the southern Levant (Monograph Series of the Institute of Archaeology): 155–74. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University.Google Scholar
Shamir, O. 1996. Loomweights and whorls, in Ariel, D.T. (ed.) Excavations at the city of David 1978–85, directed by Y. Shiloh. Volume IV: 135–70. Jerusalem: The Hebrew University.Google Scholar
Shamir, O. 2002. Textile production in Eretz-Israel. Michmanim 16: 19*–32*.Google Scholar
Shamir, O. 2007. Textiles, loom weights and spindle whorls, in Cohen, R. & Bernick-Greenberg, H. (ed.) Excavations at Kadesh-Barnea 1976–1982: 255–68. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority.Google Scholar
Shamir, O. 2014. Textiles, basketry and other organic artifacts from the Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant, in Sebbane, M., Misch-Brandl, O. & Master, D.M. (ed.) Masters of fire: Copper Age art from Israel: 139–52. New York: New York University.Google Scholar
Shamir, O. 2015. Textiles from the Chalcolithic period, Early and Middle Bronze Age in the southern Levant. Archaeological Textiles Review 57: 12–25.Google Scholar
Shimony, C. 1995. Fiber identification. ‘Atiqot 27: 204.Google Scholar
Shimony, C. & Jucha, R.. 1988. The fibers and yarn measurements. ‘Atiqot 18: 44.Google Scholar
Smith, P., Zagerson, T., Sabari, P., Golden, J., Levy, T.E. & Dawson, L.. 2006. Death and the sanctuary: the human remains from Gilat, in Levy, T.E. (ed.) Archaeology, anthropology and cult: the sanctuary of Gilat, Israel: 327–66. London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Ussishkin, D. 2014. The Chalcolithic temple in Ein Gedi, fifty years after its discovery. Near Eastern Archaeology 77: 15–26. https://doi.org/10.5615/neareastarch.77.1.0015 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, P. 1979. Archaeological ethnography in western Iran. Tucson: University of Arizona.Google Scholar
Weir, S. 1970. Spinning and weaving in Palestine. London: British Museum.Google Scholar
Weir, S. 1976. The Bedouin: aspects of the material culture of the Bedouin of Jordan. London: British Museum.Google Scholar
Yahalom-Mack, N., Langgut, D., Dvir, O., Tirosh, O., Eliyahu-Behar, A., Erel, Y., Langford, B., Frumkin, A., Ulman, M. & Davidovich, U.. 2015. The earliest lead object in the Levant. PLoS ONE 10: e0142948. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0142948 Google Scholar