Megiddo 1997 Overview

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND ETHNIC IDENTITY IN AN EARLY IRON AGE LEVANTINE TOWN: A STUDY OF MEGIDDO STRATUM VI
Timothy P. Harrison

The extensive history of excavations at Megiddo (Tell el-Mutesellim) attests to the site's cultural and historical significance and effectively chronicles the disciplinary development of archaeological research in the region. Virtually every generation has left its mark, and a vast portion of the site was excavated in the process. This is particularly true of Stratum VI. While this report is concerned primarily with the results of the Oriental Institute excavations, any attempt to reconstruct the stratum, and the cultural and historical information that it contains, must incorporate the results of other projects that have excavated at the site along with the aim of assembling a composite record of those projects that have produced published remains of Stratum VI. Ever since its discovery, there has been considerable debate and speculation both about the cultural character of Stratum VI, and the cause and date of its destruction. Whatever the precise historical case, it is clear nevertheless that Stratum VI represents the initial Iron Age (or Iron I) settlement at Megiddo.

Megiddo Stratum VI dates to the Iron I (ca. 1150-1000 B.C.E.), a formative period in the development of the Levantine nation-states of biblical fame. Strategically situated, Megiddo has long factored heavily in debates about the emergence of such groups as the Israelites and Philistines. However, very little actually is known about Megiddo in this period; a fact that has hampered attempts to reconstruct the history of the period. Recently rediscovered unpublished field records now present the opportunity to examine Stratum VI in extensive detail, and to reassess Megiddo's role in the changing cultural and political landscape of the late eleventh century. These records reveal a well-preserved settlement, affording a rare and expansive view of town life during the tumultuous years of the Early Iron period.

Utilizing this new information, I will explore intrasite spatial and functional relationships, evidence of social and economic differentiation, and the cultural diversity implicit in the material record. The result will be a comprehensive publication that provides a view into the life of a community at the center of events in this pivotal period in the history of the region, thereby enhancing our knowledge and understanding of a time and place that continues to influence the cultural and religious life of contemporary society.