Tel Beersheba 1997 Overview

Ze’ev Herzog, Itzhaq Beit Arieh and Anson F. Rainey, Iron Age II Material From Tel Beersheba

The unusually rich assemblage discovered at Tel Beersheba may serve as a basis for the analysis of the administrative, economic and ceremonial aspects of the ancient Judahite city. The material was uncovered during eight seasons of extensive excavation directed by the late Prof Yohanan Aharoni. So far only a minor part of the material has been processed and analyzed (Aharoni 1973; Herzog 1984).

The proposed project will process the find and analyze the excavation results to the benefit of the scientific community. The potential of modern computerized processing methods combined with the elaborate theoretical basis of the social-archaeology paradigm assure the most fruitful result of the study of the material (Renfrew and Bahn 1991). The proposed project will concentrate on determining the administrative roles of the settlement at Tel Beersheba, as reflected by the structures and objects uncovered in each of the strata.

Spatial analysis of the artifacts and ecofacts will reveal the site's economic basis regarding land cultivation, animal husbandry, and exchange. Petrographic analysis will provide data about the short- and long-distance trade contacts and will indicate the origin and scale of imported craft specialized objects. This information will be essential for the understanding of the role of Beersheba within the royal administration of Judah during the Late l0th to Early 6th centuries.