GEZER 2013 REPORT. Steven M. Ortiz and Samuel R. Wolff. (License No. G ) Figure 1: Aerial (north at top) INTRODUCTION

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1 1 Steven M. Ortiz and Samuel R. Wolff GEZER 2013 REPORT (License No. G ) Figure 1: Aerial (north at top) INTRODUCTION The Tel Gezer Excavation project is a long-term joint American-Israeli project addressing chronological reevaluations, ethnic and social boundaries, and state formation in the southern Levant. To date, the project has conducted six summer field seasons. The sixth season of the renewed excavation of Tel Gezer took place between 17 June and 12 July The excavations were directed by Dr. Steven M. Ortiz of the Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Dr. Sam Wolff of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

2 2 The excavations were sponsored by the Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The project also receives financial support by a consortium of institutions: Andrews University, Ashland Theological Seminary, Clear Creek Bible College, Marian Eakins Archaeological Museum, Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School, Lycoming College, and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The excavations were carried out within the Tel Gezer National Park and benefit from the cooperation of the National Parks Authority. The excavation project also received support from Kibbutz Gezer and the Karmei Yosef Community Association. The Project is affiliated with the American Schools of Oriental Research. Figure 2: 2013 Participants Nearly 80 participants from the consortium schools as well as other students and volunteers from several countries (U.S., Israel, Palestinian Authority, Russia, Korea, Hong Kong) participated in the project. The Tel Gezer expedition included: Gary Arbino (senior field archaeologist), Cameron Coyle (field archaeologist), Connie Gane (supervisor), Trey Thames (assistant project administrator); area supervisors: S. Baker, M. Barbosa, J. Chatfield, J. Jewell, B. Longino, R. DeWitt-Knauth, K. Miller, J. Moody, G. Nagagreh, T. Thames, S. von Wrick; assistant area supervisor: A. Wegman; zooarchaeology: L. Horowitz; architect/draftsman: J. Rosenberg;

3 3 computer database designer: D. Pride; pottery registrar, J. Harrison; material culture registrar and conservator: Lin Pruitt (also acting as camp manager). The research goal of the project is to investigate state formation and regional boundaries in the northern Shephelah by investigating the Iron Age cultural horizon at Tel Gezer. These broad research trends in Iron Age archaeology are being addressed by current research projects in the Shephelah and Southern Coastal Plain; specifically ethnic and political boundaries in the Judean Hills and the Philistine coastal plain. Goals and Changes for the 2013 Season Our goals for the 2013 season were: 1) expand the exposure of the 9 th century (Stratum 7) to the north in Field E; 2) continue to remove the 8 th century (Strata 6a and b) in Field E, particularly to see if the walls of Stratum 7 abut the casemate wall; 3) excavate (and remove) the late Iron Age fortification system in order to better understand its construction and expose the Late Bronze Age pillared building below it, and 4) connect Field B with Field A to obtain a complete stratigraphic picture of Fields A, B and Field VII of the HUC excavations. As well as to determine the 8 th century city plan. Major changes in field strategy are 1) addition of Cameron Coyle, PhD student at SWBTS to replace Bob Mullins as Field Archaeologist of Field E. One of the major components of the excavation was our field school. Several potential consortium schools were also participating and investigating our academic and research program. Dr. Connie Ganes brought a team of staff and volunteers from Andrews University as a trial season to determine joining our project full time. In addition, faculty members from potential consortium schools were also involved with the project: Dr. Steve Sanchez, Emmaus College and professor Rusty Osborne of the University of the Ozarks.

4 4 OVERVIEW Work continued in the two major fields (E and W). Field E encompasses an area west of the Iron Age Gate Complex (Field III of the HUC excavations). The goals of this area are to investigate the urbanization process of the Iron Age City. This field includes an east-west section of squares from the Iron Age gate to the west exposing the city fortification system and its relation to building activity built up against the city wall. To accomplish the goals of field E, we first had to continue to remove the 8 th century Administrative buildings. This involved nearly a week of removing the walls of administrative buildings A and B of the 8 th century stratum. Once a majority of the walls were removed, excavation squares were reestablished and the field went down systematically to earlier strata. Field W is located west of Field E. The goal of this field is to 1) investigate the several Iron Age occupation horizons of the tel, The goals for Field W was to continue excavations of the Iron Age walls and excavate expediently to the Late Bronze Age strata (Upper Sondage) and continue exploring the fortification systems in the sondage. The field strategy of Field W was to remove the walls of the Stratum 7 and 8 (9 th and 8 th centuries BCE). Major work at the start of the season was to lower the western balk for safety and to assist in the removal of soil from the field. This was accomplished by excavating Squares V3-V10. In addition, the excavation of squares A4, B4, and C4 was done to bring these squares down from topsoil to the Iron Age levels exposed in adjoining squares. This also helped to unite structures in the domestic and the public quarters of the city. The work in both fields progressed slowly due to the following factors: 1) reinterpretation of the Iron Age II retention wall system as a reused Iron Age I city wall, 2) difficult stratigraphy of the various Iron Age walls in Field W necessitated slow and careful removal of various walls. In Field E, it was assumed that we would quickly be on our Stratum 7 (9 th century BCE) levels immediately. In reality, the 8 th century BCE tripartite Building A had very extensive foundations as well as disruption of this area by several Hellenistic structures (Wall 61023, Kilns and 61058) as well as pits and earlier excavations by Macalister. The discernment of two building phases of the 8 th century BCE buildings (e.g. Stratum 6) also slowed the removal of the Stratum 6 building as we spent time documenting and excavating the rebuilding of Building A. The 9 th

5 5 century was only discerned in two squares with the possible remnants of wall lines in other squares (W61040 and W61043). 2. Summary of Results Major results of the 2013 season were: 1) Excavation of the Bronze Age, dated to the 14 th century based on the complete vessels (storage jar, jar, krater, and cooking pot). 2) Recovery of an Egyptian scarab, faience jewelry, gold leaf, and three cylinder seals 3) Iron Age I city wall and plan with three more complete store jars found. 4) An emerging plan of the Iron Age I occupation with at least four discernable units built into the city wall, complete with alley ways, bins, and a phytolith/plaster surface with a tabun (Surface 52068, Tabun 62067, Bin 62077). 5) Determined that there is an additional component or building north of the Stratum 6 (8 th century BCE) Building B. This consists of a massive plastered surface (Surface 62021) with a large east-west wall parallel to the north wall of Building B. It is possible that this component is part of the industrial Building C. 6) The cobble street south of the Four Room house continued east as a hard concrete surface (Surface 62078). Perhaps the area between Building C with the olive oil industry, the four room house and the Plastered room/building formed a courtyard or activity area. 7) Another building in square Z5 beneath the 8 th century cobbled/concrete street and plastered building dating to the 9 th century (Stratum 7). 8) Remnants of Stratum 7 walls north of the building complexes A-C (Squares C6, D6, and E6). In addition, two tabuns (Tabun and Tabun 61010) as well as two ash surfaces were found. 9) Walls of the 10 th century (Palace 10000) in the 1984 Dever excavations were found to continue into Field E, providing a partial plan of the Stratum 8 city. It also confirms what was found in the 2011 season, that the 9 th century (Stratum 7) was not as well preserved in the squares in the eastern part of Field E. 10) Several more architectural elements and features of the Hellenistic city also were excavated, providing a more robust plan of the Hellenistic stratum. Unfortunately no surfaces were found to date this phase more accurately. These features are the remnants of a wall in square A5 (Wall 62011) that is part of the building complexes of the Hellenistic stratum in Field W. Also an additional kiln (61058) as well as part of a Hellenistic wall (61023) were found in Square E5. 11) Some additional post Hellenistic remains were found, part of a stratum consisting of some walls and a sump (Pit 61029), probably dating to the 19 th century village or later. These elements should probably be dated to our stratum 2. While Stratum 2 was confined to the activities associated with Macalister, the 20 th century village as well as the buildings of the Berman estate should be a contemporary historical phase.

6 6 Tel Gezer Master Stratigraphic Chart Preliminary Strata Field E (formerly A) Field W (formerly A- sondage and B) 1 Topsoil, Modern HUC dump Trenches, rock piles Excavation Dumps HUC Dump (V, W, Y) Bergheim Estate, Backfill Backfill 2 Abu Shusheh, Macalister 3 Hellenistic Wall corner, pottery kilns, reused Domestic buildings (A4/5), IA walls(?) pulpit & basin Pit (A4) 4 Persian Ceramic Retaining wall (A4/5) IV Ceramic, Dog burials, pits 5 Late Iron Age II V/W Kitchen Room, Silo (W2), V IA IIc Large Silo (Z6) wall stubs, pits Destruction IA IIb VIA 8 th (Assyrian Destruction) 6A 6B 7 8A 8B Public: Rebuilds of Administrative Buildings A- B; A5/B5 wall Rebuilt fortification walls, HUC: 4- chambered gate IA IIb Administrative Buildings A- B 9 th - 8 th Plaster surface (B5) IA IIb Domestic: 9 th Units A- C??- some of this now dated to earlier strata IA IIa Rebuild/Strengthen city plan and repair of City Wall e.g: Casemate Late 10 th 12 door filled in HUCIII: Rebuild of drain and 6 chambered Gate and Casemate fortification Gatehouse Destruction IA IIa Mid- 10 th Construction sub- structures for defenses Public: Casemate city- wall HUCIII: 6 chambered Gate Casemate fortification Initial Intermural Building Plan near Gate especially Crib walls connected to casemate (B9) possible rebuild of retaining walls construction phase of Casemate and Iron IIA city wall Domestic: 4 room house, courtyard Concrete Pave (A4) A5/B5 wall Large building: curb and cobbles (W4) and Walls (Z5, W5) Rebuild Industrial Building C HUC: domestic buildings in Field VII Industrial Building C (Oil Production?) Plaster Surface (A5) Unit D rebuild of 10 th, enlarged and strengthened. Rebuild/Strengthen city plan- Buildings 52136, 52057: larger walls plus cobble floor and tabun and repair of City Wall buttressing interior Fortifications: Single- line City- wall and rebuild glacis Public: Initial building plan thin walls in west Crib wall connected to casemate (Z9) construction phase of Casemate and Iron IIA city wall Iron I Debris as Backfill into rooms above LB dest (siamun stoppers) HUC Excavations Strata IIA- C, III - - VIB VIIA VIIB (mid 10 th ) Pillared Building? Alleyway & Entryway Room with Destruction IA Ia VIII (late 9 11 th /10 th Tabun and plaster surface 11 th /early Reuse of Domestic except for 10 th Siaman A7/A8 Des.) 10A IA Ib Ceramic Expansion: Large Domestic walls in XI- IXA (Phil)

7 7 12 th /11 th W7 connected to deep corner in Y7 Additional City Wall (V8)??? IA Ic Domestic/Public: 10B 12 th 3 rooms along wall line (W8, Y8, Z8) and city wall Walls and thick plaster surface in A7, 8 Glacis and curb Platform in V9 Destruction 11 LB Wall in D9 Pillared Building 2 nd Phase Ceramic Possible Massabot in A8 Pillared Building 1 st Phase 12 MB Walls and Glacis XII (early 12 th ) XII EXCAVATION RESULTS LATE BRONZE In the 2011 season, a small exposure of a Late Bronze Age destruction beneath the Iron Age glacis in Field W and components of a pillared building in square Y8. Our last report speculated that this was perhaps the Merneptah destruction. With the continued excavation and removal of Iron Age walls, this limited exposure was expanded to an area about 2.5 x 10 m in Fig 3: Late Bronze Age (Stratum 11) [in green]

8 8 area south of the Iron Age I wall. This allowed for a more thorough investigation of the Late Bronze Age destruction. Evidence for the date of the Late Bronze destruction was found stratigraphically beneath the Iron Age I wall. Between two north-south walls a destruction layer of ash and burnt mudbrick was excavated. Several vessels (cooking pot, krater, store jars) were found in the destruction; as well as a scarab of Amenhotep III and three cylinder seals. Several fragments of Cypriote and Mycenean pottery were found which date to the 14 th c. BCE. This 14 th c. BCE destruction matches other LB IIB destructions in the region (e.g. Beth Shemesh, Timnah- Batash, Azekah, and Jaffa). Figs. 4 and 5: Late Bronze Age Destruction This limited exposure has revealed more components of a pillared building or complex of rooms. We have a tentative plan of the building or complex. The function of this building is still unclear. The large pillar base found in previous seasons allows us to postulate that this was a public building or the home of a prominent resident. Some of the finds included a roof roller, as seen in this slide, and large grinders.

9 9 Figure 6: Late Bronze Age Plan Previous publications noted that the Late Bronze Age Stratum is found on the edge of the slope with the southern extent eroded down the slope. It was built directly on the Middle Bronze Age glacis. Based on this data, we proposed that there was no LB city wall (at least in this area) and that the LB did not reuse the MB fortifications. Excavations this season continued to support this pattern. Sometime in the Iron Age I, a city wall was built directly over the Late Bronze Age destruction and occupation. An Iron Age II glacis was built over the Iron Age I wall and provides evidence for the extent of the slope during this period.

10 10 Figure 7: LB Stratum (green) beneath Stratum 9-10 City Wall (blue) and Stratum 8 (red) glacis While our investigations into the Late Bronze Age is still in its initial stages, perhaps this destruction is indicative of the unrest between the Canaanite city-states as reflected in the Amarna correspondence. IRON AGE I WALL AND DESTRUCTION In 2011, we exposed a series of walls as well as surfaces with complete storejars. One of these rooms had evidence of an intense destruction with ash and burning nearly a meter in height up a stone wall. In this destruction was a multi-handled krater and storejars. This summer, with the removal of 10 th century walls, the plan of the various walls became clear. We have exposed over 150 m 2 of a complex of buildings integrated into an Iron Age I city wall.

11 11 Figure 8: Tentative Building Units of Iron Age I (Stratum 9-10) We have exposed over 20 meters of a one meter thick city wall. This wall is constructed of large unhewn stones, it is constructed with two courses with chinking stones between these courses and is preserved in some places for a meter and a half in height. The Iron Age II city wall was built directly on top of this wall and in some places it appeared to be integrated with this wall. Because of this integration, we originally interpreted this earlier wall as a retention system of support walls for the Iron Age II wall. It was clear with the dismantling of the Iron Age II wall that these were two separate city walls. In this slide you can see the cut away of the Iron Age II wall (in blue) and the Iron Age I wall. We found several restorable storejars built up against this wall. In one of the building units, we found a tabun with remnants of a white

12 12 plastered or phytolith surface. In total, we have six complete storejars, as well as the multihandled krater. Figure 9: Iron Age I City Wall (looking East). The Iron Age I destruction and city wall were a surprise. While we knew that the HUC excavations revealed Iron Age I occupation, it was only found in Field VI on the acropolis, with minor ceramic evidence on the southern end of the tel. IRON AGE II Iron Age IIA Occupation Not much has been exposed of the Iron Age IIA occupation (10 th c. BCE). In Field W, only the remnants of a cobbled surface and the outlines of buildings were left by Macalister. Earlier excavations of HUC and Dever have exposed the 10 th century structures near the gate (his Palace 10000). We have confirmed that this continues into our Field E and anticipate that the

13 13 next two seasons will be focused on the excavations of this 10 th century stratum of the HUC excavations. We have limited exposure of this stratum in the eastern squares of our field. As you can see in Figure 10: Field E with 10 th c. elements in foreground of 1984 excavations. Note fallen pillars in balk figure X, the western balk shows several toppled pillars. We found large stones beneath our 9 th century phase and postulate that this is the 10 th century destruction that HUC attributed to Shishak. IRON AGE II: 9 TH CENTURY Previous excavations of HUC at the gate (Field III) and the domestic quarter of Field VII, as well as Dever s excavations in 1984 and 1990, found limited occupation of their Stratum VII (9 th century). Dever s 1984 excavation probes in this area found what he called his Palace 8000 and Palace of the 8 th and 10 th century respectively. We were not anticipating a major stratum of the 9 th century. In the end, we found four principle units with evidence for destruction

14 14 in several of the rooms. We only have a plan for one of the three complexes. Each unit averaged about 10 x 10 m. in area with 8-10 rooms. Most of the walls were constructed of a single row of stones. This summer we had hoped to expose more of the plans and destruction north of the squares we excavated last season, unfortunately it appears that the activities of the 8 th century builders removed a lot of this phasing. In Figure X, you can see the 9 th century walls (in blue) and the 8 th century walls of a massive tripartite building. Figure 11: Field E: Stratum 6 and 7 Architectural Features In what is typically an administrative quarter of an Iron Age city, these units appear to be domestic. It is clear that Stratum 7 (9 th c.) reused the earlier fortifications and casemate wall line. The 10 th c. monumental architecture (e.g. pillars, walls) that is evidenced in probes is missing from this stratum as the area adjacent to the city gate became a domestic quarter.

15 15 IRON AGE II: 8 TH CENTURY Administrative Buildings From the gate westward, the excavations have defined part of the Iron Age city planning during the 8 th century BCE. It appears that a series of public buildings was constructed just west of the six-chambered gate. These buildings were built up against the north face of the casemate wall. CONCLUSION While our research focus has been on the Iron Age, one of the surprising results of our excavations has been the excavation of Late Bronze and Iron Age I Gezer. While these strata have just recently been defined, we are planning to have a wide exposure in the upcoming seasons. This is apropos as several of the excavations in the Shephelah, and the impetus for this session, is to study the history of the Shephelah from the Late Bronze Age to the Persian Period. Gezer is an important site, due to its location and history, to address the shifting border in this region. In addition, we are already developing a robust database of artifacts and city-plans to address the processes of urbanization throughout Gezer s history. Goals for the 2014 Season 1. One of the questions in Field W is how many strata and/or phases of the Iron Age I are in this area of the tel. It is clear that we have more than one phase based on surfaces, yet evidence of only one major destruction. One of the difficulties is the exposure of our Iron Age I destruction is limited to rooms adjacent to the city wall and these rooms only produced complete storejars that have a long life-span. They are

16 16. similar to other storejars that are dated to the 11 th and early 10 th centuries BCE. In addition, Field W is located in the slope of the western hill where contemporary occupation levels have decreasing elevation levels from west to east. 2. The above question will be addressed by expanding the northern squares of Field W as well as to the east to get a more complete plan of the 10 th century stratum and the Iron Age I plan. Perhaps beneath the 10 th century plan will be undisturbed strata of the Iron Age I. 3. The continued excavation in Field E to the 10 th century stratum in order to get a complete plan of the urbanization process west of the Iron Age Gate Complex. 4. The above goal can only be accomplished with the dismantling of the tripartite buildings of Stratum 6. This project was partially started at the beginning of the 2013 season.