Description
Book SynopsisThis book presents the final report of the excavations at Yotvata, the largest oasis in the Arabah Valley, conducted by the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University in 1974–1980 under the direction of Dr. Zeʾev Meshel. The report covers two central sites: a fortified Iron I site and an Early Islamic settlement.
The Iron I remains consist of an irregular casemate wall surrounding a courtyard. The location of this site suggests that the settlement was established in order to protect the water sources and to overlook and supervise the nearby crossroads. Based on the relative proximity of the site to Timna, it may be concluded that the oasis formed the main source of water and wood for the population involved in copper production in that region.
The rich finds uncovered at the Early Islamic settlement—including a large courtyard building and a nearby bathhouse, among other structures—point to habitation from the end of the seventh to the early ninth century CE. The proximity of the settlement to a sophisticated irrigation system (qanat) and the administrative/economic ostraca discovered at the site suggest that it served as the center of an agricultural estate owned by an elite Muslim family. Among the unique finds is a large assemblage of locally produced, handmade pottery, which is thoroughly studied here.
The findings from the excavations at the Yotvata oasis have made a major contribution to the study of Early Islamic settlement and material culture in the greater Arabah region and beyond.
Table of ContentsPreface
Chapter 1. Introduction: The Yotvata Oasis
Ze’ev Meshel
SECTION I: YOTVATA HILL–THE IRON I “FORTRESS” AND OTHER REMAINS
Lily Singer-Avitz
Part I: The Site in Context
Chapter 2. Yotvata: A “Fortress” on a Road Junction
Uzi Avner
Part II: Architectural Remains
Chapter 3. The Excavations and Architectural Components
Lily Singer-Avitz
Part III: Artifacts
Chapter 4. The Pottery Assemblage of the Iron I
Lily Singer-Avitz
Chapter 5. Petrographic Analysis of the Iron I Pottery
David Ben-Shlomo
Chapter 6. The Ceramic Finds from the Nabataean Built Tomb
Tali Erickson-Gini
Chapter 7. The Chipped Stone Collections: Lithic Perspectives on an Oasis Site in the Arabah
Steven A. Rosen
Chapter 8. Shell Artifacts
Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer
Chapter 9. Two Bone Objects
Etan Ayalon
Chapter 10. Ostrich Eggshells
Lily Singer-Avitz
Chapter 11. Ground Stone Tools
Aaron Greener
Chapter 12. Worked Wooden Objects from the Iron I
Yigal Sitry
Chapter 13. A Wood Coffin from the Nabataean Built Tomb
Yigal Sitry
Chapter 14. Cords and Basketry from the Iron I and Textiles from the Nabataean Built Tomb
Naama Sukenik and Orit Shamin
Part IV: Ecofacts
Chapter 15. Archaeobotanical Remains from the Iron I “Fortress” and the Nabataean Built Tomb
Nili Liphschitz
Chapter 16. Charcoal Samples from the Chalcolithic/Early Bronze I Settlement
Mark Cavanagh, Mordechay Benzaquen and Dafna Langgut
Chapter 17. Dendroarchaeological Report on the Coffin from the Nabataean Built Tomb
Mordechay Benzaquen, Mark Cavanagh and Dafna Langgut
Chapter 18. Iron I and Chalcolithic/Early Bronze I Fauna
Liora Kolska Horwitz
Chapter 19. Radiocarbon Dates
Israel Carmi, Dror Segal, Linda Scott Cummings, Peter Kováčik and Uzi Avner
Part V: Concluding Remarks
Chapter 20. Masòsòeboth (Standing Stones) in Gates
Uzi Avner
Chapter 21. Summary and Conclusions
Lily Singer-Avitz
Addendum: Later Excavations in the Nabataean Built Tomb
Uzi Avner
List of Loci
SECTION II: THE EARLY ISLAMIC SETTLEMENT
Etan Ayalon
Part VI: Architectural Remains
Chapter 22. Architecture and Stratigraphy
Etan Ayalon
Part VII: Artifacts
Chapter 23. The Pottery
Itamar Taxel
Chapter 24. Perfecting Local Production of Desert Pottery: Petrographic Analysis of Early Islamic Wares
Paula Waiman-Barak and Willie Ondricek
Chapter 25. Stone and Metal Objects
Itamar Taxel
Chapter 26. Glass Finds
Ruth E. Jackson-Tal
Chapter 27. The Ostraca
Nitzan Amitai-Preiss with an Appendix by Itamar Taxel
Chapter 28. The Coins
Nitzan-Amitai-Preiss and Ariel Berman
Chapter 29. Textiles, Textile Impressions and a Plait
Orit Shamir
Part VIII: Ecofacts
Chapter 30. Identification of Dyes
Naama Sukenik, Zohar Amar and David Iluz
Chapter 31. Archaeobotanical Remains from the Early Islamic Site
Nili Liphschitz
Chapter 32. Faunal Remains
Vered Kishon and Shlomo Hellwing
Chapter 33. Molluscs
Henk K. Mienis
Part IX: Concluding Remarks
Chapter 34. Discussion and Conclusions
Itamar Taxel, Ze’ev Meshel and Etan Ayalon
List of Loci
