The Excavations of Beth Shemesh, November-December 1912 (The Palestine Exploration Fund Annual)

In 1909 the Scottish archaeologist Duncan Mackenzie, Sir Arthur Evans's right-hand man on the excavations of the legendary Palace of Minos' at Knossos since 1900, was appointed Explorer' of the Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF). From the spring of 1910 until December 1912 he was engaged in archaeological fieldwork in Palestine, especially directing excavation campaigns at Ain Shems (biblical Beth Shemesh) - an important site in the Shephelah of Judah at the crossroads of Canaanite, Philistine, and Israelite cultures. Mackenzie published the results of his work in various issues of the Palestine Exploration Quarterly and Palestine Exploration Fund Annual. Because of a financial dispute with the PEF, however, he never submitted a detailed publication of his very last campaign at Beth Shemesh, conducted in November-December 1912. In 1992 Nicoletta Momigliano rediscovered Mackenzie's lost manuscript on his latest discoveries at Beth Shemesh, which one of his nephews had kept for nearly 80 years at his old family home in the Scottish Highlands, in the small village of Muir of Ord. At about the same time, Shlomo Bunimovitz and Zvi Lederman initiated new excavations at Beth Shemesh which considerably changed previous interpretations of the site. This volume presents Mackenzie's detailed discussion of his last excavations at Beth Shemesh in the light of these more recent discoveries. Although written over a century ago, Mackenzie's manuscript deserves to be better known today; it not only provides significant new information on this important site but also constitutes an intriguing historical document, shedding light on the history of field archaeology and of biblical archaeology. Moreover, Mackenzie's pioneering approach to archaeological fieldwork and the significance of his finds can often be better appreciated today, from the perspective of more recent developments and discoveries.'' Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgements 10 List of Illustrations 11 Abbreviations 14 1. Introduction 16 1.1. Duncan Mackenzie's life and work: a brief overview 16 Works by Duncan Mackenzie 22 1.2. Mackenzie's work at Beth Shemesh 23 1.3. Work conducted at the site after Mackenzie 26 Elihu Grant's excavations (1928—33) 26 The renewed excavations (1990 to the present) 26 Middle and Late Bronze Ages 27 Iron Age I 29 Iron Age IIA 30 Iron Age IIB-C 33 1.4. Mackenzie's manuscript on the third campaign of excavations at Beth Shemesh of November-December 1912: its rediscovery and transcription 35 2. Transcription: The excavations of Beth Shemesh November—December, 1912 40 2.1. Further Investigations in the Area of the South Gate 40 2.2. The City Well of Beth Shemesh 48 2.3. The Exploration of the High Place Grotto Sepulchre 56 2.4. The Pottery of the High Place Grotto: First Beth Shemesh Period 60 2.5. The Hypogeum in the Area of the High Place 64 2.6. The Hypogeum-cistern by the Olive Press 69 2.7. Further Excavations in the Central City Area 80 2.8. The Stratification of the Deposits 82 2.9. The Deposits of the First Period 86 2.10. The Deposits of the Second Period 90 2.11. The Deposits of the Third or Israelite Period 97 2.12. The Deposits of the Period of Re-occupation 104 2.13. The Olive Press 108 2.14. Small Finds from the City Site of Beth Shemesh 112 3. Mackenzie's third campaign at Beth Shemesh in the light of the renewed excavations at the site 123 3.1. The renewed excavations of the South Gate 123 The eastern gate tower 123 The western gate tower 126 The gate passage 126 The gate's construction 126 The end of the South Gate 128 3.2. 'Water of Beth Shemesh': The 'City Well' and underground water reservoirs of Beth Shemesh 132 The City Well 132 The hypogea in the Central City Area 133 Deciphering depositional processes: water drawing and its aftermath 134 Sequencing the water installations at Beth Shemesh 137 3.3. The High Place Grotto Sepulchre, a Middle Bronze Pre-fortification Phase? 138 3.4. The Central City Area Deposits, from the First to the Third Periods 139 The deposits of the First Period 139 The deposits of the Second Period 141 The deposits of the Third Period 145 Mackenzie's revised stratigraphical scheme of the First to Third Periods at Beth Shemesh 146 3.5. Deconstructing the Myth of the Reoccupation at Beth Shemesh 146 3.6. Mackenzie's Olive Press and the Iron Age IIB Oil Industry at Beth Shemesh 149 3.7. Small Finds: The Iron Age Sickle Blades of Beth Shemesh 154 Bibliography 157 Index 161 This Volume Presents Mackenzie's Detailed Discussion Of His Last Excavations At Beth Shemesh In The Light Of These More Recent Discoveries. Although Written Over A Century Ago, Mackenzie's Manuscript Deserves To Be Better Known Today; It Not Only Provides Significant New Information On This Important Site But Also Constitutes An Intriguing Historical Document, Shedding Light On The History Of Field Archaeology And Of Biblical Archaeology. Moreover, Mackenzie's Pioneering Approach To Archaeological Fieldwork And The Significance Of His Finds Can Often Be Better Appreciated Today, From The Perspective Of More Recent Developments And Discoveries-- Duncan Mackenzie, Shlomo Bunimovitz, Zvi Lederman, And Nicoletta Momigliano. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 142-145) And Index. "This volume presents Mackenzie's detailed discussion of his last excavations at Beth Shemesh in the light of these more recent discoveries. Although written over a century ago, Mackenzie's manuscript deserves to be better known today; it not only provides significant new information on this important site but also constitutes an intriguing historical document, shedding light on the history of field archaeology and of biblical archaeology. Moreover, Mackenzie's pioneering approach to archaeological fieldwork and the significance of his finds can often be better appreciated today, from the perspective of more recent developments and discoveries"-- Provided by publisher Content: 1. Introduction / N. Momigliano, S. Bunimovitz and Z. Lederman -- 2. Transcription : the excavations of Beth Shemesh November-December, 1912 / Duncan Mackenzie (transcription and notes by N. Momigliano) -- 3. Mackenzie's third campaign at Beth Shemesh in the light of the renewed excavations at the site / S. Bunimovitz and Z. Lederman.