Iron Age Canaan: Regional Trends in Animal Economy
Open Access
- Author:
- Moseley, Alan P
- Graduate Program:
- Anthropology
- Degree:
- Master of Arts
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- None
- Committee Members:
- Sarah Barbara Mcclure, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Ann Eloise Killebrew, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- Iron Age
Archaeology
Zooarchaeology
Levant
Near Eastern Archaeology
Near East
regional study
late bronze age
Iron I - Abstract:
- The Late Bronze Age is often described as an age of internationalism characterized by well-developed political and commercial contacts facilitated by empires and regional imperialism. The end of the Late Bronze Age during the final decades of the 13th century B.C.E. witnessed crises, collapse, and the decline of this world system and imperial aspirations. This upheaval changed the political and economic landscape of the southern Levant, resulting in fragmentation and regionalism that characterizes the 12th and 11th centuries B.C.E. of the early Iron Age. The political environment became increasingly structured with the rise of territorial states during the Iron IIA and the eventual reintegration into an imperial system during the Iron IIC. The restructuring of the region resulted in similarities of livestock frequencies and management strategies at sites in close proximity, forming recognizable economic groups. In this thesis, I examine diachronic change of livestock frequencies and herd management strategies at seven sites – Tel Akko, Tel Miqne-Ekron, Tel es-Safi/Gath, Hazor, Tel Dan, Megiddo, and Tel Dor – located in the southern Levant. Each of these sites have identifiable regional roles, represent a variety of ethnic groups and environmental zones, and have a stratigraphic sequence spanning the Iron I to Iron IIC. Based on analysis of the faunal remains, I reconstruct the animal economy at each of these sites during the Iron I – Iron IIC. I examine to what extent a site’s regional role, location, and ethnic affiliation influenced species selection and herd management. A major conclusion of this study suggests that increased administrative control by ruling groups over production resulted in management strategies focused on secondary products, a trend that is evident at all sites examined in this study. Influence on species selection and herd management practices due to a site’s ethnic affiliation remains inconclusive.