Shira Albaz

Pebble stone installations are commonly found at various Early Bronze Age sites in the southern Levant. However, their function is often assumed or unknown. Thirteen circular pebble installations were found scattered throughout a residential neighbourhood dating to the Early Bronze Age III at Tell es-Safi/Gath. Five such installations were recently studied by implementing an integrated micro-archaeological approach by which all micro-and macro-artefacts were analysed using various analytical techniques. Based on the analysis of ash-micro remains identified in the sediments, associated plant remains, flint and pottery, we suggest that these installations were used for food-processing, cooking and/or other domestic low-heat tasks. The installations first appear at Tell es-Safi/Gath during the Early Bronze Age III, and seem to disappear during later periods. The functional roles of these installations are discussed in comparison to finds from other Early Bronze Age sites, and of other food preparation traditions known from other periods and cultures.

In this paper, we review the evidence for the use of the domestic donkey as a mode of transportation in the Early Bronze Age. The study will present the domestic donkey remains (artefactual and zoological) and their archaeological context from the Early Bronze Age III domestic neighborhood at Tell es-Safi/Gath. The remains indicate the significant role that donkeys played in the daily life of the inhabitants. This reflects on our understanding of their role in the trade networks and mode of transportation that existed within the emerging urban cultures in the southern Levant during the third millennium BCE.

With the emergence of urban culture in the southern Levant in the Early Bronze Age, new types of pottery and ceramic techniques appeared, among them pottery (usually combed) coated with a white material. A selection of sherds from Early Bronze strata was studied in an attempt to analyze this
material. Using microscopy and various other methods, the authors were able to determine that the white material was a lime-plaster applied to the vessels after firing. The paper contends that the most likely reason for applying the lime-plaster was functional—to decrease permeability and
protect the contents of the vessels.

A total of thirty-eight beads, including one pendant securely dated to the Early Bronze Age III, were recently
unearthed at Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel. The beadswere subjected to analysis by FTIR spectrometry in order to identify
the mineralogy and materials used for their making. Among the various materials identified, such as carnelian,
steatite and shells, twenty-five were made of faience. The microstructure and chemical composition of
two faience beads were analyzed by electron microscopy and are the focus of this short report. Results show
that cementation glazing was most likely used for one, whereas efflorescence glazing was most probably used
in the production of the other. These preliminary results shed light on the variability that existed inmanufacturing
procedures and choice of raw materials for the production of early vitreous materials during this period.