Yasur-Lau Assaf. Household Archaeology in Ancient Israel and Beyond
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HOUSEHOLD GLEANINGS FROM IRON I TEL DAN
David Ilan
e excavations conducted by Avraham Biran at Tel Dan between
1966 and 1999 exposed extensive Early Iron Age levels with a total
expanse of circa 1200 m
2
, making it one of the largest exposures
from this period in the southern Levant (Biran 1994; Ilan 1999). e
size of this exposure, the existence of three successive strata (VI, V,
and IVB) and the wealth of the material culture—prosaic as it is—
destroyed in successive destructions, makes the Iron I strata of Tel
Dan amenable to straightforward spatial and quantitative analysis.
is paper summarizes some of the results of this analysis, particu-
larly those conclusions that impact on the subjects of family organi-
zation, economic behavior, and political structure at Early Iron Age
Tel Dan. e patterns discerned at Early Iron Age Tel Dan and the
interpretation of these patterns may provide useful guidelines for
the interpretation of other domestic assemblages.
I shall refrain from an extensive recounting of the theoretical back-
ground that informs the interpretations oered here, and simply
remark that several key sources provide this background: Wilk and
Rathje’s seminal framework for the parameters of household archaeol-
ogy (e.g., 1982); Bourdieu’s concept of habitus (e.g., 1977); and Gidden’s
concept of “structuration” (e.g., 1979). ese (and others) will be refer-
enced further in the conclusions where relevant. Needless to say, these
programmatic works have inuenced most serious research in the sub-
discipline of household archaeology; I do not claim to be breaking
ground in this respect. Rather, the emphasis here is placed on some
specics encountered in the archaeological record at Tel Dan that may
be of use to future researchers. I begin with a contextual description of
the material and follow with a series of generalizing observations.
The Iron I Levels of Tel Dan: Stratigraphic and
Chronological Background
Each of the Iron I strata (VI, V, IVB) shows a general homogeneity in
architecture and material culture, though there are some processual
134 david ilan
dierences (expressed schematically in Ilan 1999: Table 3.1). ough
Iron I remains were recovered in all the excavated elds (Fig. 1), only
Areas B, M, and Y were excavated to the extent that warrants detailed
discussion (the fragmentary remains of Areas A, H, and T are described
only briey in Ilan 1999). e total exposure in these areas is 945 m
2
in Stratum VI, 1105 m
2
in Stratum V, and 1210 m
2
in Stratum IVB.
Area B has by far the largest exposure: 825 m
2
in Stratum VI, 950 m
2
in Stratum V, and 1025 m
2
in Stratum IVB. e following is a distilled
description of the remains by stratum.
Stratum VIIA
is level comprises the ephemeral remains of what might be called
the transition between the Late Bronze and Iron I Ages. Its remains
are cut by the Stratum VI pits and disturbed by Stratum V oors and
buildings (Fig. 2). is means that there are no undeniably “clean”
contexts. In general, the associated pottery appears to be largely made
up of LB forms with some foreshadowing of Iron I types, but since
there are no complete pottery vessels that can be attributed to it with
certainty, we are never sure whether the horizon is a mixture of assem-
blages from two sequential occupations or a single independent one.
Hence, though it exists for certain, little can be said about it.
Stratum VI (Fig. 3)
e dominant features of this stratum are its pits, 45 of which have
been counted (not including Area T). Based on the literature, and
some hints from the Tel Dan remains, I have accepted the thesis that
they are mainly grain pits (Ilan 2008), though some would suggest
that many are compost pits (Schloen 2001: 340–342). Some of the old
LB architecture was reused and some of the newly constructed build-
ings in Areas B and Y appear to date to this stratum. Most of Area
B-west is a eld of grain pits, with an extent of perhaps 500 m
2
, which
lies between widely spaced buildings. In Area B-east, where much of
the area’s architecture was located, only four pits were discerned. One
of these (Pit 336) appears to have contained carbonized grain, which
together with Pit 3004 in Area Y, are the only examples of Iron I pits
household gleanings from iron i tel dan 135
Figure 1. Plan of Tel Dan showing excavation areas (= Ilan 2008: Fig. 1).
136 david ilan
containing grain outside of Shiloh and Tell Keisan (Kislev 1980, 1993:
354; Lederman and Finkelstein 1993: 47–48).
1
A number of the pits contained occupational debris, including large
quantities of restorable pottery. is has been interpreted as refuse
originating in a destroyed occupation layer that was dumped into pits
no longer deemed worthy of use, probably also with the express pur-
pose of creating a level surface on which to build anew (Ilan 2008:
91–92). Metallurgy was extensively practiced in this level in both Area
B-west and Area Y. is takes the form of partially sunken, small,
circular stone and clay furnaces, crucibles, bellow-pots, blowpipe noz-
zles, crushed bone fragments, slag, and metal fragments. Two sunken
pithoi were part of the layout in Area B-west; they may have contained
water for quenching.
Stratum V (Fig. 4)
is stratum, which in most places shows at least two phases, experi-
enced the development of a dense network of architecture in all areas
excavated—so dense, in fact, that no large open spaces have been
detected at all. At the same time, the number of grain pits falls radically,
1
An Iron IIA pit containing grain is documented at Aphek (Gadot 2009: 100–105).
Figure 2. Stratigraphic section drawing that illustrates the relationship
between Strata VIIA, VI, and V.
household gleanings from iron i tel dan 137
to a total of four throughout the entire excavated area. It may be that
some of the pits attributed to Stratum VI in Area B belong to an early
phase of Stratum V, but there is a clear trend toward a smaller number
of pits. Without going into detail here, I suggest that their locations
better suit their interpretation as grain pits than as compost pits.
Building was carried out on a series of low terraces on the interior
slope formed by the old MB ramparts. A particular house may occupy
more than one terrace. Perhaps nine residential compounds have been
tentatively identied in Area B based on room agglomerations and
doorway locations. However, the changing locations of doorways and
subdivision of rooms is indicative of the dynamic nature of household
structure. e picture is one of complex insulae whose spaces have
been rearranged and recombined over time, so that the original open
spaces between buildings are no longer distinguishable, though there
Figure 3. Schematic plan of Tel Dan Area B, Phase B11 (Stratum VI) (= Ilan
2008: Fig. 2).
138 david ilan
Figure 4. Schematic plan of Tel Dan Area B, Phases B9–10 (Stratum V)
(= Ilan 2008: Fig. 3).
household gleanings from iron i tel dan 139
are some signs of the basic courtyard structure theme with its atten-
dant activities (cf. Schloen 2001: 104–116). However, because there are
no large open spaces, it is rarely possible to identify separate court-
yards. One alleyway was identied in Area B-west. No special provi-
sions appear to have been made to facilitate drainage.
ere is little clear-cut evidence for two-story construction (per-
haps in Area Y, Phases 4–5), though it cannot be ruled out. Nor are
there unequivocal signs of basement construction, such as has been
observed at Horvat ʾAvot in the Galilee (Braun 1993). Walls are typi-
cally one row across with the stones laid mostly as headers. ese were
covered with mud plaster, which was actually identied in a few cases
(Fig. 5). Doorways are almost always located at the ends of walls rather
than in their middle. Floors are mainly either tamped earth or paved,
though in some places lime plaster was used. As noted above, pits are
few and perhaps limited to one per compound or household.
Complete grinding slabs were found, usually one or two per house,
accompanied by similar numbers of smaller upper stones. Fewer
mortars—perhaps one per compound—were also found. A number of
complete, originally upright pithoi were found lined up along walls and
in corners (Fig. 6). Groupings vary from one to ve in number; rooms
with more than two are more likely to have had a specialized storage
function. A similar conguration has been documented at Shiloh (e.g.,
Bunimovitz 1993). In all except one of the rooms the pithoi found
a
b
c
Figure 5a–c. Wall, oor, and ceiling mud-plaster fragments from Tel Dan Stratum V.
140 david ilan
Figure 6. In situ pithos in a corner in Tel Dan Stratum V.
household gleanings from iron i tel dan 141
in situ were collared-rim pithoi.
2
Most of the other restorable vessels
and other artifacts were concentrated along the walls as well.
Metallurgy continued in this stratum only in Area B-west (Biran
1994: 147–157). Large caches of int were also found, mainly of sickle
blades, suggesting a sickle-manufacturing specialist in this location.
Also in B-west, a building was erected that has been interpreted as
a modest cult place: Sanctuary 7082. e remains of metal melting
furnaces and their related paraphernalia surround this building. Sanc-
tuary 7082 had a small corner adyton or “holy of holies,” which con-
tained a group of complete, apparently votive, objects, including a
ceramic model sanctuary. Another evidence for cult exists in the pres-
ence of masseboth in Area B-east: one single massebah and one pair.
No anthropomorphic depictions were revealed, though some zoomor-
phic nds were kernos fragments of a bird and a bull and Egypto-
Philistine-style bird bowl fragments comparable to examples from the
coast and Tell Qasile in particular.
No remains of fortication were revealed, though such cannot be
ruled out since the crest of the tell’s circumference was eroded and
built over in subsequent periods. e construction of fortication walls
lower down the slope in Iron II would have allowed the dismantling of
any upper wall for building materials and expanding houses.
e last phase of Stratum V (perhaps the earlier one too) ended in
a tremendous conagration. No human remains were found in this
destruction, indicating that the inhabitants were either removed or
escaped their homes in time.
Stratum IVB (Fig. 7)
is stratum shows much continuity with the previous one. How-
ever, unlike the phases of Stratum V, which exhibit the clearing away
of previous destruction debris to reuse existing spaces, Stratum IVB
was built over the destruction remains of Stratum V, leaving the latter
largely intact. At the same time, existing wall stubs were reused so that
the area plans are much the same, save for further subdivision of spaces
and minor alterations. Some signicant changes did occur, however.
2
e exception is the three Tel Dan “Galilean” pithoi (my PG1–2 types, Ilan 1999:
82–84) found in Locus 698 (Ilan 1999: Plan 3 in Square B19–B20).