Dear friends and colleagues,
As part of the Central Timna Valley Project (CTV
<http://archaeology.tau.ac.il/ben-yosef/CTV/> ) we are engaged in a
systematic study of ground stones in ancient metallurgical contexts
(excluding mining, but including ore processing). As far as we can tell,
this aspect of metal production was very little explored in previous
research, albeit ground stones are abundant in ancient smelting sites and
are also found in other types of metallurgical workshops. Preliminary
results based on our recent excavations at Timna has just been published –
https://www.academia.edu/30240834/The_ground_stone_assemblage_of_a_metal_wor
kers_community_An_unexplored_dimension_of_Iron_Age_copper_production_at_Timn
a_JLS_3-3_2016_doi_10.2218_jls.v3i3.1678_
We continue to collect information on this topic, and will be grateful for
any input you might have (ethnographic, archaeological, technological,
etc.).
With all the best wishes,
Erez and Aaron
(Please accept our apology in case of double posting)
Full citation:
Greener, A., Ben-Yosef, E., 2016. The Ground-Stone Assemblage of a Metal
Workers Community: an Unexplored Dimension of Iron Age Copper Production at
Timna, Journal of Lithic Studies 3(3): doi:10.2218/jls.v3i3.1678.
Abstract:
The systematic archaeological study of the Timna Valley began over 50 years
ago. Since then it has become a key site for understanding ancient copper
production technologies in the Near East and beyond. However, the fantastic
quantity of ground stone tools which are present at the Late Bronze and
Early Iron Age copper smelting sites were never systematically studied.
Questions regarding their origin, distribution, typologies, and especially
their role within the chaîne opératoire of copper production, were seldom
addressed. Although surprising, this has been the case for almost all of the
excavated metal production sites around the world.
In the framework of the renewed excavations at several of the copper
smelting sites at Timna, a pioneering study was conducted in which more than
1000 ground stone tools were identified and registered. These tools include,
among others, grinding stones, pounders, anvils and mortars; most were
manufactured of compacted sandstone and granite, exposed in several
locations in the valley. In this paper we present a typology and
quantitative analysis of the ground stone tools which were used by the metal
workers, and offer an interpretation of how the various types of tools were
employed as part of the copper production process. This provides new
insights regarding the smelting process and the conditions needed for its
successful outcome.
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Erez Ben-Yosef, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer in Archaeology
The J. M. Alkow Department of Archaeology and ANE Cultures
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel
Tel. +972-3-6409703, Fax. +972-3-6406883
email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
web: http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/ebenyose/;
https://telaviv.academia.edu/ErezBenYosef
The Central Timna Valley (CTV) Project:
http://archaeology.tau.ac.il/ben-yosef/CTV/
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