HELLENISTIC

Hasmonaean / Greek Era

2^nd Temple Period, Maccabeean, King Jonathon

332 - 63 B.C.E.

Chanukah

Catalogue # 2004, Item # 1:

Highly Decorated Painted with Long Spout

Not restored, Good condition.

6 cm W x 9.0 cm L x 2.5 cm H

Excavated in Samaria north of Jerusalem

Acquired Feb 2004 Jerusalem

EARLY ROMAN I

   Herodian / Early Roman I

2^nd Temple Period, King Herod Agrippa I

63 B.C.E. - 70 C.E.

Jewish Revolt against the Romans

Catalogue # 12771, Item # 5:

Round Moulded Closed Bowl Type,

No design, no base, closed in spout with

Soot marks, details of wear, very thin walls, very fragile.

6.5 cm W x 8 cm L x 1.5 cm H

Excavated in Jerusalem

Acquired Nov. 1994 Jerusalem

.

HELLENISTIC

Hasmonaean / Greek

2^nd Temple Period

332 – 63 B.C.E.

The Greek Influence

Catalogue # 1150, Item # 6:

Closed Bowl, Heavy Walls with Deep Base,

Closed in long spout with soot marks,

Excellent condition.

5.5 cm round with 9 cm L spout,

3 cm round base x 0.5 cm H

Excavated in Jerusalem

Acquired Oct. 1997 Jerusalem

LATE ROMAN II

Symptoms of Decay

Thracia Caesari, Roman Province

70 - 324 C.E.

The Roman Influence

Catalogue # 2004-1, Item # 31:

Highly Ornate, Hero-Horseman 'Kybele' Goddess of Nature,

Red Clay with a Sculptured Arrow-Head Spout

Flat Rounded Base, good condition

5.5 cm W X 8 cm L, 

Excavated in Serdica (Sofia Outskirts)

Acquired Aug 2004 Sofia, Bulgaria

LATE ROMAN II

Symptoms of Decay

Thracia Caesari, Roman Province

70 - 324 C.E.

The Roman Influence

Catalogue # 2004-2, Item # 32:

Very Small Plain White Clay Lamp, Tiny Filling Hole, Restored

Large Wick Nozzle, Small Inched Handle

1.25 cm W X 6.5 cm L X 3.0 cm H 

Excavated in Serdica (Sofia Outskirts)

Acquired Aug 2004 Sofia, Bulgaria

BYZANTINE

Christian / Jewish Era

New Age of Islam

324 - 640 C.E.

Development of Rabbinical Sermonic Liturgy

Catalogue # 811, Item # 11:

Triangular Closed Moulded Type

Richly decorated with a Menorah design on the nozzle, a fine round base,

Grey coloured clay, Good condition.

6.5 cm W x 10 cm L x 3 cm H

Excavated on the Mount of Olives, East side of Jerusalem

Acquired Jan. 1998 Jerusalem

BYZANTINE

Christian / Jewish Era

324 - 640 C.E.

Development of Rabbinical Sermonic Liturgy

Catalogue # 4101, Item # 13:

Samaritan Type

Double Nozzle Rectangular Shaped, Heavy Carbon Deposits over Nozzles,

Decorated with Linear Designs, Rectangular Raised Base,

Probably a sealed plain filling-hole, Very fragile.

5.0 cm W x 9.5 cm L x 3.3 cm H

Excavated in Samaria, North of Jerusalem

Acquired June 1998, Jerusalem

APPENDICES

Glossary of Terms

Characteristics Chart

Excavation Schematic

Bibliography

GLOSSARY OF TERMS:

Absolute Dating – is the determination of the actual age of an object or artefact.

Amorites – one of the peoples found in northern Syria and Mesopotamia from about 3000 B.C.E. who also inhabited the land of Canaan.

Anatolia – the peninsula of Asia Minor, a physical and cultural bridge linking Asia and Europe (Turkey).

Antiquity – the distant past, ancient times; usually the classical Greek and Roman period and everything prior to that time.

Archaeology – study of past, ancient cultures primarily through the study of material cultures (sites and artefacts).

Artefact – an object that has been made or modified by human activity.

Bronze Age – part of the Three Age System, developed by Christian Jurgensen (1788-1865), 'Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age'.

Burnish – a smooth glossy appearance obtained by rubbing.

Byzantine – a term that reflects a shift in the Biblical Lands from dominance by the Roman Empire to influences from Constantinople and the East; 324-640 C.E.

Canaan; Canaanites – a name found in the Bible in the table of nations (Gen. 10:6) as well as in the cuneiform, Egyptian and Phoenician texts. Land area of Palestine and Jordan.

Chalcolithic – the copper/stone age, 4500-3300 B.C.E.

Chronology – a study of the relationship of materials in a time sequence; the sequence of layers.

Culture- the way of life or sum total of the behaviour and beliefs shared by a particular group.

Excavation – the systematic investigation of an archaeological dig site.

Ghassul; Ghassulian – Chalcolithican culture in Palestine based on a site occupying some 7 acres in the Jordan Valley called Tuleilat Ghassul.

Iron Age – archaeological period span, 1200-332 B.C.E.

Levant – the region of the Eastern Mediterranean, usually Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan.

Lithic – stone materials, used often as a general term for stone tools and weapons.

Mesopotamia – "the land between the rivers" Greek, for the area between the Tigris and Euphrates (Iraq).

Midrash – the investigation, interpretation and study of the Biblical text.

Middle East – the region of the Eastern Mediterranean, usually Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan.

Megiddo – one of the most important Canaanite cities, first mentioned in the annals of Tuthmosis III, 1468 B.C.E.

Near East - the region of the Eastern Mediterranean, usually Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan.

Neolithic – new (later) Stone Age 8500-4500 B.C.E.

Palestine – the region of the Eastern Mediterranean, usually Syria, Lebanon,

Israel and Jordan.

Relative Dating – archaeological method of dating artefacts using a series of techniques that compares artefacts to determine which is older.  

Sherds – pottery fragments.

Talmud – Hebrew, the study or teaching of the Torah consisting of the Mishna (Jewish code law) & Gemara (elaboration, commentary of the Mishna).

Tel: Tell – a ruin or mound; an accumulation of layers of human deposits.

Typology – a classification of objects into groups or types according to similar traits; the study of types through time to establish chronology.

Oil Lamp Dating Analysis

Introduction:

Pottery was invented more than 10,000 years ago and is one of the most common categories of finds on archaeological sites, because it was a relatively cheap, everyday commodity and is a material that preserves well in most conditions.  On most sites there are usually plenty of fragments (sherds) that can be spared for destructive analysis, which will be outlined below. 

The development of the bowl shaped pottery type oil lamp has been dated to the Chalcolithic Period, 4500-300 BCE. and was probably used for a drinking cup, serving bowl or storage vessel as well as a lamp. The style, size and shape continued to evolve with distinctive characteristics which have allowed the archaeologist to accurately date this artefact.

The Dating Methods:

Much information can be gained about pottery just by the examination with the naked eye. Surface details, outside and in, and the cross-section of the vessel can indicate the degree to which the clay was worked, and the nature, size and quantity of temper added. They may also reveal the techniques used in the manufacture and decoration, whether the item's surface was wet-smoothed (self-slipped) or coated in a slip or glaze, and something about the firing conditions. However, the simple stratigraphic principle that older materials will be found lower in an archaeological deposit than newer materials – the law of superposition, allows the archaeologist to categorize the vessel and thus to generally date the item (Relative Dating).

The sources of clay used for ceramics may also be determined by assessing their chemical composition using atomic absorption spectrometry, electron probe microanalysis, neutron activation analysis or other scientific techniques. Details of the firing conditions of pottery, particularly temperature, can be established by a technique known as Mossbauer spectroscopy and by the various thermal analyses. By observing how much weight is lost when the pottery is reheated, the firing temperature can be determined.  The same information can be recovered by observing the temperature at which shrinkage of the pottery begins (Absolute Dating).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Bibliography

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Aharoni Y., 1968. BIBLE ATLAS, The Israel Map and Publishing Co.

Altshuler D., 1983. THE PRECIOUS LEGACY, Smithsonian Institute

Asheri M., 1983. LIVING JEWISH, Everest House

Babylonian Talmud - Various quotes as outlined

Ben-Tor A., 1992. ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT ISRAEL, The Open University of Israel

Berman Nancy M., 1996. THE ART OF HANUKKAH, Hough Lauter Levin Associates

Birnbaum P., 1991. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF JEWISH CONCEPTS, Hebrew Publishing Company

Bohm L. Rabbi, 1990. HOLIDAY STUDY GUIDE,

Bridger D.,  1976. THE NEW JEWISH ENCYCLOPAEDIA, Behrman House

Browning I., 1980. PETRA, Chatto and Windus

Burland C., Nicholson I., Osborne H., 1970. MYTHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAS, Hamyln Press

Cohen/Mendes-Flohr, 1988. CONTEMPORARY JEWISH RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS, 1^st Free Press

Cohn-Sherbok L., 1997. A HISTORY OF THE JEWISH CIVILIZATION, Chartwell Books

Compton's, 1994. ENCYCLOPAEDIA, CD Rom

Diamont M. I., 1962. JEWS, GOD AND THE HISTORY, Signet books

Djuric S., 1995.  ANCIENT LAMPS FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN,   

                            Eika/Bookselling/Publishing    

Durant A., Durant W., 1994. THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION, World Library inc.

Ebban A., 1978. HISTORY OF THE JEWS - MY PEOPLE, Behrman House

Fagan B. M., 1996. OXFORD COMPANION TO ARCHAEOLOGY, Oxford Press

Gilbert M., 1998. ISRAEL A HISTORY, Doubleday and Company

Goldin J., 1957. THE LIVING TALMUD, First Meridian Printing

Bibliography

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Grant M., 1996. THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT ISRAEL, Weidenfeld and Nicholson

Hammond N., 1994. WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, National Geographic

Hayes J. W., 1980. ANCIENT LAMPS IN THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM, ROM Pub.

Howard B.P. Dr., 1995. MUSEUM ARTIFACT REASERCH AND REPLICATION SERVICE

Ingpen R., Wilkinson P., 1990. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MYSTERIOUS PLACES, Prospero Books

Israeli Y., Avida U., 1988. OIL-LAMPS FROM ERETZ ISRAEL, The Israel Museum

Johnson P., 1987.  A HISTORY OF THE JEWS, Weidenfeld and Nicholson

Kamm A., 1999. THE ISRAELITES AN INTRODUCTION, Routledge

Keller W., 1982. THE BIBLE AS HISTORY, Bantam Books

Knobel P. S., 1983. GATES OF THE SEASON, Central Conference of American Rabbi

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Mazar A., 1992. ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE LAND OF THE BIBLE, 10,000-586 BCE, Doubleday

McIntosh J., 1999. THE PRACTICAL ARCHAEOLOGIST, Checkmark Books 2^nd Edition

Mishna, - Various quotes as outlined

Microsoft, 1994. ENCARTA ENCYCLOPEDIA, CD Rom

Microsoft, 1999. ENCARTA ENCYCLOPEDIA, CD Rom

Meyers E., 1997. OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE NEAR EAST,    

Orlinsky H. M., 1960. ANCIENT ISRAEL, Cornell University Press

Playne Books, 1997. TIME CHART HISTORY OF THE WORLD, Third Millennium Press

Plaut G. W., 1981. The TORAH – A MODERN COMMENTARY, U.A.H.C. Publishing

Porter E., 1980. THE GREEK WORLD, E.P. Dutton Publishing

Bibliography

Potok C., 1978. WANDERINGS, HISTORY OF THE JEWS, Ballantine Books

Ran N., 1987. JOURNEYS TO THE PROMISED LAND, Terra Sancta Arts

Rattey B. K., 1964. A SHORT HISTORY OF THE HEBREWS, Oxford Press

Runes D., 1959. DICTIONARY OF JUDAISM, Citadel Press

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