Δευτέρα 6 Σεπτεμβρίου 2010

Who are you calling a Philistine? An intereview of archaeologist Dr Louise Hitchcock, excavator of Tell es-Safi/Gath (Israel)

Who are you calling a Philistine?

Volume 6 Number 9 September 6 - October 10 2010

University of Melbourne Archaeology PhD candidate, Amanda Mae Rose, holds a sealing, a device used to protect the contents of letters, jars, and even storerooms. Photograph courtesy Dr Louise A Hitchcock.
University of Melbourne Archaeology PhD candidate, Amanda Mae Rose, holds a sealing, a device used to protect the contents of letters, jars, and even storerooms. Photograph courtesy Dr Louise A Hitchcock.

For the past four years, archaeologist Dr Louise Hitchcock has led a team of University of Melbourne students to dig at the site of Tell es-Safi/Gath in Israel. Voice spoke to Dr Hitchcock about her annual excursion as an area supervisor and the experience and training this offers students to work on an archaeological field at the crossroads of the Aegean, Canaanite, Israelite and Egyptian civilisations.

Where is Tell es-Safi/Gath?

Tell es-Safi/Gath is a commanding mound located on the border between the Judean foothills (the Shephelah) and the coastal plain (Philistia), approximately half way between Jerusalem and Ashkelon. At about 100 acres in size, it is one of the largest and most important pre-Classical archaeological sites in Israel, including remains from the Chalcolithic period through to the Crusader period.

How many students accompanied you on this dig?

I usually take around eight students, but thanks to recent funding by the Australian Research Council, this year I was able to triple the size of my excavation team to 24 students, from first-years through to postgraduates. Each year we are lucky enough to work closely with Professor Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University.

What is the historical context of the site?

Tell es-Safi/Gath is famous for being traditionally known as the biblical home of Goliath. It is also associated with the migration of and settlement by Aegean peoples after the collapse of Mycenaean civilisation at the end of the Bronze Age, around 1180 BCE. Our team works in the Philistine sector of the site where we’ve found locally-produced Mycenaean IIIC pottery just below the surface, along with evidence for ritual feasting, monumental architecture, and habitation areas.

How does this excursion align with your academic interests?

My interest in the Philistines stems from my specialisation in the archaeology of Prehistoric Greece and Cyprus, and in investigating the multicultural identity of the Philistines, which contains Aegean, Canaanite, Cypriot, and Anatolian components as well as influences from the neighbouring Egyptian civilisation.

Philistine material culture has many features associated with Cyprus and Aegean Greece including the introduction of hearths which were used alongside the Canaanite tabun (bread oven), notched animal scapulae associated with Cypriot culture, ceremonial vessels such as animal head cups, Aegean-style reel-shaped loom-weights, the earliest hydraulic plaster in the Levant, Aegean-style cooking pots, and feasting remains including pork. This distinguishes the Philistine culture from surrounding groups. Working at the site is a chance to study the emergence of a new cultural group.

Has your work at Tell es-Safi/Gath shed new light on old myths?

To be a ‘Philistine’ has entered our language to mean uncouth or barbaric, a perception deeply situated in biblical thought. Just as the Greeks described non-Greek neighbours as ‘Barbarians,’ so too did the biblical writers describe people settled along the southern coast of the Levant in derogatory terms. In contrast, our research at Tell es-Safi/Gath demonstrates that the Philistines were a sophisticated and artistic urban culture that positively influenced the surrounding region.

What new discoveries did your team make on this trip?

We made a lot of new and important finds. In one area, we found a new bread oven and floor areas with organic remains known as phytoliths and a large amphora. In excavating beneath the hydraulic cement we excavated last year, we uncovered a foundation deposit consisting of three cups. Foundation deposits often mark important building projects and the hydraulic cement we uncovered marks the earliest use of such a material in the Levant and has its closest parallel in Minoan Crete.

We also excavated a large courtyard area and found an array of items including a complete juglet, an undecorated sealing, and jewellery. The jewellery included a gold earring, a silver bead, and several faience and carnelian beads. We also began a scientific study of the chisel marks on a pavement uncovered in 2009, and obtained a 10th century BCE radiocarbon date for organic material found in the hearth which we uncovered in 2008.

The discovery of a second deposit of some remains of feasting included an assortment of animal bones, broken Mycenaean-style cups, and a bull figurine. This suggests that the area we’re excavating is closely associated with the Philistine temple located approximately 20 metres to the west.

We also completed a preliminary reading of the bones from feasting deposits we excavated in 2008 and 2009, which included a surprising array of food sources as well as ritual material that included a plaque of the goddess Astarte and an iron blade – a material introduced to the region by the Philistines.

In addition to the usual cattle, sheep, fish, and pig bones, we also identified dog and tortoise among the variety of animals used for food. Whereas grain was a staple in daily life in ancient times, consumption of a wide array of meat types points to a special occasion such as ritual feasting or special events sponsored by elites.

What’s on the horizon for your next excursion?

Our goal for the 2011 season is to expand our area horizontally in order to undertake a large exposure of the earliest Philistine levels of the site. A greater horizontal exposure will make it possible to improve our understanding of the daily life of the Philistines.

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