‘Ajjul, Tell El-

RENEWED EXCAVATIONS

The renewed excavations at Tell el-‘Ajjul, directed by P. M. Fischer and M. Sadeq, began in 1999 following a gap of more than 60 years since W. F. Petrie’s excavations. The results of the first season confirmed the high potential for continued archaeological research within the 5,000-sq-m fenced area on the present summit of the tell, directly to the southeast of Petrie’s “Palace” area. Approximately 300 sq m were partially excavated during two seasons. A minor part of the excavated area revealed traces of earlier excavations, conceivably from Petrie’s expeditions of the 1930s, for which all documentation is lacking.

EXCAVATION RESULTS

ARCHITECTURE. Of the eight occupational phases exposed, H8–H2 contain architectural remains. These phases ended in conflagrations; however, surviving walls were reincorporated into new constructions. Five main architectural phases were identified (H8, H7-6, H5A–B, H4-3, and H2A–B), four of which contain a clear sub-phase, reflected in repairs carried out following limited destruction. The oldest occupational phase, H8, is the only phase in which substantial stone walls were built directly on virgin soil, unusual at a site where sun-dried mud brick was generally used. The excavators tentatively conclude that these walls may have belonged to an administrative building. All structures in phase H8 are oriented northwest–southeast. The basic building plans of H5 and H4-3 are similar. There is a structure to the north, only a minor part of which has been exposed, making interpretation problematic. This structure likely faces an open space/road to the southwest, approximately 2.5 m wide, separating it from a larger building to the south. The building to the south covers an area of at least 20 m in a north–south direction and 15 m east–west. Interpretation of that building’s function must await the results of continued excavation.

POTTERY AND SMALL FINDS. The imported pottery provides the possibility of cross-dating imports from Cyprus (predominating with a total of 830 sherds/vessels in H8 to H1/colluvial soil), Egypt (a total of 31 sherds/vessels), and the Jordan Valley (a total of 55 sherds/vessels). Cypriot imports are base-ring I and II, bichrome wheel-made, red and black slip, monochrome, red lustrous wheel-made, red-on-black/red-on-red, white-painted V/VI, white-shaved, and white-slip I and II wares. There are also 22 sherds of black lustrous wheel-made ware. Egyptian and Egyptian-style pottery is represented by shallow bowls and piriform and carinated jars, the latter two imported from Upper Egypt. Imports originating from the Jordan Valley and southern Lebanon are chocolate-on-white bichrome, chocolate-on-white I and II, and eggshell ware. There are two sherds of gray ware bowls, which are imports from the Middle Euphrates and constitute a link to Anatolia and northern Syria. There is a half-preserved Late Helladic IIIA2/B1 Mycenean-type small jar and four body sherds of possible Mycenean origin.

Small finds include five scarabs from the second part of the Fifteenth (Hyksos) Dynasty, four from the area of occupation and one from a tomb. Others are bronze objects, among them needles, toggle pins, an armor limb cover, and jewelry, including a ring and a bead. A small bowl, a silver pendant, sheet gold with the image of Hathor, and a gold pendant are noteworthy. Stone objects include a calcite dagger pommel and basalt bowls. There are also some earthenware figurines, one in Egyptian style, faience objects, and some incised bone plaques, one of which depicts the hind part of a feline.

TOMBS. Four burials and three additional features that are very likely remains of burials were discovered. Two of the burials are undisturbed and provide the possibility of dating by means of the associated burial gifts. The oldest burial is from the Middle Bronze Age III or perhaps its end, and the second is from the beginning of the Late Bronze Age.

CHRONOLOGY

Phases H8 to H1B are preliminarily dated within the later part of the Middle Bronze Age and the Late Bronze Age IIA/B respectively. The most recent dates, which are based on fairly rich finds, contradict the assumption of other scholars that the site was almost totally abandoned at the end of the Late Bronze Age I. The preliminary relative chronology of the sequences of occupation can be studied in the table below.

Neutron activation analysis of 48 pieces of pumice from Tell el-‘Ajjul was conducted in order to identify its volcanic source. The vast majority of the stratified pumice samples (41 samples or >95 percent) come from the “Minoan” eruption of the Thera/Santorini volcano. Also demonstrated was the absence of pumice in H6 and lower layers as compared to 23 pumice samples of Theran provenance in H5 and subsequent horizons, with 56 percent of all pumice samples in a single horizon (H5). These observations suggest that the Thera volcano erupted after H6.

The following is a preliminary chronology based on the new data from Tell el-‘Ajjul:

PETER M. FISCHER, MOAIN SADEQ

RENEWED EXCAVATIONS

The renewed excavations at Tell el-‘Ajjul, directed by P. M. Fischer and M. Sadeq, began in 1999 following a gap of more than 60 years since W. F. Petrie’s excavations. The results of the first season confirmed the high potential for continued archaeological research within the 5,000-sq-m fenced area on the present summit of the tell, directly to the southeast of Petrie’s “Palace” area. Approximately 300 sq m were partially excavated during two seasons. A minor part of the excavated area revealed traces of earlier excavations, conceivably from Petrie’s expeditions of the 1930s, for which all documentation is lacking.

EXCAVATION RESULTS

ARCHITECTURE. Of the eight occupational phases exposed, H8–H2 contain architectural remains. These phases ended in conflagrations; however, surviving walls were reincorporated into new constructions. Five main architectural phases were identified (H8, H7-6, H5A–B, H4-3, and H2A–B), four of which contain a clear sub-phase, reflected in repairs carried out following limited destruction. The oldest occupational phase, H8, is the only phase in which substantial stone walls were built directly on virgin soil, unusual at a site where sun-dried mud brick was generally used. The excavators tentatively conclude that these walls may have belonged to an administrative building. All structures in phase H8 are oriented northwest–southeast. The basic building plans of H5 and H4-3 are similar. There is a structure to the north, only a minor part of which has been exposed, making interpretation problematic. This structure likely faces an open space/road to the southwest, approximately 2.5 m wide, separating it from a larger building to the south. The building to the south covers an area of at least 20 m in a north–south direction and 15 m east–west. Interpretation of that building’s function must await the results of continued excavation.