Ram Gophna

The beginning of olive (olea europaea) cultivation in the old world: A reassessment

Abstract The olive was one of the first fruit trees cultivated by man. It has been claimed that cultivation of the olive began in Israel during the Chalcolithic Period. Careful botanical examination of pollen grains, stones and wood remains gathered from living trees and from archaeological contexts show that it is impossible to distinguish between wild and cultivated olives. The ample remnants of olive found in archaeological contexts, together with other finds, such as pottery vessels, oil lamps, and olive oil installations, indicate that the earliest widespread use of olives in Israel was in the Early Bronze Age.

Cultures of the eighth and seventh millennia BP in the southern Levant: A review for the 1990s

The Pottery Neolithic of the southern Levant (the eighth and seventh millennia BP) was a crucial period in which the foundations were laid for the development of complex societies and urban civilization. This article summarizes the current state of research in this area during this period. Past and present research in Israel and Jordan is reviewed, and methodological problems in fieldwork and analysis are discussed. We attempt a systematic definition of the archaeological entities. For each such entity, we present the available data on chronostratigraphy, characteristics of the material culture (including lithics, ceramics and architecture), burial customs, figurines and images, economy, and site-distribution. While the Yarmukian and Jericho IX occupied territories of similar size and seem to represent entities on the scale of a “culture,” the later Wadi Raba entity extended over a larger area and was of longer duration. A chronostratigraphic summary is presented, and the major entities are compared in terms of site-types, economy, burials, and geographical distribution.

Chalcolithic Settlements in the Western Samaria Foothills

Abstract This paper presents new data on the history of the Chalcolithic settlement system in western Samaria and offers a picture of the Chalcolithic occupation of the countrys highlands. Pottery assemblages found in the area suggest that clay vessels were locally produced. Given the particular assemblage types it can now be assumed that they served sedentary agrarian populations.

Feinan and the Mediterranean During the Early Bronze Age

Abstract This paper proposes that data on metallurgical activity at Feinan in the Early Bronze Age, combined with data on the distribution of copper tools in Canaan during the same period, and information from new archaeological discoveries in the area of Ashkelon and Gaza, raises the possibility that trade in copper and copper products from Feinan during certain stages of the Early Bronze Age was carried out not only by overland route to Canaan, but may also have been effected by sea from Canaan to Egypt and the northern Levant.