Architectural Models from Tel Tsaf, Central Jordan Valley, Israel
A Glimpse of the Superstructure and Roof of Late Prehistoric Buildings
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6016522 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Freikman (0000-0002-8181-6700), David Ben-Shlomo (0000-0003-4769-9747), Y Garfinkel (0000-0001-6685-9190) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Issue | 47-2 |
| Publication date | 2021-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Paléorient (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0153-9345 • E-ISSN: 1957-701X |
| Publisher | OpenEdition (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.4000/paleorient.1215 |
| OpenAlex | W4214931111 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
Three-dimensional models of buildings, made of clay or stone, are very rarely attested in the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, or Early Bronze Age southern Levant. The assemblage of nine clay models found at Tel Tsaf, radiometrically dated to 5200-4800 BC, is unique, helping to fill a gap in our understanding of this phenomenon in late prehistory. This paper presents the assemblage, discusses its symbolic value, and shows how it provides a glimpse of the superstructure and roof of late prehistoric buildings. The analysis of the fragments, as well as their spatial distribution and numerous parallels found in different parts of the Old World, brought us to the conclusion that these architectural models were visual representations of part of the local religious cosmology. These models should probably be related to beliefs pertaining to the netherworld, and may be regarded as precursors of the Late Chalcolithic ossuaries in both their form and their meaning in the eyes of their makers
Ancient history · Archaeology · Assemblage (archaeology · Bronze Age · Chalcolithic · Geography · Parallels · Prehistory · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Engineering · History
Sealings before cities
A stamped sealing from Middle Chalcolithic Tel Tsaf
The Zoomorphic Figurines from Sha'ar Hagolan
Excavations at Tall Arpachiyah, 1933
A House Model from Popudnya, Cucuteni-Tripolye Culture, Ukraine
Houses in the Archaeology of the Tripillia—Cucuteni Groups
Back to Tel Tsaf
Sde-Eliyahu Water-Reservoir The 1955 Excavation of a Chalcolithic Site in The Central Jordan Valley
The Flint Industry of Tel Tsaf, A Middle Chalcolithic Site in The Jordan Valley, Israel
A Specialized Ceramic Assemblage for Water Pulling
Feasting between the Revolutions
A Note on Chalcolithic Ossuary Jars
Excavations at Tel Tsaf
Archaeobotanical remains from late 6th/early 5th millennium BC Tel Tsaf, Israel
Expediting Reincarnation in the Fifth Millennium BCE
Expanding the Dimensions of Early Agricultural Tells
Animate Decoration in the Burial Chamber
Neolithic and Chalcolithic Sites in the Valley of Beth-Shan
Chalcolithic Ossuaries and “Houses for the Dead”
Tel Tsaf and the Impact of the Ubaid Culture on the Southern Levant
Large-scale storage of grain surplus in the sixth millennium BC
Large-scale storage and storage symbolism in the ancient Near East
A late neolithic foundation offering from Thessaly
New Light on Long-Distance Ties in the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic Near East
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |