Sometimes Defence is Just an Excuse
Fortification Walls of the Southern Levantine Early Bronze Age
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6044826 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hai Ashkenazi (0000-0002-4096-1311, Tel Aviv University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 45-67 |
| Publication date | 2020-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cambridge Archaeological Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0959-7743 • E-ISSN: 1474-0540 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0959774319000325 |
| OpenAlex | W2979688462 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 61 |
The Early Bronze Age (EBA) of the southern Levant was the first period in which many sites became fortified. This process reached its climax during the latter part of the period (namely Early Bronze III). Until recently, most scholars saw this phenomenon as an indication that the period was characterized by a high level of organized conflict. The following article analyses the fortifications of eight EBA sites, as well as other markers of warfare, and argues that the period's fortifications were not as tactically efficient as they seem. Furthermore, other markers of war are generally missing. It seems that the period's fortifications were built mainly to demonstrate a town's might and power while deterring potential attackers. Taking into account the rise of social complexity during the period, they were also used to consolidate the society through the construction process and possibly to control movement and serve as a boundary marker. Incipient leaders, who planned and coordinated the construction, used possible threats and the construction process to aggrandize themselves as being the ‘protectors’ of the settlement
Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Bronze · Bronze Age · Excuse · Fortification · Human settlement · Iron Age · Political science · Southern Levant · Ancient Near East History · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Historical Studies · History · Law
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| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,6 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2024 (4) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |