3 - A spatial analysis of Iron II Judahite settlements

Summary

Introduction

Household archaeology, coupled with Goody's aspects and phases of food preparation, can be applied to answer archaeological questions concerned with domestic food preparation. The spatial analysis of household archaeology, combined with Goody's food-preparation paradigm, provides a solid methodology for this research by analyzing and documenting any change in artifacts and techniques.

Both expected and unexpected variables have made the analysis of this research difficult. Such variables include: the existence of excavated, documented, and published dwellings in urban and rural environments in Iron IIB–C Judah; natural and cultural formation processes at those sites, such as water erosion, wind erosion, slope wash, floralturbation (disturbance caused by plants), faunalturbation (disturbance caused by animals), resettlement, and the secondary use of both architectural and artifactual remains; the method of excavation, documentation, and publication; the availability of published and non-published information (especially on the rural sites); the existence of food-preparation artifacts within the dwellings at the chosen settlements; the possibility of dwellings and artifacts having been excavated without a sensitivity to spatial analysis; and the lack of, disregard for, or mishandling of zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical remains or residue within the dwelling or artifacts.

As indicated in the previous chapter, the choice of archaeological sites in Judah has been based on three features: (1) sites must have occupation layers in the Iron IIB–C periods; (2) each site must have documented, excavated dwellings; and (3) various types of sites or settlements must be chosen in order to account for size and type variables.