Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-grxwn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-27T01:01:39.470Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dating a Chalcolithic Burial Cave in Peqi'in, Upper Galilee, Israel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Dror Segal ,
Israel Carmi ,
Zvi Gal ,
Howard Smithline  and
Dina Shalem
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In May 1995 an impressive karstic cave possessing dozens of burials dating to the main phase of the Chalcolithic Period (ca. 4500–3500 bce) was discovered in Peqi'in in the high hills of Galilee in northern Israel. It was subsequently excavated over the course of the following months. The large amount of unique ceramic ossuaries and the variety of burial offerings shed light, for the first time, on this critical societal development period in a region where its remains have rarely been found. Although the major significance of the cave is as a mortuary center, it was also utilized in a domestic capacity some centuries previously, during the generally less familiar Early Chalcolithic Period. We present here the dating of 22 14C samples collected from these separate phases of cave use. Their interpretation should aid in understanding of the absolute dating of the Chalcolithic Period and its relation to the period preceding its inception.

Type
Part 2: Applications
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 40 , Issue 2: 16th International Radiocarbon Conference June 16-20, 1997 Part 2: Applications, Conference Editors: Willem G. Mook Johannes van der Plicht , 1997 , pp. 707 - 712
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

Bar-Adon, P. 1980 The Cave of the Treasure: The Finds from the Cave in Nahal Mishmar. Judean Desert Studies. Jerusalem, Israel Exploration Society: 243 p.Google Scholar
Carmi, I., Epstein, C. and Segal, D. 1995 Radiocarbon dates from Chalcolithic sites in the Golan. Atiqot 26: 207–209.Google Scholar
Carmi, I., Segal, D., Goring-Morris, A. N. and Gopher, A. 1994 Dating the Prehistoric site Nahal Issaron, Israel. Radiocarbon 36(3): 391–398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Epstein, C. 1978 A New Aspect of Chalcolithic Culture. Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research 229: 27–45.Google Scholar
Epstein, C. and Noy, T. 1988 Observations concerning Perforated Flint Tools from Chalcolithic Palestine. Paleorient 14: 133–141.Google Scholar
Gal, Z., Smithline, H. and Shalem, D. 1995 Peqi'in. Hadashot Archeologiot 104: 20–22 (in Hebrew).Google Scholar
Gal, Z., Smithline, H. and Shalem, D. 1996 A Chalcolithic Burial Cave at Peqi'in. Qadmoniot 111: 19–24.Google Scholar
Perrot, J. 1959 Statuettes en ivoire et autres objets en ivoire et en os provenant des gisments préhistoriques de la région de Beersheba. Syria 36: 8–19.Google Scholar
Segal, D. and Carmi, I. 1996 Rehovot radiocarbon date list V. Atiqot 29: 79–106.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. and Reimer, P. J. 1993 Extended 14C data base and revised CALIB 3.0 14C age calibration program. In Stuiver, M., Long, A. and Kra, R. S., eds., Calibration 1993. Radiocarbon 35(1): 215–230.Google Scholar
Sukenik, E. L. 1937 A Chalcolithic necropolis at Hadera. Journal of the Palestine Oriental Society 17:15–30.Google Scholar