1. Overview of the Late Bronze Age in Canaan

2. Goals for Today
understand why different chronological labels exist (e.g., LB I, II, III & LB I, IA, IIA, IIB).
understand transition from MB to LB
understand Egyptian Role in Late Bronze
understand general character of Late Bronze Age in Canaan

3. Transition from MB to LB
Both Ami Mazar and Rivka Gonen start the LB with Ahmose’s expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt
This is the start of the 18th Dynasty
The expulsion of the Hyksos allows Egypt to reassert its control in Canaan

4. Dynasties and Kingdoms
Old Kingdom: 3-6 Dynasties
time of pyramids
Middle Kingdom: Dynasties
ruled from Thebes
Hyksos period: Dynasties
New Kingdom: Dynasties
20th Dynasty and beyond goes to Greek conquest

5. Hyksos Rule

6. Expulsion of Hyksos

7. Expulsion of Hyksos Ahmose reigns from 1570 to 1546 B.C.E.
Ahmose captures Avaris in Nile Delata about 1560 B.C.E.
later in an unknown year, Ahmose defeats the Hyksos in Canaan

8. Start of Late Bronze Age
Gonen and Mazar starts with 1550 (the end of the expulsion of the Hyksos)
In reality, this is approximate

9. Thutmose III first campaign was in 1482 decisive victory at Megiddo
he established control of Egypt in Canaan
he leads Egypt to it’s strongest point
thus, his reign is central for Ami Mazar’s chronology

10. Thutmose III

13. Campaign to Megiddo

14. Amarna Period Both Gonen and Mazar have this as a separate period
Gonen: LB II:
Mazar: LBIIA:
Again, both are approximate

15. 19th Dynasty came to power ~1300 w/ Sethi I and Rameses II
reasserted control over Asia Minor
moved capital to border of Sinai in delta
most scholars identify this with period of Exodus
? Sethi I is Pharaoh who enslaves Israelite
? Rameses II is Pharaoh of Exodus

16. End of Late Bronze Age Mazar has LB IIB: 1300 - 1200 B.C.E.
this is the 19th dynasty
Gonen has LB III: B.C.E.
this is 19th and start of 20th
this matches more the archaeological data
Mazar is more historical and Gonen has attempted to integrate archaeological data
both are still approximate

17. Character of Late Bronze Age
Egyptians devastated Canaan
Some scholars question if Egypt conquered Canaan, but should not be accepted
archaeological data suggests Egyptians conquered Canaan
epigraphic data is scarce and can be interpreted several ways
In any case, settlement in Canaan is much more scarce during Late Bronze Age

18. Number of Sites

19. Area of Settlement (hectares)

20. Lack of Fortification in general, Late Bronze sites were not fortified
exception is Hazor
example of non-walled city is Megiddo (even though it has gate)

21. Hazor

22. LBA Hazor: Temple

23. LBA Hazor

24. Hazor: burnt brick

25. Megiddo: gate w/o wall

26. Late Bronze Age Megiddo

27. Subdivisions of Iron Age
Until mid-sixties
Iron Age I: /900 B.C.E.
Iron Age II: B.C.E.
Aharoni and Amiran (1958 following Hazor)
Iron Age I: B.C.E.
Iron Age II: B.C.E.
Iron Age III: B.C.E.
Aharoni and Amiran is from the article we read earlier; what were their reasons?

28. Historical Reasons for Subdivisions
notice that each of the systems uses key historical dates
1200
1000
920
840
586
this is because historical events change the material culture in many cases

29. Historical events near the end of the Bronze Age
Hittite empire is in decline
Egyptian empire is in decline
many destructions in Hittite and Egyptian controlled areas
sites in Canaan are also destroyed
reasons are probably famine and external forces that defeat these people
Thus, the international trade contacts that characterized the Late Bronze Age die out

30. Origination of new peoples:
Israel
Philistia
Edom
Moab
Phoenicians in Canaan
Importation of Mycenean and Cypriot pottery ceases
trade routes were affected, so imports fall
international contact falls off

31. “Transition Sites”
Many sites were destroyed at end of the Late Bronze Age and then resettled immediately with an Egyptian influence, but there were not “imports”
Nice example: Lachish
Stratum VII: Fosse Temple (LB w/ imports)
Stratum VI: Iron Age Ia without imports
Lachish can be used for both end of Iron Age in 1200 and in 1150

32. Fosse Temple
Area S