Ex-territorial rituals and inter-cultural encounters in the Early Bronze Age Levant: a reconsideration of the Mitzpe Shalem site cluster

Samuel Atkins; Uri Davidovich

doi:10.1080/00758914.2023.2191464

Ex-territorial rituals and inter-cultural encounters in the Early Bronze Age Levant: a reconsideration of the Mitzpe Shalem site cluster

Samuel Atkins^*, Uri Davidovich

^*Corresponding author for this work

Institute of Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The role of marginal areas in the dynamic relations between mobile and sedentary groups in Early Bronze Age Levant is examined through the site cluster of Mitzpe Shalem. This morphologically anomalous cluster was discovered and excavated more than 50 years ago, yet its function has not been subject to rigorous archaeological analysis. A holistic reconsideration of various aspects of the site cluster, including its geographic situation, morphology and artifact distributions, suggests an inter-cultural engagement centre with ties to multiple socio-cultural spheres. An integrative analysis of the remains indicates that encounters at the cluster were oriented around a transformative ritual performance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	78-100
Number of pages	23
Journal	Levant
Volume	55
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/00758914.2023.2191464
State	Published - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Council for British Research in the Levant 2023.

Keywords

Dead Sea
Early Bronze Age
Judean Desert
Mitzpe Shalem
connectivity
morphology
ritual
spatial analysis

Access to Document

10.1080/00758914.2023.2191464

Cite this

@article{b2a7fa9b62284b9ebb8b095a7a9542da,

title = "Ex-territorial rituals and inter-cultural encounters in the Early Bronze Age Levant: a reconsideration of the Mitzpe Shalem site cluster",

abstract = "The role of marginal areas in the dynamic relations between mobile and sedentary groups in Early Bronze Age Levant is examined through the site cluster of Mitzpe Shalem. This morphologically anomalous cluster was discovered and excavated more than 50 years ago, yet its function has not been subject to rigorous archaeological analysis. A holistic reconsideration of various aspects of the site cluster, including its geographic situation, morphology and artifact distributions, suggests an inter-cultural engagement centre with ties to multiple socio-cultural spheres. An integrative analysis of the remains indicates that encounters at the cluster were oriented around a transformative ritual performance.",

keywords = "Dead Sea, Early Bronze Age, Judean Desert, Mitzpe Shalem, connectivity, morphology, ritual, spatial analysis",

author = "Samuel Atkins and Uri Davidovich",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Council for British Research in the Levant 2023.",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.1080/00758914.2023.2191464",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "55",

pages = "78--100",

journal = "Levant",

issn = "0075-8914",

publisher = "Maney Publishing",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ex-territorial rituals and inter-cultural encounters in the Early Bronze Age Levant

T2 - a reconsideration of the Mitzpe Shalem site cluster

AU - Atkins, Samuel

AU - Davidovich, Uri

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Council for British Research in the Levant 2023.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - The role of marginal areas in the dynamic relations between mobile and sedentary groups in Early Bronze Age Levant is examined through the site cluster of Mitzpe Shalem. This morphologically anomalous cluster was discovered and excavated more than 50 years ago, yet its function has not been subject to rigorous archaeological analysis. A holistic reconsideration of various aspects of the site cluster, including its geographic situation, morphology and artifact distributions, suggests an inter-cultural engagement centre with ties to multiple socio-cultural spheres. An integrative analysis of the remains indicates that encounters at the cluster were oriented around a transformative ritual performance.

AB - The role of marginal areas in the dynamic relations between mobile and sedentary groups in Early Bronze Age Levant is examined through the site cluster of Mitzpe Shalem. This morphologically anomalous cluster was discovered and excavated more than 50 years ago, yet its function has not been subject to rigorous archaeological analysis. A holistic reconsideration of various aspects of the site cluster, including its geographic situation, morphology and artifact distributions, suggests an inter-cultural engagement centre with ties to multiple socio-cultural spheres. An integrative analysis of the remains indicates that encounters at the cluster were oriented around a transformative ritual performance.

KW - Dead Sea

KW - Early Bronze Age

KW - Judean Desert

KW - Mitzpe Shalem

KW - connectivity

KW - morphology

KW - ritual

KW - spatial analysis

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85152407229&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/00758914.2023.2191464

DO - 10.1080/00758914.2023.2191464

M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???

AN - SCOPUS:85152407229

SN - 0075-8914

VL - 55

SP - 78

EP - 100

JO - Levant

JF - Levant

IS - 1

ER -

Ex-territorial rituals and inter-cultural encounters in the Early Bronze Age Levant: a reconsideration of the Mitzpe Shalem site cluster

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this