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C O U R S E L E C T U R E Bronze Age vs. Iron Age Material Culture Notes taken on July 14, 2015 by Edward Tanguay |
the end of the Last Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age
marks major shift in material culture of central hill country
beginning in 13th century
both sides of the Jordan River
a significant rise in the number of small, agricultural settlements
people who occupied these settlements originated from various places
their material culture differed greatly from the Last Bronze Age
differed from the urban centers in the low lands and coastal plains
often very elaborately decorated
decorations on pottery can mark class divisions
is unembellished, plain, even ugly
utilitarian and functional
Israel begins to merge into the population in the Highlands
simplicity of pottery could be due to the poor economic conditions
but as they become more populated and more complex through Iron Age II
the period of the Israeli states and Judah
continues to be the same simple pottery as in Iron Age I
the same can be said for imported wares
this is in contrast to the Hill Country of the Last Bronze Age and also coast areas in the Iron Age
this can be said for the variety of ceramics as well
change in pottery corresponds to other features
open-air sacred places rather than temples
William Foxwell Albright
claim that this represents an egalitarian ethos
late Bronze Age: Canaan ruled as Egyptian imperial province
the Egyptian court appointed governors and it was their job to make sure that Canaan served the Egyptian empire
led to a stratified society
officers, lower and higher classes
was the most international area at this time in history
- something we use to demarcate ourselves as having wealth and not having wealth
Iron Age: withdrawal of Egyptians
yet a people came together
if it had not been for the success of this society in the hill country during this time
there would have been little for the authors of the Bible to collect and reshape after the empires of the East destroyed their society