The Middle Bronze Age Tomb Of Tell El Burak

Tell el-Burak is located in southern Lebanon, between Sidon and Sarafand. Excava tions by a joint AUB - University of Tubingen- GAI expedition started in Septemb er 2001. The aim of this archaeological project was to investigate the settlemen t formation of Lebanese coastal sites. Tell el-Burak yielded Middle Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Medieval Islamic remains. On the Tell summit, the Middle Bronze Ag e is represented by a massive mud-brick building and a pit burial, which is the subject of this thesis. The Tell el-Burak tomb was found in a very bad preservation state. It contained the remains of at least five individuals buried with ceramic vessels and bone in lays, all of which were highly damaged. The material studied consisted of 25 dia gnostic pottery sherds, in addition to two complete piriform juglets, Tell el-Ya hudiyeh ware with a so far unattested shape, and fragmented bone inlays. The rec onstruction and the study of the funerary material was essential for the dating of the mud-brick building because erosion had destroyed all its occupation floor s, making dating difficult if not impossible. The present study is a detailed description and discussion of the archaeological and stratigraphic context of the Middle Bronze Age tomb. It determined the tomb 's relationship to the neighboring mud-brick building and helped narrowing down the date of the latter's construction and use. This study also includes a comparison of the Tell el-Burak tomb and of its funer ary contents with other Middle Bronze Age tombs in Lebanon. This comparative stu dy helped place the Tell el-Burak discovery in its historical context and emphas ized its contribution to the understanding of Middle Bronze Age funerary traditi ons in Lebanon.

A unique monumental building dating to the early part of the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1900-1700 BCE) was uncovered at the southern Lebanese coast by the joint Lebanese-German excavation project at Tell el-Burak. The impressive architecture of the building was exposed in eight excavation seasons during the years 2001-2011. Inside the largest room of the Monumental Building at Tell el-Burak the excavations brought to light the sensational discovery of Middle Bronze Age mural paintings in situ on lime plaster covering the inner faces of its completely preserved mud-brick walls. This volume edited by Jens Kamlah and Helene Sader consists of the final publications of all excavation results concerning the Middle Bronze Age at Tell el- Burak. It furthermore includes an introduction into the joint Lebanese-German excavation project, chapters related to the site and the final publication of the excavated remains of the Late Medieval Period.

Analysis of the finds from an important Middle Bronze Age cemetery in southern Israel excavated in 1928/1929 by Flinders Petrie.

Tell el- Burak is located in southern Lebanon, between Saida and Sarafand. Excavations by a joint AUB- University of Tubingen- GAI expedition started in September 2001. The aim of this archaeological project was to investigate settle ment formation on the Lebanese coast. Tell el- Burak has been the focus of three continuous excavation seasons (2001- 2003) that have uncovered three areas of architectural finds, dating to the Mamluk/ Ottoman Period, and the Iron and Middle Bronze Ages. In Area I a Mamluk/ Ottoman Period structure was found overlaying a monumental mud- brick building. Area II yielded a massive wall that was first built in the Middle Bron ze Age and rebuilt later in the Iron Age. In Area III buildings dating from the Middle Iron Age (c. 800 B.C.) through to the Late Persian Period (c. 400 B.C.) were uncovered. Nearly 20, 000 sherds of pottery that belong to the Middle Bronze Age were found during the course of the exacavations. These were examined for chronologic al and geological information, to help understand the settlements historical contex t and economic role within the MBA. This study has helped confidently date the mud- brick building of Area I and retaining wall of Area II to the MBA II. In addition, this study has also improv ed our understanding of some the manufacturing traditions of ceramics during the MBA at Tell el- Burak and their relationship to the later Iron Age ones.

An up-to-date, systematic depiction of Bronze Age societies of the Levant, their evolution, and their interactions and entanglements with neighboring regions.

Analysis of the finds from an important Middle Bronze Age cemetery in southern Israel excavated in 1928/1929 by Flinders Petrie.