early bronze age

early bronze age Latest

Dec 2 Blog

First Person: Did the Kingdoms of Saul, David and Solomon Actually Exist?

In BAR, Hershel Shanks examines a recent article published by archaeologist Amihai Mazar. Mazar contends that while the Biblical narratives were written hundreds of years after the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon, they “retain memories of reality.”

A helmeted god stands guard over one of the principal entrances to ancient Hattusa. From the 17th to the early 12th century B.C., Hattusa served as the capital of the Hittite empire. Credit: Gianni Dagli Orti/Corbis

Aug 10 Blog

The Last Days of Hattusa

By: Trevor Bryce

In the latter part of the second millennium B.C., the Hittite empire was a Near Eastern superpower. Then, suddenly, the empire collapsed and Hattusa was invaded and destroyed.

Jan 30 Blog

The Edomite Stronghold of Sela

By: Glenn J. Corbett

King Amaziah of Judah (c. 801–783 B.C.E.), after having slain nearly 10,000 Edomites in battle near the southern end of the Dead Sea, is said to have thrown another 10,000 captives from the top of nearby Sela.

Nov 4 Blog

Early Urbanization in Ancient Canaan

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Excavators with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered what is likely the oldest temple ever discovered in the Shephelah region of central Israel. Dating […]

Feb 18 Blog

Who Were the Minoans?

By: Noah Wiener

Crete’s Minoan civilization has long been considered Europe’s first great Bronze Age society. But who were the Minoans? A recent DNA study suggests that the Minoan civilization comprised of local Europeans rather than outsiders.

Sep 28 Blog

The Ruins That Remain

By: Dan Pioske

In Book 8 of the Periegesis, written by the ancient Greek historian Pausanias, we come across an extended description of the city of Megalopolis located […]

Feb 11 Blog

Five Ways to Defend an Ancient City

By: Oded Borowski

Fortifications in the Biblical World What distinguished an ancient village or town from a city? One thing, perhaps the most important, was fortifications. […]

Nov 14 Blog

Early Bronze Age: Megiddo’s Great Temple and the Birth of Urban Culture in the Levant

By: Noah Wiener

Megiddo’s Great Temple is a structure that, according to its excavators, “has proven to be the most monumental single edifice so far uncovered in the EB I Levant and ranks among the largest structures of its time in the Near East.”

Ancient Fingerprints at Tell es-Safi/Gath

Jun 17 Blog

Archaeological Forensics

By: Marek Dospěl

“Pottery-making was not a solitary affair; it was not limited to adults or highly experienced potters,” remarks Kent D. Fowler, Professor in the Department of […]

Mar 29 Blog

Which Altar Was the Right One in Ancient Israelite Religion?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

What do Iron Age altars tell us about Biblical sacrifices and worship in ancient Israelite religion?

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