omri yagel - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by omri yagel
Social Science Research Network, 2022
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Around 30 painted pottery sherds were selected for pXRF and Raman Spectroscopy testing to study t... more Around 30 painted pottery sherds were selected for pXRF and Raman Spectroscopy testing to study the chemical and mineralogical composition of their pigments. These sherds originated from two significant Middle Bronze Age sites located in the Southern Levant, i.e., Ashkelon and Tel Azekah, and belong to a ceramic group referred to by scholars as Red, White, and Blue Ware (RWB). Examples of this type of ceramic ware have been unearthed at multiple sites during the last century. However, hitherto no analysis of the pigments' composition has been performed. Our results demonstrate the use of three well-known pigment recipes: Red Ochre, White Lime, and Carbon Black and indicate that the pottery and pigments were locally made from available materials at each site. It is possible that the specific way in which Carbon Black was applied to the pottery was an attempt to imitate Egyptian decoration style.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
![Research paper thumbnail of Lead in the Levant during the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages [JASREP 46 (2022): 103649]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/92735101/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Probably due to its relative scarcity in the archaeological record of the Late Bronze and early I... more Probably due to its relative scarcity in the archaeological record of the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages, lead is seldom the focus of archaeometallurgical research on these periods. In the current study we turn to legacy lead isotope data in order to provenance lead artifacts from Eastern Mediterranean contexts, dated to the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE. These data shed new light on the circulation of lead in the Eastern Mediterranean prior, during and after the collapse of the Bronze Age global trade systems. We provide further support to the notion that lead from Sardinia was circulating in Eastern Mediterranean markets and reached the Levant already during the Late Bronze Age. We found that this trade was more common in the Southeastern Mediterranean (in comparison to the Northeastern Mediterranean), probably as the result of geopolitical circumstances related to the distinct spheres of influence of Egypt and Hatti at that time. Moreover, it seems that lead from Sardinia was continuously shipped towards the east also in the face of the changing geo-economical dynamics during the transition between the Bronze and Iron Ages. The data were obtained mostly through the OXALID database. The current paper also aims at emphasizing the importance of shared open access databases for lead isotopes in archaeometallurgical research.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Abstract Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest ph... more Abstract Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of Southern Levantine metallurgy (second half of the 5th millennium BCE). Multiple fragments of furnaces, crucibles and slag were excavated, and found to represent an extensive copper smelting workshop located within a distinct quarter of a settlement. Typological and chemical analyses revealed a two-stage technology (furnace-based primary smelting followed by melting/refining in crucibles), and lead isotope analysis indicated that the ore originated exclusively from Wadi Faynan (MBS Formation), more than 100 km away. These observations strengthen previous suggestions that metallurgy in this region started with furnace-based technology (possibly not locally invented). Furthermore, the absence of any artifact related to the contemporary industry of copper-based alloys indicates a high degree of craft specialization, and together with other regional observations testifies to the important role of metallurgy in the society of the Beer-sheba Valley during this formative time.
Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of So... more Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of Southern Levantine metallurgy (second half of the 5th millennium BCE). Multiple fragments of furnaces, crucibles and slag were excavated, and found to represent an extensive copper smelting workshop located within a distinct quarter of a settlement. Typological and chemical analyses revealed a two-stage technology (furnace-based primary smelting followed by melting/refining in crucibles), and lead isotope analysis indicated that the ore originated exclusively from Wadi Faynan (MBS Formation), more than 100 km away. These observations strengthen previous suggestions that metallurgy in this region started with furnace-based technology (possibly not locally invented). Furthermore, the absence of any artifact related to the contemporary industry of copper-based alloys indicates a high degree of craft specialization, and together with other regional observations testifies to the important role ...
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
![Research paper thumbnail of Ancient technology and punctuated change: Detecting the emergence of the Edomite Kingdom in the Southern Levant [PLOS ONE 14 (2019): e0221967]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/73450618/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](While the punctuated equilibrium model has been employed in paleontological and archaeological re... more While the punctuated equilibrium model has been employed in paleontological and archaeological research, it has rarely been applied for technological and social evolution in the Holo-cene. Using metallurgical technologies from the Wadi Arabah (Jordan/Israel) as a case study, we demonstrate a gradual technological development (13 th-10 th c. BCE) followed by a human agency-triggered punctuated "leap" (late-10 th c. BCE) simultaneously across the entire region (an area of ~2000 km 2). Here, we present an unparalleled, diachronic archaeo-metallurgical dataset focusing on elemental analysis of dozens of well-dated slag samples. Based on the results, we suggest punctuated equilibrium provides an innovative theoretical model for exploring ancient technological changes in relation to larger sociopolitical conditions in the case at hand the emergence of biblical Edom-, exemplifying its potential for more general cross-cultural applications.
![Research paper thumbnail of Digital mapping and soil pollution survey of an early Iron Age copper production site in Timna Valley (in Hebrew) [Pp. 59-76 in Digital Archaeology: New Research and Advanced Technologies (2020)]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/65760671/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Preliminary results of an ongoing research on the environmental impact of ancient copper industri... more Preliminary results of an ongoing research on the environmental impact of ancient copper industries (Timna Valley as a case study).
While analysis of slag material is essential for reconstructing ancient smelting technologies, th... more While analysis of slag material is essential for reconstructing ancient smelting technologies, the interpretation of the analytical data might be challenging. In this paper we address a particular question, namely the interpretation of calcium (Ca) content in copper smelting slag, based on ICP-OES/MS analysis of multiple slag samples from the copper ore district of Timna Valley (southern Israel). The new data indicate a decrease in the average calcium content in slag between the Late Bronze Age (~12th century BCE, 2.38±1.65 wt.% [n=27]) and the Iron Age (~10th century BCE, 1.17±0.91 wt.% [n=15]). Based on several lines of argument we suggest that this difference represents primarily an improvement in fuel efficiency (i.e., less fuel per smelting cycle while similar quantity of copper was produced), rather than a change in the smelting charge (flux and ore types, or charcoal species) or furnace construction materials. The new data demonstrate that a deliberate search for increasing fuel efficiency was a main trigger behind technological progress in the hyper arid zone of the southern Levantine deserts.
![Research paper thumbnail of Firing up the furnace: New insights on metallurgical practices in the Chalcolithic Southern Levant from a recently discovered copper-smelting workshop at Horvat Beter (Israel) [JASREP 33 (2020): 102578]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/64563943/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of So... more Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of Southern Levantine metallurgy (second half of the 5th millennium BCE). Multiple fragments of furnaces, crucibles and slag were excavated, and found to represent an extensive copper smelting workshop located within a distinct quarter of a settlement. Typological and chemical analyses revealed a two-stage technology (furnace-based primary smelting followed by melting/refining in crucibles), and lead isotope analysis indicated that the ore originated exclusively from Wadi Faynan (MBS Formation), more than 100 km away. These observations strengthen previous suggestions that metallurgy in this region started with furnace-based technology (possibly not locally invented). Furthermore, the absence of any artifact related to the contemporary industry of copper-based alloys indicates a high degree of craft specialization, and together with other regional observations testifies to the important role of metallurgy in the society of the Beer-sheba Valley during this formative time.
![Research paper thumbnail of Late Bronze Age copper production in Timna: new evidence from Site 3 Late Bronze Age copper production in Timna: new evidence from Site 3 [Levant 48-1 (2016):33-51]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/50826721/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](This paper presents for the first time results of two excavation seasons conducted in 1979 and 19... more This paper presents for the first time results of two excavation seasons conducted in 1979 and 1984 by the Arabah Expedition at one of the major smelting camps in the copper ore district of Timna. The results, together with new radiocarbon dates of short-lived samples from the site, demonstrate that copper production during the Late Bronze Age (13th to the first half of 12th centuries BC) was undertaken on a relatively small scale in demilitarized camps, systematically organized in a distinct area at the northern part of the Timna Valley. This production system should be associated with the Egyptian presence in the region, represented by the nearby Hathor Shrine. The new data from Site 3 also shed light on the transition to the Iron Age, a period when production peaked in the entire Arabah Valley as new copper production systems were established, replacing their predecessors entirely.
Social Science Research Network, 2022
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Around 30 painted pottery sherds were selected for pXRF and Raman Spectroscopy testing to study t... more Around 30 painted pottery sherds were selected for pXRF and Raman Spectroscopy testing to study the chemical and mineralogical composition of their pigments. These sherds originated from two significant Middle Bronze Age sites located in the Southern Levant, i.e., Ashkelon and Tel Azekah, and belong to a ceramic group referred to by scholars as Red, White, and Blue Ware (RWB). Examples of this type of ceramic ware have been unearthed at multiple sites during the last century. However, hitherto no analysis of the pigments' composition has been performed. Our results demonstrate the use of three well-known pigment recipes: Red Ochre, White Lime, and Carbon Black and indicate that the pottery and pigments were locally made from available materials at each site. It is possible that the specific way in which Carbon Black was applied to the pottery was an attempt to imitate Egyptian decoration style.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Probably due to its relative scarcity in the archaeological record of the Late Bronze and early I... more Probably due to its relative scarcity in the archaeological record of the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages, lead is seldom the focus of archaeometallurgical research on these periods. In the current study we turn to legacy lead isotope data in order to provenance lead artifacts from Eastern Mediterranean contexts, dated to the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE. These data shed new light on the circulation of lead in the Eastern Mediterranean prior, during and after the collapse of the Bronze Age global trade systems. We provide further support to the notion that lead from Sardinia was circulating in Eastern Mediterranean markets and reached the Levant already during the Late Bronze Age. We found that this trade was more common in the Southeastern Mediterranean (in comparison to the Northeastern Mediterranean), probably as the result of geopolitical circumstances related to the distinct spheres of influence of Egypt and Hatti at that time. Moreover, it seems that lead from Sardinia was continuously shipped towards the east also in the face of the changing geo-economical dynamics during the transition between the Bronze and Iron Ages. The data were obtained mostly through the OXALID database. The current paper also aims at emphasizing the importance of shared open access databases for lead isotopes in archaeometallurgical research.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Abstract Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest ph... more Abstract Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of Southern Levantine metallurgy (second half of the 5th millennium BCE). Multiple fragments of furnaces, crucibles and slag were excavated, and found to represent an extensive copper smelting workshop located within a distinct quarter of a settlement. Typological and chemical analyses revealed a two-stage technology (furnace-based primary smelting followed by melting/refining in crucibles), and lead isotope analysis indicated that the ore originated exclusively from Wadi Faynan (MBS Formation), more than 100 km away. These observations strengthen previous suggestions that metallurgy in this region started with furnace-based technology (possibly not locally invented). Furthermore, the absence of any artifact related to the contemporary industry of copper-based alloys indicates a high degree of craft specialization, and together with other regional observations testifies to the important role of metallurgy in the society of the Beer-sheba Valley during this formative time.
Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of So... more Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of Southern Levantine metallurgy (second half of the 5th millennium BCE). Multiple fragments of furnaces, crucibles and slag were excavated, and found to represent an extensive copper smelting workshop located within a distinct quarter of a settlement. Typological and chemical analyses revealed a two-stage technology (furnace-based primary smelting followed by melting/refining in crucibles), and lead isotope analysis indicated that the ore originated exclusively from Wadi Faynan (MBS Formation), more than 100 km away. These observations strengthen previous suggestions that metallurgy in this region started with furnace-based technology (possibly not locally invented). Furthermore, the absence of any artifact related to the contemporary industry of copper-based alloys indicates a high degree of craft specialization, and together with other regional observations testifies to the important role ...
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
While the punctuated equilibrium model has been employed in paleontological and archaeological re... more While the punctuated equilibrium model has been employed in paleontological and archaeological research, it has rarely been applied for technological and social evolution in the Holo-cene. Using metallurgical technologies from the Wadi Arabah (Jordan/Israel) as a case study, we demonstrate a gradual technological development (13 th-10 th c. BCE) followed by a human agency-triggered punctuated "leap" (late-10 th c. BCE) simultaneously across the entire region (an area of ~2000 km 2). Here, we present an unparalleled, diachronic archaeo-metallurgical dataset focusing on elemental analysis of dozens of well-dated slag samples. Based on the results, we suggest punctuated equilibrium provides an innovative theoretical model for exploring ancient technological changes in relation to larger sociopolitical conditions in the case at hand the emergence of biblical Edom-, exemplifying its potential for more general cross-cultural applications.
Preliminary results of an ongoing research on the environmental impact of ancient copper industri... more Preliminary results of an ongoing research on the environmental impact of ancient copper industries (Timna Valley as a case study).
While analysis of slag material is essential for reconstructing ancient smelting technologies, th... more While analysis of slag material is essential for reconstructing ancient smelting technologies, the interpretation of the analytical data might be challenging. In this paper we address a particular question, namely the interpretation of calcium (Ca) content in copper smelting slag, based on ICP-OES/MS analysis of multiple slag samples from the copper ore district of Timna Valley (southern Israel). The new data indicate a decrease in the average calcium content in slag between the Late Bronze Age (~12th century BCE, 2.38±1.65 wt.% [n=27]) and the Iron Age (~10th century BCE, 1.17±0.91 wt.% [n=15]). Based on several lines of argument we suggest that this difference represents primarily an improvement in fuel efficiency (i.e., less fuel per smelting cycle while similar quantity of copper was produced), rather than a change in the smelting charge (flux and ore types, or charcoal species) or furnace construction materials. The new data demonstrate that a deliberate search for increasing fuel efficiency was a main trigger behind technological progress in the hyper arid zone of the southern Levantine deserts.
Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of So... more Recent discoveries at Horvat Beter (Beersheva, Israel) shed new light on the earliest phase of Southern Levantine metallurgy (second half of the 5th millennium BCE). Multiple fragments of furnaces, crucibles and slag were excavated, and found to represent an extensive copper smelting workshop located within a distinct quarter of a settlement. Typological and chemical analyses revealed a two-stage technology (furnace-based primary smelting followed by melting/refining in crucibles), and lead isotope analysis indicated that the ore originated exclusively from Wadi Faynan (MBS Formation), more than 100 km away. These observations strengthen previous suggestions that metallurgy in this region started with furnace-based technology (possibly not locally invented). Furthermore, the absence of any artifact related to the contemporary industry of copper-based alloys indicates a high degree of craft specialization, and together with other regional observations testifies to the important role of metallurgy in the society of the Beer-sheba Valley during this formative time.
This paper presents for the first time results of two excavation seasons conducted in 1979 and 19... more This paper presents for the first time results of two excavation seasons conducted in 1979 and 1984 by the Arabah Expedition at one of the major smelting camps in the copper ore district of Timna. The results, together with new radiocarbon dates of short-lived samples from the site, demonstrate that copper production during the Late Bronze Age (13th to the first half of 12th centuries BC) was undertaken on a relatively small scale in demilitarized camps, systematically organized in a distinct area at the northern part of the Timna Valley. This production system should be associated with the Egyptian presence in the region, represented by the nearby Hathor Shrine. The new data from Site 3 also shed light on the transition to the Iron Age, a period when production peaked in the entire Arabah Valley as new copper production systems were established, replacing their predecessors entirely.