Egyptian Imitation of Mycenaean Pottery (original) (raw)
2015, Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress of Egyptologists, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, 22-29 May 2008
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This paper contributes to the debate of the chronological interrelations between the Aegean early Late Bronze Age and Egypt by considering three Late Helladic IIA pottery fragmentary vessels found within the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis, one of the main areas that form the Theban Necropolis in Upper Egypt (Luxor, West Bank). Based on bibliographical, museum, archival and archaeological studies, we describe each of the fragmentary vessels (a shallow semiglobular cup, a horizontal-handled piriform jar and a small multi-carinated alabastron) and their respective archaeological contexts (TT 11, TT 20 and TC 1030). Then, we discuss their value for Aegean-Egyptian chronological synchronisation. Unearthed respectively in 1899, 1911 and 2017, it should be stressed these three LH IIA vessels come from layers containing at least some grave goods from the first half of the 18th Dynasty, located near or within tombs dated stylistically and architecturally to the Early Thutmosid Era. Furthermore, they were all found only about 50 m from each other, a truly ‘spatial cluster’ on the same terrace on which a particularly intense funerary building activity took place in the Early Thutmosid Era. However, none of the vessels discussed was found intact and in primary position and all are fragmentary and in secondary position. Based on these considerations, we argue that these LH IIA vessels cannot be used as chronological locks in ‘primary’ but rather in ‘secondary’ key-contexts that in all respects support a contemporaneity between the Aegean LH IIA period and the Egyptian Early Thutmosid period, i.e. during the first half of the 15th century BCE.
The 2004 excavations of the Leon Levy Expedition in Grid 38 at Ashkelon uncovered a mudbrick wall of what appears to be another ‘Egyptian fortress’ in Late Bronze Age Canaan. In context with this building as well as in contemporaneous layers elsewhere on the tell (Grid 50) appear considerable amounts of Egyptian ceramic forms alongside the usual Canaanite ceramic material. The bulk of the Egyptian forms consists of locally produced household wares, mainly simple bowls and beer jars. Due to Ashkelon’s coastal location the Egyptian assemblage is enriched with a nice collection of Egyptian imported transport containers. Together, Egyptian forms account for ca. 30% of the retrieved ceramic material. The ‘Egyptian fortress’ and the considerably large assemblage of characteristic Egyptian household wares argue for the presence of Egyptians among the site’s inhabitants somewhere at the end of the Late Bronze Age. This ‘Egyptian’ phase is directly succeeded by the first ‘Philistine’ phase (first appearance of locally produced Mycenaean IIIC wares) with no evident signs of destruction. Morphological properties of the Egyptian-style beer jars date the end of the ‘Egyptian’ phase – and the end of the Late Bronze Age at Ashkelon – into the beginning of the twelfth century BCE at the earliest.
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