Abstract
In 2009 Keio University resumed excavations at ‘En Gev for a period of three years. This paper reports on the Hellenistic pottery discovered at Area H in 2009.
A Japanese team and Tel Aviv University excavated at ‘En Gev for eight seasons from 1990 to 2004 (final report in Japanese: Tsukimoto et al., 2009; English version forthcoming). These excavations revealed Iron Age strata (St. V and St. IV), Persian-period pits (St. III), a Hellenistic stratum (St. II), and Late Hellenistic structures and Roman lime kilns (St. I). Among those, the Hellenistic stratum (St. II) actually has more than one phase, though it is sometimes difficult to identify them because of erosion by modern activities and the reusing of buildings in the Hellenistic periods. Several analyses were done to identify the stratum of some of the rooms discovered and to identify the pottery shards from them (Makino’s paper in the forthcoming English report). The resumed excavation by Keio University shed light on the cultural transition from the late Iron Age to the Hellenistic period at ‘En Gev more precisely.
The pottery shards found during the resumed excavation in Area H show that St. 1 is Late Hellenistic. Also, early to late Hellenistic transition pottery was found in St. 2a, and pottery shards of the Persian to Early Hellenistic periods were found in St. 3a and St. 2b. It is possible they are mixed due to later constructions. Shards of the 1st century BC onward are rare. Thus, St 1 seems to end in the middle of the Late Hellenistic period.
