Front Matter & Editorial

This paper presents the slingstone assemblages recovered from two large-scale excavations at the Late Pottery Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic (c. 5800–4500 cal BCE) sites of ‘En Ẓippori and ‘En Esur. Based on contextual, morphometric and other archaeological data, we suggest that during this time, the slings and slingstones were used as weapons. The high number of slingstones found within the settlements, and the traits of systematic production they reflect (formalization, standardization and time-consuming manufacturing), point to an organized production of weapons, interpreted as an escalation in the preparations for war, alluding to the possible existence of local power centers in the region.

The mace was one of the most important and commonly used weapons for striking and smashing in hand-to-hand combat in the battlefields of the ancient Near East, from the tenth to the second half of the third millennia BCE. Outside the battlefield, the mace served ceremonial and ritual functions, which persisted long after its use as a weapon ceased. Hematite mace-heads are unique in the Late Chalcolithic culture that flourished in the region of Israel and Transjordan from the second half of the fifth to the first half of the fourth millennia BCE. They seem to be one of the definitive typo-chronological markers of this culture. The qualities of hematite allow for the creation of durable, effective and strong weapons, which are suitable for striking and smashing in hand-to-hand combat, as well as exceptional luxury items to be used in ritual and ceremony. The present article presents a comprehensive view of the distribution pattern and use of the hematite mace-heads, with particular attention to typological features; measurements and weights; sources of raw material; production and archaeological context; geographical distribution; and intended function and actual use.

The Intermediate Bronze Age (c. 2500–2000 BCE) is known for its abundance of formal cemeteries and various other types of burial sites. These comprise a substantial number of internments that contain metal artifacts, identified as weaponry and associated with warfare, and typically defined ‘warrior burials.’ In this paper, we discuss some theoretical issues concerning the identification and role of the so-called weapons, the ideology of warriors and warriorhood, and the mutual agency of objects and society during the Intermediate Bronze Age. Reference is made to examples and research in Europe, where similar patterns have been extensively studied. Through this examination, weapons will be addressed as ‘agents’, allowing a more holistic discussion of the ‘network’ that produced and used them and a clearer image of ‘warrior burials’ and the reason for their gradual disappearance in the Middle Bronze Age.

Tel Burna’s prominent summit, encompassed by a 70 × 70 m casemate fortification, has attracted attention since at least the nineteenth century CE. An analysis of the archaeological data collected during ongoing excavations at the tell indicates that these fortifications were built in the late tenth or early ninth century BCE. The fortification of this Judahite stronghold, located on the border with Philistia, remained in use for the next 200 years. Recently, evidence has come to light of a massive undertaking to reinforce and strengthen the western side of the casemate wall in the late eighth century BCE. The authors identify these activities as part of the preparations made to defend the city from Sennacherib’s campaign in the region. The site was subsequently re-inhabited, but the fortifications seem to have gone out of use during the last stage of the occupation at the end of the Iron Age.

Remains of a first-century CE wall segment and a tower base uncovered in the Russian Compound, Jerusalem, shed light on the course of the Third Wall in the west of the city and the fierce battle that took place there in the First Jewish Revolt. A concentration of ballista stones and other weapons at the site support the evidence furnished by Josephus in Jewish War, describing the battle at the Third Wall and the siege imposed by Titus on Jerusalem in 70 CE. The archaeological evidence and the historical sources enable a reconstruction of the battle between the Roman army and the Jewish defenders, which resulted in the breaching of the Third Wall and ended with the destruction of the Second Temple.

The participation of Jews in the arena, especially as gladiators, has received relatively little attention. The few articles written on this matter suggest that Jews were both spectators and participants. The present paper relates to all previously suggested indications for the existence of Jewish gladiators and also introduces new ones. Although the possibility that Jewish gladiators were active in the first–fourth centuries CE cannot be ruled out entirely, the evidence remains inconclusive, suggesting that their number was very limited at best. It is also suggested that if Jews had participated in the games, they probably preferred to fight beasts rather than men.

The legionary base at Legio (Legion II Trajana and Legion VI Ferrata) is the first full-scale legionary base of the Principate excavated in the Eastern Empire. The 2015–2019 excavation seasons of the Jezreel Valley Regional Project focused on the headquarters compound, the principia. While many components of the compound are typical of those of permanent legionary bases throughout the Empire, several unique features of the principia at Legio offer new research avenues concerning the function of these buildings within the Roman army administrative system and community life. This paper summarizes the results of the 2015–2019 seasons of excavation and remote sensing within the principia.

An impressive fortification system on the northern border of the Genoese Quarter at Crusader-period Acre was discovered, comprising a defensive wall built of bossed ashlars and incorporating arrow slits, a fortified gate leading to the quarter through a vaulted passageway and a projecting tower with two levels of arrow slits. The gate and parts of the passageway were blocked, apparently during the Crusader period, as a consequence of the Saint Sabas War. This war broke out following a dispute between Venice and Genoa over ownership of a monastery located on the border between their quarters, near the port, which was rooted in their struggle over control of the harbor of Acre and the eastern Mediterranean lucrative maritime trade. Written sources indicate that the outcome of this fierce conflict was the expulsion of the Genoese from Acre and the blocking of their quarter. The presence of a blocked gate and the abandoned state of the area are physical evidence of the aftermath of the War. These remains, well-preserved within eighteenth-century Ottoman buildings, do not only shed light on the nature of the Genoese Quarter’s northern fortified borderline but also provide the first concrete material evidence of defense, power and control by the Italian communes in the maritime hubs of the Crusader states.

This article examines a sword discovered on the seabed near Newe-Yam, providing an analysis of its physical characteristics. The location of the discovery and the submarine iron corrosion processes are described. The sword, covered in a biogenic crust, was studied using non- and minimally invasive techniques, and compared with contemporary swords. A European origin and an approximate date in the twelfth–thirteenth centuries CE are proposed. The study also discusses the role of swords in Medieval European society, their association with authority and chivalry, and the romantic perceptions concerning Crusader swords.

This article presents a research framework for the Archaeology of Conflicts/Battlefield Archaeology. This work was motivated by the methodological challenge posed by the very attempt to study material evidence of events of short duration in the landscape. Such events occurred outside the boundaries of conventional archaeological sites, in the landscape, which is generally subject to more frequent changes. The theoretical model is presented through an examination of the Battle of Hattin, a decisive event that took place on July 3–4, 1187, within the days of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (1099–1291). This theoretical construct can be applied to the study of events related to different cultures and archaeological periods. In this paper, it is argued that the significance of short-durée historical events, such as battles, political assassinations, and even natural disasters, must be understood through the exploration of structural and circumstantial-cyclical categories by means of “total archaeology” fieldwork.

Counterweight trebuchets were the most powerful ballistic weapons of their day, but their association with later siege guns has led to misunderstandings of their destructive capabilities. This article is an attempt to correct some misguided ideas by providing a short overview of the power and value of mechanical artillery and contextualizing its use in the Levant during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. After addressing the origin of certain theories that these engines were far more destructive than seems to have been the reality, a brief assessment of their actual power is conducted by looking at the ways sources exaggerate the destructive capabilities of these weapons and exploring their capacity as energy systems. The notion that counterweight trebuchets were responsible for a ‘revolution’ in fortification design from the late twelfth century is then addressed. Building on the notion that these machines were less powerful than some have supposed, an assessment of their value is offered by exploring their relative strength, the psychological impact associated with the dangers they posed, and the prestige attached to employing such great engines.

The port city of Yafo was fortified during much of its four millennia of existence. However, today, even its most recent Ottoman walls are dismantled, and only fragmentary parts of its earlier fortifications have been traced despite decades of research and salvage excavations on the mound and its environs. These limited discoveries cannot provide a comprehensive delineation of any pre-Ottoman defensive lines. Nevertheless, new discoveries, the mapping of scattered sites, comparative observations and consultation with historical sources can shed some light on Yafo’s otherwise obscure fortifications through its many phases, as well as on various related issues. Through these we may gain new perspectives and a better understanding of the convoluted history of this ancient port.

A previously unknown square building was uncovered at Gal’on in the Judean Shephelah, located between Tel Zayit and Tel Burna. The building was identified as a fortress, similar in plan and dimensions to several other excavated buildings designated “Governors’ Residencies”, and to a few buildings that were defined as “fortresses”—all associated with Egyptian imperial rule in Canaan in Dynasties XIX and XX. The construction of the isolated building at Gal’on may have been related to the reorganization of Canaan under Egyptian rule, possibly in the reign of Ramses III. The building may have been occupied by an Egyptian military force, or more plausibly by a local Canaanite force associated with the city-state of Lakhish. This article discusses the Gaʼlon fortress in light of the other previously unearthed buildings, providing a comprehensive understanding of the geopolitical changes in the region in the twelfth century BCE.

An excavation carried out on the southern side of the six-chambered inner gatehouse at Lakhish exposed the gate passage, four piers and three chambers. The eastern chamber comprised two rooms, with a cultic niche in one of the room’s back wall and an altar in front of it. The chamber probably served as a gate shrine, and was desecrated during Hezekiah’s cult reform, when a toilet seat was placed next to the altar and the altar horns were trimmed. Evidence of Sennacherib’s destruction in 701 BCE was manifest by the presence of arrowheads, slingstones and collapsed burned mud bricks. The pottery assemblage aligns with previous finds from Lakhish Level III, with all vessel forms known from Iron IIB strata in Judah.

A small salvage excavation in ‘Akko exposed the remains of a previously unknown ravelin outwork in the counterscarp of the Ottoman-period fortifications—a previously unknown military feature—which cut through earlier Crusader and Hellenistic layers. Ravelins are known components of city fortifications in Europe from the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, continuing in use in the nineteenth century. In ‘Akko, it seems that the construction of the ravelin was not completed.