Political Change and Material Culture in Middle to Late Bronze Age Canaan

Shlomit Bechar's book explores the transition from the Middle to Late Bronze Age in northern Canaan, arguing that the Egyptian conquest of the southern Levant was the impetus for changes in ceramics and architecture. She suggests that the influx of Aegean imports was also an important result of the new administrative system created following Thutmose III's campaign.

Format: Hardback
Length: 278 pages
Publication date: 13 September 2022
Publisher: Eisenbrauns

Shlomit Bechar's book delves into the intriguing question of whether shifts in material culture instigate administrative change or if it is the shifting political winds that affect material culture. To explore this, she takes a closer look at the transition from the Middle to Late Bronze Age (seventeenth–fourteenth centuries BCE) in northern Canaan, serving as a test case. Through a comprehensive combination of archaeological and historical analysis, Bechar identifies the most significant changes evident in architectural and ceramic remains from this period. She then proceeds to investigate how and why contemporary political shifts may have influenced, or been influenced by, these developments.

In her persuasive argument, Bechar suggests that the Egyptian conquest of the southern Levant, facilitated by local economic decline following the expulsion of the Hyksos and the fall of northern Syrian cities, played a pivotal role in these changes in ceramics and architecture. To examine the ceramic assemblages more closely, she adopts a macro-typological approach, discussing the impact of the influx of Aegean imports. Interestingly, she notes that while "attached specialists" were primarily responsible for ceramic production in the Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age ceramics were increasingly made by "independent specialists," a significant outcome of the new administrative system created following Thutmose III's campaign.

This original and insightful book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the transition between the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. It will appeal to specialists in the Bronze Age Levant, particularly those interested in utilizing ceramic assemblages to examine social and political change. By shedding light on the interplay between material culture, political dynamics, and historical processes, Bechar's work provides valuable insights into the complex and dynamic world of ancient societies.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781646021932