A hoard of Nilotic nacreous shells from Egypt to Jericho (Early Bronze II, 3000-2800 BCE): Their finding, content and historical archaeological implications

The Tell es-Sultan, ancient Jericho, is amongst the earliest "cities" that rose in the Southern Levant between the end of 4th and the beginning of the 3rd millennium BCE. The site is being excavated, studied and rehabilitated for tourism by Sapienza University of Rome and the Palestinian M...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Nigro, Lorenzo 1967- (Author) ; Montanari, Daria (Author) ; Mura, Francesco (Author) ; Rinaldi, Teresa (Author) ; Yasine, Jehad (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group [2018]
In: Palestine exploration quarterly
Year: 2018, Volume: 150, Issue: 2, Pages: 110-125
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Excavation / Commerce / Mangandioxid / Urbanization / Levant (Süd) / Jericho / Egypt (Antiquity)
IxTheo Classification:HH Archaeology
KBL Near East and North Africa
TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East
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Summary:The Tell es-Sultan, ancient Jericho, is amongst the earliest "cities" that rose in the Southern Levant between the end of 4th and the beginning of the 3rd millennium BCE. The site is being excavated, studied and rehabilitated for tourism by Sapienza University of Rome and the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities since 1997. In 2017, during the 13th season of excavation, an unexpected discovery occurred: five Chambardia rubens shells have been found piled up in a dwelling unit dating back to the Early Bronze Age IB-II. The discovery is a tangible evidence of trade and cultural interconnections between the Southern Levant and Egypt, as these shells belong to a species that is only been found to live in the Nile. Moreover, chemical analysis, and thorough Scanning Electron Microscopy examination revealed that the shells contained Manganese Dioxide, an inorganic compound used as make-up ingredient in ancient Egypt, and available in the ores of the Sinai. These findings strongly support the existence of a link between the urban rise in EB IB-II through international trade of luxury goods, and are suggestive of the emergence at Jericho of a ruling elite that was influenced by Egypt.
ISSN:1743-1301
Contains:Enthalten in: Palestine exploration quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/00310328.2018.1425957