I am glad to report the appearance of a new article on the finds from Tell es-Safi/Gath:

Horwitz, L., Lev-Tov, J., Chadwick, J., Wimmer, S., and Maeir, A. 2006. Working Bones: A Unique Iron Age IIA Bone Workshop from Tell es-Safi/Gath. Near Eastern Archaeology 66(3–4): 169–73.

This article deals with a unique boon-tool workshop, dating to the Iron Age IIA, and found in the 2006 season in a late 9th cent. BCE destruction layer (which we associate with the conquest of Gath by Hazael of Aram)  in Area F (near the summit of the tell; area supervisor – Prof. Jeff Chadwick). The workshop includes a large collection of long cattle bones in various stages of preparation as tools. In fact, almost all of the various stages of the work on these bones is represented, from the untouched bonee, until just before the final stage (the final product – perhaps some type of point). The analysis of the production process served as an excellent example for studying the “chaine operatoire” of a mundane aspect of the Iron Age material culture – a perspective that is not always available for this period.

See here a picture of the workshop (view-of-bone-workshop-with-bones-and-stone.jpg).

Read and Enjoy!
Aren