Egyptian-Canaanite Interaction at Nahal Tillah, Israel (ca. 4500-3000 B. C. E.): An Interim Report on the 1994-1995 Excavations

Abstract

The nature of the Dynasty 0-Dynasty I Egyptian presence in southern Israel has been a source of debate since the excavations of Tel Erani on the fringe of the northern Negev in the 1950s when numerous Egyptian artifacts were discovered. Since then, a wide range of models have been used to characterize the nature of Egyptian-Canaanite relations. These models include warfare/conquest, commercialization, distance parity, and world systems. The recent Nahal Tillah Regional Archaeology Project has provided a wealth of new empirical data to help clarify the nature of this interaction. Large-scale exposures on the Halif Terrace have revealed a wide range of Egyptian artifacts including epigraphic finds, evidence of Egyptian food consumption patterns, amulets, ceramics, an Egyptian-style mortuary structure, and more. The data from these new excavations require a reexamination of previously held assumptions concerning the dynamics of Egyptian-Canaanite interaction ca. 3500 to 3000 B. C. E.