An Overview of the Bronze and Iron Age Lamps from Lebanon

Hanan CharafUniversity of Paris I

Objectives

Examine the manufacturing technology of oil lamps during the Bronze and Iron Ages

Objectives

Examine the manufacturing technology of oil lamps during the Bronze and Iron Ages

Discuss the typological development of oil lamps according to period and site

Objectives Examine the manufacturing technology of oil lamps during the Bronze and Iron Ages

Discuss the typological development of oil lamps according to period and site

Oil lamps with specific functions

Early Bronze AgeEarly Bronze Age

EB IV pedestal lamps

The development of Early Bronze Age lamps

Standard bowls with soot

Single nozzle - rare

Four nozzle - common

Sidon (Saida)

SIDON

EBIII LAMPS

Tell Arqa

Early Bronze Age IV

Mgharet el-Hourriye

Mgharet el-Hourriye

Byblos (Jbeil)

EBIV SINGLE NOZZLE LAMP

Manufacturing Technology

The two main techniques of pottery manufacture in the Bronze

and Iron Ages

Tournette (slow wheel)

Fast (kick) wheel

1. The shape is first thrown on a cone of clay.

2. The interior is scraped to round the inside bottom.

3. The nozzle is pinched. The degree of pinch is time-sensitive

4. The lamp is string-cut from the clay cone.

5. The exterior base is scraped and hand-smoothed to round the bottom.

Techniques of Late Bronze Age lamp manufacture according to H. Franken (1969)

Sometime the pedestal is left intact, as in this example from southern Palestine

Middle and Late Bronze Age lamp typology according to Amiran (1970)

Middle and Late Bronze Middle and Late Bronze AgesAges

Typical MB Lamp

Late Bronze Age lamps

Sarepta (Sarafand)

Tyre (Sour)

Stratum 18 (LB IA)

MBI eight- wick lampfrom Arqa

Menjez

MBII or LBI lamp from a tomb

Late Bronze I

LBI Collective tomb

LBII Silo

Byblos (Jbeil)

Byblos Necropolis K

Byblos Tomb 2

Levee 5

Levee 6

Sidon (Saida)

Dakerman Tomb 12 (LB) R. Saidah

Majdalouna

Tyre (Sour)

Stratum 18 (LB IA) Stratum 16 (LB IIA)

Kamed el-Loz

Late Bronze Age Temples

T3

T3

T2

T2

T1

T1

Schrein D/Raum E

Beirut

Tell Beirut

Rock-cut chamber

Glacis I

Late Bronze Age Temples

T3

T3

T2

T2

T1

T1

Kamid el-Loz

While most oil lamps were made in clay, there are a few examples of lamps made in bronze

Bronze MB lamp from Byblos

Tel Dan

Iron AgeIron Age

Iron Age I

Iron Age II

SAREPTA

Normally, Bronze Age lamps have a trough to lay the wick. In this Iron I lamp the folds meet to form a separate mouth for the wick, such as one might find in a Hellenistic era lamp.

Iron I lamp

Iron II lamp (top view)

Iron II lamp (northern type)with flattened base

Iron II lamp (southern type)with pedestal base

Iron II figurine wears a lamp on the head

Sarepta- Shrine 1

SAREPTA

Lamps from Shrine 1- 8th-7th c B.C.

BYBLOS

SAREPTA

Byblos Necropolis K

SAREPTA

Stratum B2

Iron Age III basalt lamp from Arqa

Lamps with specific Lamps with specific functionsfunctions

cultic functioncultic function

Seven-wick lamps

NahariyaMiddle Bronze IIB Tell Dothan

Iron II

Tel DanIron II

Byblos

Cup and Saucer

SAREPTA

Lamps with specific Lamps with specific functionsfunctions

foundation depositsfoundation deposits

Tel Miqne-EkronIron I