文档介绍：THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF PALESTIXE FROM THE NEOLITHIC THROUGH
THE RIIDDLE BRONZE AGE*
These three fascicules of CAHZwere written by two of the most distinguished figures in
Near Eastern archaeology. Their surveys span a period of over 5000 years. The nature of
the treatment of the various periods is examined and the general agreements which have
been reached are summarized. Particular attention is paid, however, to the areas where
problems exist. At critical junctions what may be termed minority viewpoints were adopted
by the authors, even though eloquently expressed and defended in the literature. It seemed
worth the effort, therefore, to discuss those areas in every period where alternate solutions
to specific problems are not only possible, but are held by a variety of people. Some different
viewpoints are defended on the basis of new data and bibliography. Among such problems
are the sequence of cultures in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, how to interpret and
label the material in the era leading up to the full urbanism of the third millennium, the
chronology, data and terminology of the period between ca. 2300 and 1550 ., etc.
THESETHREE FASCICULES of the revised CAH gently collects all important material known up
provide us with 117 pages of text and bibliogra- to the time of writing (ca. 1964-1965), but dis-
phy which summarize what is known about the plays it with such insight and skill that one is
archaeology of Palestine (mainly the land occu- given an immediate and clear impression of the
pied by Israel, but in the work of de Vaux that cultural situation, both its highlights and its
also by Jordan) from ca. 8000 to 1550 . This, shadows, in the country's first period, from villages
of course, involves a pression of data. to cities, from the Neolithic revolution through
The usefulness of such a survey, then, depends the initial period of the urban revolution.
completely upon the good