The Chalcolitic Period
4100 BCE – 3100 BCE
Marks the bridge form pre-history to history.
Man began to work with copper as well as stone.
Many sites spread around Israel maybe came from the north or east because
environment was nicer.
Made copper tools, there was industry and trade,
Location
Each region has its uniqueness and distinct culture..
Concentrated Chalcolitic sites in Israel are Central Golan, down the coastline but not ON
the coast itself, Beersheva town and River, Judean Desert, Upper Galilee
Rituals
Home rituals - Iron statue pillars found, bowl type empty head with ears, eyes, horns,
nose, some with goaty beard. Sculpture of this period was characterised by realism, use
of the colour red. They offered grain, seeds, olives, milk and milk products in the bowls
on top of the figurines to satisfy the gods and receive their blessing.
Industry
A copper culture – knew how to smelt metal
The smelting and casting was done on the sand or on the ground
Not many tools found in Israel. Copper mined from Fenan or Timna.
First make a mould from wax or milk, cover it in silt/mud or wet clay with holes. Cast hot
copper into the top hole and the wax melts and drips down to the bottom. Wait for it to
cool and break the wax. Tools and iron ore were brought in from Armenia.
Ivory found points to a trade and production in carving ivory tools and therefore trade
across the seas although there was no writing
Desert Kites (Afifonim)
Discovered by 2 British pilots in WWI from the air. Triangle shaped facility. No one knew
what it was until later a wall painting was found in Timna whereby there were pictures of
2 hunters inside trapping deer and wild donkeys.
Gloskema’s (ossuaries, sarcophagus).
The sarcophagus (burial casket) are used in this period and only again in the Second
Temple, Herodian period. Named after the carrying case of a flute. Made to length of
longest bone of the deceased – the thighbone. Opening had to be just wider than the
skull. They had 4 legs and a triangular nose. Houses were built on columns off the
ground because of swampland, so possibly the legs on the sarcophagus represented an
element of life – i.e. death reflecting life. The nose represented the breath of life.
Gloskema’s were a second burial. The deceased were dug up after it was sure that only
the bones and teeth were left and placed in the casket. Gloskema’s from the Chalcolitic
period have 3 different kinds of lids, flat, arched and triangle.
Temples
Characteristics of chalcolitic temples: spring underneath, a yard with a rock that acts as
a gate, benches from stone, its is an isolated area. En Gedi temple found alabaster
(bahat) jar. Because no tools were found here Osishkin assumed it was a temple.
Trade
Many sites found on both sides of the Beer Sheva and Nachal HaBsur river which is
unique compared to other periods indicating industrial need for water. Most settlements
were underground. Neve Noy was discovered structure with 3 levels a) underground b)
half underground/half above ground c) above ground. They traded in the carving of ivory
and large basalt pots. When testing the level of arsenic found in the Nachal Mishmar
(Judean desert) treasure, it was discovered that the nearest equivalent level of copper in
tools was from Armenia, once again indicating that trade and commerce were in action.
Timna is one of the oldest copper mines in the world. Copper ore is to be found among
the sand stone.
Nahal Mishmar – Judean Desert
Public area of ritual and rites in which there was discovered a phenomenal collection in a
cave of copper and some ivory tools the wide variety indicates that it could belong to
metal dealers. Copper was considered to be very expensive so the collection could also
be temple treasures. Findings reflect those that were found in Egypt including a Rosh
A’la, a round instrument for breaking skulls. Ivory spiral type flutes (nes) and also copper
tools also found. Osishkin made the connection between En Gedi and Nachal Mishmar
and assumed they were both temples because of lack of other buildings. Both found
intact pointing to a belief that the people hid the temples in the knowledge that another
culture or army was around the corner.
Conclusion
Impressive culture, more developed than EB
Knowledge of international trade and industry with complex metals and ivory carving
No writing
The industrial development caused people to build settlements beside water sources.
Permanent settlements built by the banks of valleys with small perennial springs
Built houses in a chain indicating an orderly existence. Some lived underground
Congregational and home rituals
Domestication of animals.
Trading in meats, cheeses, leather and wool. First to make olive oil in Golan, knew how
to churn milk, plant, plough, sow and reap.
Decline in arrowheads because man now domesticates animals for his needs.
Arrowheads now mainly just used for war
The inhabitants abandoned their homes and the reasons are not clear.
Most of these areas were never resettled.
What we don’t know…
What language they spoke, how they traded without writing, the number of settlements
and why it came to an end
Is the chalcolitic period the time of the patriarchs?
The Biblical Negev (area of the Patiarchs) is actually empty from any finds from the
chalcolitic period until the Iron Age.
Could the idols described in Genesis 31:19 be considered similar to those found in the
Golan, Ein Gedi and Beer Sheva? “Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep and Rachel
had stolen the household idols that were her fathers…’
“As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze
and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah” (Genesis 4:22).