The Chalcolitic Period
4100 BCE – 3100 BCE
The period in which:
Man began to work with copper as well as stone
Drastic Decline in arrowheads for use of hunting – mainly just used for war
Goats and sheep bones found in chatzer area – points to a change in lifestyle
Olive seed and fruit pips also found - – points to a change in lifestyle
Concentrated Chalcolitic sites in Israel
a) Central Golan – not far from Katzrin
b) Down the coast line
c) Beersheva and Beersheva River
d) Judean Desert
e) Beyond Jordan River – East of Dead Sea
f)
Upper Galilee
In a few of these sites there have been discovered household tools and statues used in
religious rituals (pulchan), Near Ofakim a Temple structure was discovered and a statue
of a woman carrying a butter churn (mechbatza) on her head
Judean Desert
Dug in 1929-1938. Opposite Jericho at Tool-leel-at A-sul on other side of Jordan River,
discovered a group of buildings with no evidence of town planning. No wall surrounds
the settlement. Discovered burial (?) pitchers (Kankanim) with baby bones inside. Walls
of buildings covered with plaster (ti-ach) and paintings and symbols on them, which no
one knows what they are. The mummified body of Chanutah was found and placed in a
museum in Jerusalem (French Consol).
BeerSheva- Neve Noy
A site was discovered with 3 levels a) underground b) half underground half above
ground c) above ground. Ivory statues were found on the underground level indicating
that trade and commerce were in action, because there are no elephants in beersheva!
In order to do the engraving it was necessary to have air and light supply. A huge pitas
was found here which is the biggest vessel to be found from this period. The holes on
the pitas could mean that food or oil was stored in it and then hung up off the ground so
the anikmals didn’t get into it.
Gloskema’s were also found there. These are sarcophagus (burial casket) in use right
up until the Second Temple. Called after the name for the carrying case of a flute (bones
could fit in that length). Some have 4 legs and a triangular nose. Houses were built on
columns off the ground because of swamp land, the legs on the sarcophagus
represented an element of life – 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.
Golan
During the Chalcolithic period people settled in small permanent villages and in isolated
farmsteads, built on the banks of valleys with small perennial springs. 30- 50 houses
discovered at Rasam Charbush (on road 808 by Gamla) all with Heder Rochav. 5 basalt
statues of bulls were found. 50 Pillar figurines made of basalt, measure 20-25 cm are
variously decorated. Their form is a round pillar with a shallow offering bowl on top, with
sculpted human facial features: eyes, ears and protruding nose. Several have
pronounced horns and even goat beards. These pillar figurines were part of the local
household cult; The Chalcolitic settlements in the Golan were the first to produce olive oil
and make milk. They offered grain, seeds, olives, milk and milk products in the bowls on
top of the figurine to satisfy the gods and receive their blessing.
En Gedi
Up on the first ridge between Nahal David and Nahal Arugot is an open area where
there is a chalcolitic temple.
Characteristics of chalcolitic temples: spring underneath, a yard with a rock that acts as
a gate, benches from stone, its is an isolated area. Here they found alabaster (bahat) jar.
Because no tools were found here Osishkin assumed it was a temple.
Nahal Mishmar – Judean Desert
Public area of pulchan in which there was discovered a phenomenal collection of ivory
tools. 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. When testing the level of arsenic found in these copper tools the nearest
equivalent level was copper from Armenia, once again indicating that trade and
commerce were in action. 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
Timna
Oldest copper mines in the world. In the granite and sandstone copper was discovered.
The earliest, well-preserved copper-smelting furnace dates from the 5th millennium
BCE. It consisted of a small pit dug in the ground, with a low substructure of fieldstones,
and was ventilated by goatskin bellows. Smelting in these pits was primitive and
inefficient.
During the following three millennia, copper was produced with steadily improving
furnaces and control of the metallurgical processes. Already in the Chalcolithic period
(4th millennium BCE), iron ore (available in Timna) was added as flux to the smelting
charge of copper ore and charcoal, which greatly improved the smelting. Another big
step forward, in the early third millennium BCE, was "tapping" the fluid slag out of the hot
furnace, which made continuous smelting possible and saved precious fuel.
Conclusion
It is not clear why the Golan Chalcolithic culture came to an end. The copper culture was
more developed than EB. They had knowledge of making iron tools, trade and
commerce, ivory carving and permanent settlements. They also had a religious and
ritual life. No chalcolitic site in Israel has been through catastrophe. The inhabitants
abandoned their homes and the reasons are not clear.