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August 25, 2006
Friday Pot Blogging
Pictured below is an example of a rather typical Iron II Age pottery oil lamp from Palestine.
As in the case of end of Iron I Age, there is disagreement about the date of the beginning of the Iron II Age. The Iron II Age in Palestine is commonly thought to start about 950 BCE and continue until 586 BCE. And while scholars differ on the start date by about 50-75 years, there is near unanimous agreement as to the end date. 586 BCE marked the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians and the end of the Kingdom of Judea.
Unlike the Iron I Age lamps pictured last week and the Bronze Age lamps of a few weeks ago, Iron II Age lamps have a flat base. Following a trend of over a thousand years, the wick pinch continues to tighten. Iron II Age lamps show a more pronounced outward flare of their rims than did the Iron I Age lamps.
In the case of this lamp, I am reasonably convinced that the blackened wick pinch is the result of use in antiquity. However, one can never be completely sure on this issue. The lamp is in nearly perfect condition.
Posted by Duane Smith at August 25, 2006 9:41 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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Comments
Thanks for posting something about archeology. More please.
Posted by: beepbeepitsme at August 25, 2006 8:43 PM
It seems like it took them ages to realize that the oil is less likely to spill if the lamp has a flat base.
Posted by: Aydin at August 29, 2006 11:36 AM
Another thought. I suppose if you really wanted to know if the soot was as old as the lamp, you could determine its age with Carbon 14 analysis.
Posted by: Aydin at August 29, 2006 11:39 AM
Aydin,
You may remember that the Early Bronze Age lamps, the ones with four wick pinches, had flat bottoms.
Yes, Carbon 14 would tell you if the soot was old. And within the error window I suppose it would be quite good at it. However, it is not completely clear what one would be testing. The soot is a combination of carbon and some other residues from the burning of olive oil and the wicks themselves. I really don't know if olive oil would show the same carbon rations as, say, an olive branch. I am sure you would be able to tell that it wasn't modern unless of course those who may have put it on the lamp in modern times used charcoal from wood beams that were burnt in antiquity. That seems like more trouble than it is worth for a lamp, and an authentic one at that, that would sell for less than $50.00.
Posted by: Duane at August 29, 2006 6:59 PM
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