Early Beth Shan (Strata XIX-XIII): G. M. FitzGerald's Deep Cut on the Tell.

• Author: Cohen, Susan L.
• Position: Book review

Early Beth Shan (Strata XIX-XIII): G. M. FitzGerald's Deep Cut on the Tell. By ELIOT BRAUN. University Museum Monographs, vol. 121. Philadelphia: UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA MUSEUM, 2004. Pp. xiv + 78, plates.

The site of Tel Beth Shan is one of considerable significance. Its position in the Jordan Valley, its size, and the wealth of material uncovered there, all reflect the importance of the site and its potential for contributing to understanding of the history of the southern Levant (Mazar 1993). In general, however, the earliest levels of occupation at the site, representing the late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze I horizons, are poorly understood, in part because of the difficulties of reaching the necessary depths during excavation. The recent publication by Eliot Braun of the deep cut made on the site in 1933 by G. M. FitzGerald thus makes a significant contribution to the understanding of these early periods.

The publication of FitzGerald's Deep Cut represents an attempt to sift through materials and notes from the 1930s and to present the material in a systematic manner in light of current knowledge about these early periods. It also aims to integrate this understanding with the information originally published by FitzGerald about the site, in order to present a comprehensive analysis of the excavations. Despite the many limitations of the records left by FitzGerald--for example, the complete lack of section drawings, incomplete information regarding elevations and sub-phasing, etc.--Braun has presented a very credible reconstruction of the excavation of the Deep Cut, and a thorough analysis of the material uncovered there. The volume presents a brief history and discussion of FitzGerald's excavation and the sources available for study (chapter 1), an analysis of the stratigraphy and architecture by stratum (chapter 2), a discussion of the associated ceramics (chapter 3), a section on the other material culture and small finds (chapter 4), followed by a summary and conclusions (chapter 5) and two appendices.

The presentation of the stratigraphy of the Deep Cut is extremely thorough. Here, FitzGerald's drawings have been updated by Braun, adding locus numbers, elevations, and more detailed information in order to make the plans more readily understandable to the reader. These plans, and the ensuing discussion of each architectural element, are augmented with reproductions of FitzGerald's original field photographs, thereby...