Archaeologists Discover Temple That Sheds Light On So-called Dark Age

Science Daily ^ | Apr. 16, 2009 | Unknown

[decimon]

The discovery of a remarkably well-preserved monumental temple in Turkey — thought to be constructed during the time of King Solomon in the 10th/9th-centuries BCE — sheds light on the so-called Dark Age.

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Ancient sources — such as the Homeric epics and the Hebrew Bible — depict an era of widespread famine, ethnic conflict and population movement, most famously including the migrations of the Sea Peoples (or biblical Philistines) and the Israelites. This is thought to have precipitated a prolonged Dark Age marked by cultural decline and ethnic strife during the early centuries of the Iron Age. But recent discoveries — including the Tayinat excavations — have revealed that some ruling dynasties survived the collapse of the great Bronze Age powers.

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[decimon]

Light metal ping

[April Lexington]

ping

[bolobaby]

“Our ongoing excavations have not only begun to uncover extensive remains from this Dark Age, but the emerging archaeological picture suggests that during this period Tayinat was the capital of a powerful kingdom, the ‘Land of Palastin’,” says Timothy Harrison, professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Toronto and the director of the project.”

Cool - does this mean we can set up a Palestinian state in Turkey and leave the Israelis alone?

[ancientart]

The Science Digest writer got things pretty confused here. The Late Bronze Age ends around 1200 BC. A temple constructed at the time of Solomon (250 years later!) isn’t of much value for that period.

It’s also annoying how the writer throws in gratuitous slurs on the Biblical and Classical traditions. Homer writes about the great events of the Bronze age: he has nothing to say about sea peoples or disruption. Likewise, nothing in the Biblical narrative associates the Philistines with a decline in material culture: they were just bad news for the Israelites!

What the new evidence challenges is late 19th and early 20th century theories on the Levant: not ancient sources!

[Tanniker Smith]

I ignore anything with the elitist tag BCE.

If they want something "non-offensive" or "more inclusive", let them invent their own calender and sell everyone on it.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks decimon.

Ancient sources -- such as the Homeric epics and the Hebrew Bible -- depict an era of widespread famine, ethnic conflict and population movement, most famously including the migrations of the Sea Peoples (or biblical Philistines) and the Israelites.

Uh, no. The "sea peoples" "migration" isn't historically attested anywhere; there are a few Egyptian references to these folks, and due to the goofed up modern pseudochronology, they are said to be from a widespread number of different places (including Sardinia) where there's literally no archaeological support for their very existence. There's literally no reference to them in the Old Testament from the era of Solomon (or anywhere else).

The supposed Dark Age at the end of the Bronze Age are another artifact of the modern pseudochronology.

The Homeric epics name a pharaoh of Egypt attributed to a dynasty that ruled centuries later than the supposed date for the Trojan War, but contemporary with the Phrygians (also listed as allies of Troy).

The Scythians actually entered the histories of the eastern Mediterranean including Old Testament sources.

One of *those* topics.

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[SunkenCiv]

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[Mr Rogers]

Bookmarked for later review. Thanks for posting!

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Just piping up to point out that this ‘Dark Age’ is the ‘Dark Age’ between ancient civilization and early classical civlization, more or less, NOT the ‘Dark Age’ between classical civilization and the High Middle Ages.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks.

[kitchen]

The supposed Dark Age at the end of the Bronze Age are another artifact of the modern pseudochronology.

How do you square your position with the evidence of the devolution of Aegean pottery at the end of the Bronze Age, specifically the disappearance of the fine and artistic Late Helladic IIIb/c examples and the widespread appearance of the relatively cheap and less artistic (minimal craftsmanship involved) Protogeometric style, without accepting a concurrent widespread economic and cultural upheaval?

[SunkenCiv]

The dating of the pottery styles is itself dependent on the pseudochronology.