The Late Bronze Age Ceramic Assemblage at Tel Batash, Strata X-VI: Continuity and Change
Nava Panitz-Cohen

Tel Batash was excavated for 12 seasons between 1977-1989 under the direction of Prof. Amihai Mazar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It is located in the Shephelah region, some 7 km northwest of Beth Shemesh and 8 km south of Gezer. The excavations uncovered 12 strata dating from the Middle Bronze Age IIB to the Persian Period. The levels attributed to the LB-Iron Age I, Strata X-V, yielded rich pottery assemblages in an almost uninterrupted sequence. This corpus is the subject of a quantitative typological study which is presently being finalized, with the purpose of tracing patterns of change and continuity in the ceramic record of the site. This paper will present the quantitative data of the corpus dating to the transitional MB to LB and the development of the full blown Late Bronze Age assemblage, attempting to draw preliminary chronological, typological and regional conclusions.