The Early Bronze Age of Jericho in relation to Egypt

Bruins, H.J. & J. van der Plicht (2001)
Radiocarbon Challenges Archaeo-Historical Time
Frameworks in the Near East: The Early Bronze
Age of Jericho in Relation to Egypt
RADIOCARBON 43(3):1321–1332

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Centre for Isotope Research RUG
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"Our stratified radiocarbon dates from EB Jericho
(Trench III) on short-lived material are
significantly older than conventional archaeo-
historical time frameworks.
The calibrated 14C date of Stage XV Phase Ii-Iii
(Early to Middle EB-I Kenyon) is 100–450 years
older. Stage XVI Phase Ixi-Ixii (Early EB-II
Kenyon) is 200–500 years older. Stage XVI Phase
Ixii-Ixiii (destructive end EB-II) is 200–300
years older. Stage XVII Phase Ixviii a – Ixix a
(Early EB-III) is 100–300 years older than
conventional archaeo-historical time estimates.

As the beginning of the Chalcolithic in the Near
East has “become” a 1000 years older, from about
4000 in the 1960s to about 5000 BC in current
perception based on 14C dating, it should not be
surprising that the Early Bronze Age and related
Egyptian Dynasties also yield 14C dates that are
older by a few hundred years than current
archaeo-historical time frameworks.

Egyptian chronology should not be regarded as
ultimately fixed. Egyptologists in the first
half of the 20th century gave much older dates
for the earlier Dynasties. The new 14C evidence
is overwhelmingly in favor of an older Early
Bronze Age and older dates for Dynasties 1–6."

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