Katz H. Portable Shrine Models. Ancient Architectural Clay Models from the Levant

British Archaeological Reports, 2016. — 87 p. — (BAR International Series 2791). — ISBN: 978-1-4073-1893-6.Portable shrine models with architectural features are unique objects within the assemblages of material culture, even though they appear in a variety of cultures throughout the ancient world. This book concentrates on models from the Land of Israel, with comparisons to models from the geographic-historical units of the Levant. The basic assumption of this study is that these models do not attempt an exact representation of specific buildings, although they do enable analogies to architecture of early periods. Above all, the shrine model was a symbol of the house of God. Religious, ethnical, political and social aspects of the models are examined in reference to written evidence, and the archaeological assemblages in which they are found. Although these models were not as common as other cult objects such as altars and figurines, their wide distribution provides further evidence of the close relationship between the diverse peoples of the region.Preface
List of Figures
Introduction
History of Research
Materials and Production Methods
Closed Models
Type 1: Rectilinear or Rounded, One-Storey Models
Type 2: Rectilinear or Cylindrical, Multi-Storied Models
Type 3: Rectilinear or Cylindrical Fortification Models
Type 4: Cylindrical Models Resembling Everyday Vessels
Summary and Conclusions
Noas Models
Type 1: Small Naoi, Early Periods
Type 2: Large, Crude Naoi
Type 3: Large Delicate Naoi
Type 4: Naoi with a High Cornice and a Secondary Niche
Type 5: Small Naoi of Iron Age II
Summary and Conclusions
The Contribution of Archaeometric Analyses
Compositional Analysis By Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) Of Six Iron Age Ceramic Architectural Models Matthew T. Boulanger and Michael D. Glascock
Open Models
Type 1: Tall, Rectilinear or Cylindrical Models, with or without a Separate Bowl
Type 2: Tall, Rectilinear or Cylindrical Models with an Integral Upper Tray
Type 3: Cube-Shaped Models with or without an Upper Bowl or Tray
Type 4: Low, Ellipto-Rectangular Models
Summary and Conclusions
Religious And Ethnographic Aspects
Official and Private Cul tic Activities in the Land of Israel
Models in Official and Private Cult
Models as Ethnographic Identification Tags
Summary and Conclusions
Models As Architectural Metaphors
Architectural Elements of Buildings and Their Expression in the Models
Architectural Metaphors in the Model Groups
Summary and Conclusions
The Significance And Function Of The Models
Possible Interpretations of the Functions of Architectural Models
Summary and Conclusions
Conclusions
Comparisons between the Model Groups
The Artistic and Architectural Significance of the Models
The Models as Ethnic-Cultural Markers
The Contribution of Architectural Models from the Land of Israel to Our Understanding of the
Development of Religion in the Iron Age