Geoarchaeological investigation in a domestic iron age quarter, Tel Megiddo, Israel

During the ongoing excavations of Area Q at Tel Megiddo, a variety of on-site geoarchaeological analytical methods have been used in the study of Iron Age occupations dating to the Iron Age IIA. The aim of this approach is to optimally combine macroarchaeology with microarchaeology in order to reconstruct activities that were carried out within an Iron Age urban neighborhood. The macroscopic finds indicate that this area belonged to a quarter that features both domestic and public structures. Of particular interest are (a) evidence for abandonment and spatial differentiation of activities in Level Q-5 associated with a large, well-built structure with 18 pillars; and (b) localized small-scale destruction associated with ephemeral metalworking activity related to occupation during Level Q-4. Similar approaches have been carried out at other sites in Israel (e.g., Tel Dor and Tell es-Sâfi/Gath), yet only at Megiddo have we been able to use these methods to study a large excavation area (ca. 200 m²). The results shed new light on the variability of human activities in public and domestic contexts in an urban environment, and contribute to understanding the uses of space and the phenomenon of destruction by fire.