Technological Insights on the Philistine Culture: Perspectives from Tell es-Safi/Gath

Abstract

More than a century of study of the Philistines has revealed abundant remains of their material culture. Concurrently, our understanding of the origins, developmental processes, and socio-political matrix of this fascinating culture has undergone major changes. Among other facets, Philistine technology has been discussed, but in our opinion, a broad view of its importance for understanding Philistine culture is still lacking. The more than twenty years of excavation at Tell es-Safi/Gath, one of the central sites in Iron Age Philistia, offers an opportunity to review a broad range of technologicallyrelated evidence from this site, and from this to offer a current interpretation of Philistine technology within the broader picture of the Iron Age and the processes, mechanisms, interactions, and identity politics of this fascinating culture.