International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Review

The geo-strategic location of Gaza on the ancient land route between Canaan in the North and Sinai in the south, has attracted people to settle and create the earliest human sediments since the Neolithic period and then extensively, in the Bronze Age (3200-1200 B.C.). Bronze Age in Canaan witnessed “the emergence of cities” (Mazar 1992: 91) and the evolution of the first great phase of urbanism in the Near East. It also witnessed human cultural developments in metalwork techniques applied in smelting copper and tin ores to produce bronze which is more harder than copper. This is a major development of efficient and effective tools and weapons manufacturers representing a quantum leap in the evolution of civilization (Bar-Yosef 1992: 10-39). This article discusses the characteristics of Gaza economy and long distance trade during the Bronze Age based on a series of archaeological excavations conducted within the present borders of Gaza Strip, in which the author participated. The main sources of Canaan economy during the Bronze Age are the archaeological record and the various archaeo-potanic and archaeo-zoologic analytical studies of remains recovered during the excavations. The both Early Bronze sites of Taur Ikhbeineh and Tel es-Sakan, the both Middle and Late Bronze Age sites of Tel el- „Ajjul and al-Mughraqa as well as the both Late Bronze Age sites of Deir el-Balah (17 km south of the city of Gaza) and Tel Ridan in Khan Younis (23 km south of the city of Gaza) are our major primary sources for this article. In addition, the comparative studies between archaeological discoveries in Gaza and other contemporaneous sites in Canaan are further supporting sources for understanding the economy during this period. In parallel to the archaeological record and the interpretation of silent evidence (objects) uncovered in excavations, the ancient text is a primarily source but there is a lack of documents in the early Bronze Age. On the contrary, enormous information on the local products and economic indicators are mentioned in the tribute and booty lists of the royal Egyptian annals and letters dated to the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. In discussing Gaza economy during the Bronze Age we will apply a vertical chronologic approach highlighting the various local economic potentials of each period. Economy of the Early Bronze Age The Early Bronze Age marked the first significant economic developments in Cannan.