362 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1946 
Historical dates carved in stone or written with ink on papyrus are, 
of course, the ideal calendar data, but they are seldom preserved for the 
archeologist in Palestine. The fires of the conquerors which destroyed 
the cities not only burned up the papyrus records, but also quickly 
calcined any limestone inscriptions. Even if they escaped the fires, the 
rains of the centuries have almost always destroyed both. Thus the 
archeologist is forced to do most of his dating in Palestine from 
pottery. The accuracy of this method, however, is assured, for south- 
west of Palestine lies Egypt, from which objects were imported and in 
which pottery from Palestine is found. In Egypt these objects are 
dated by a wealth of inscriptional data. In fact, it was Sir William 
Flinders Petrie, the Egyptologist, who first discovered the importance 
of dating by means of pottery when he worked in Palestine in 1890. 
It was not until about 15 years ago, however, that the complete calendar 
for Palestinian ceramics was worked out. 
PALESTINE’S ARCHEOLOGICAL PERIODS 
The major periods of Palestinian history in terms of pottery chronol- 
ogy are as follows: 
Neolithic Age—c. 6000-4500 B.C. It was toward the close of this 
period that pottery first appears, c. 5000 B. C. 
Chalcolithic Age—c. 4500-8000 B. C. This was the great period 
of irrigation culture in Palestine and the time that copper was 
introduced into use there. 
Early Bronze Age—c. 3000-2000 B. C. These years saw Egyp- 
tian Dynastic history begin and Egypt exert a strong cultural 
influence on Palestine. 
Middle Bronze Age—c. 2000-1500 B. C. Palestine was under 
Egyptian political domination when this period opened and 
remained so through the days of Abraham +1900 B. C. The 
Hyksos, however, captured Palestine and Egypt in the days of 
Joseph and controlled both lands until Egypt sprang back 
as a world power about the end of this period. 
Late Bronze Age—c. 1500-1200 B. C. This marked the close of 
Israel’s sojourn in Egypt, the Exodus, and Joshua’s conquest of 
Palestine. 
Iron Age I—c. 1200-1000 B. C. The period of the Judges to the 
time of David, during which iron came into common use. 
Tron Age II—c. 1000-587 B.C. From David to the destruction of 
Jerusalem. 
Iron Age III—587-833 B.C. Exilic and post-exilic period; pre- 
dominantly Persian period. 
Hellenistic Period—333-63 B.C. Alexander the Great, to Roman 
conquest of Palestine. 
