Climate,vegetation and ecology during Harappan period: excavations at Kanjetar and Kaj,mid-Saurashtra coast,Gujarat

A multi-proxy study was carried out to address climate–culture relationship from two trenches one each from Kaj and Kanjetar (mid-Saurashtra coast) deposited in a lacustrine setting, since ∼1960 Cal BC and ∼2230 Cal BC, respectively. The salinity of aqueous soil solution (0.1 ppt) and fresh water thecamoebians in both the sites indicate fresh water depositional environment. But, an increase in salinity (0.2 ppt) in the top clayey sediment in Kanjetar is attributed to water evaporation through upward capillary action from moisture deficit exposed land. The fragments of ancient potteries and other artefacts recovered from the bottom sediment provide evidences of Sorath-Harappan colonization in the vicinity which was not an urban site. The abundant cyanobacterium remains, low terrigenous organic matter, aquatic pollen and low thecamoebians in bottom sediment indicates low precipitation and arid climatic conditions ∼2000 BC. During this period the dominance of evergreen and moist deciduous arboreals from both the sites do not show equilibrium with the prevailing dry/arid climate and therefore, the pollen assemblage here represents the remnants of wetter middle Holocene vegetation in the region. Phytoliths of drought-tolerant summer season crops also reflects here changes made in the agricultural strategy by Harappans in response to climate. The increase in deciduous arboreal pollen since the last ∼2000 years represents equilibrium with the dry/arid climate. But, enhanced limnic conditions recorded with the help of thecamoebians during this period is attributed to changes in wetland configuration induced by hydrostatic changes in the river mouth that was largely defined by the dynamics of sediment deposition through rain-fed rivers/streams in the region.     

The Twofold Literary Structure of the Chronistic David Narrative (1 Chr 11-29)*

This article deals with the Structure of the Chronistic David narrative in Chronicles (1 Chr 11-29). I seek to demonstrate a structural para-digm that arranges the Chronistic David narrative into two concurrent literary structures: a pyramid and a chiasm. Each structure expresses a different cen-tral objective, encompassing most of the narrative’s components. The pyra-mid structure reflects the process leading up to the construction of the Temple and culminates in chapter 28 with David’s ceremonious transferal of the Temple plans to Solomon. The chiastic structure revolves around the question of the Temple builder’s identity. Until chapter 17, David is characterized as a figure worthy of building the Temple. Nathan’s oracle in chapter 17 marks the narrative’s turning point: David rejected from building the Temple. From chapter 18 on the Chronicler seeks to justify David’s rejection, to temper Da-vid’s rejection and to create a smoother transition between the David narra-tive and the Solomon narrative.     

New Evidence of the Purple‐Dye Industry at Tel Shiqmona,Israel

Pottery sherds stained with purple dye were found in the excavations at Tel Shiqmona, and were dated to the Iron Age II period. Analysis by HPLC‐DAD identified the dye as ‘true purple’, derived from the Hexaplex trunculus sea snail, which is associated with the purple‐dye industry that flourished in the coastal area at that time. This result is compatible with the classification of over 1000 Muricidae shells that were found in the excavation. Hexaplex trunculus constitutes 80% of this group, indicating that it was the most commonly used species in the dye production at Tel Shiqmona.