DATING A CHALCOLITHIC BURIAL CAVE IN PEQIIN, UPPER GALILEE, ISRAEL

In May 1995 an impressive karstic cave possessing dozens of burials da ting to the main phase of the Chalcolithic Period (ca. 4500-3500 BCE) was discovered in Peqi'in in the high hills of Galilee in northern Isr ael. It was subsequently excavated over the course of the following mo nths. The large amount of unique ceramic ossuaries and the variety of burial offerings shed light, for the first time, on this critical soci etal development period in a region where its remains have rarely been found. Although the major significance of the cave is as a mortuary c enter, it was also utilized in a domestic capacity some centuries prev iously, during the generally less familiar Early Chalcolithic Period. We present here the dating of 22 C-14 samples collected from these sep arate phases of cave use. Their interpretation should aid in understan ding of the absolute dating of the Chalcolithic Period and its relatio n to the period preceding its inception.