Adestruction layer is anarchaeological stratum showing clear evidence of widespread burning, structural collapse, weapon finds, human remains, or other signs of violent or catastrophic events. Such layers may result fromwarfare,seismic activity, accidental fires, or other disasters.
In archaeological interpretation, destruction horizons provide chronological anchors for cultural sequences and may indicate major historical turning points, such as the fall of cities, regional crises, or the collapse of polities. Finding comparable destruction layers across several sites in a region can signal a broader episode of unrest or transition, as in the case of theLate Bronze Age collapse.
The archaeologist Sharon Zuckerman emphasized that destruction contexts should be analyzed together with the occupational phases preceding and following them, as part of a long-term cultural process rather than isolated events.[1]
The city ofTroy shows several destruction layers, notably Troy II (c. 2200 BC) and Troy VIIa (c. 1200 BC), the latter often associated with the end of the Late Bronze Age and possibly reflecting conflict in the region.[2]
The volcanic eruption ofThera (Santorini) produced a well-preserved destruction layer atAkrotiri, dated to the late 17th century BC.[3]
The Late Bronze Age cities of theLevant, includingHazor,Megiddo, andLachish, exhibit destruction horizons dated to the 13th–12th centuries BC, often linked to regional instability and the decline of Canaanite urban culture.[4][5]
In Anatolia, the Hittite capital ofHattusa was destroyed around 1200 BC, marking the end of the Hittite Empire.[6]
Destruction layers are also prominent in theBiblical archaeology of the southern Levant, serving as chronological markers for periods of urban transition and political upheaval.[7]
^Korfmann, Manfred (2006).Troia and the Troad: Scientific Approaches. Springer.ISBN978-3-540-24315-4.{{cite book}}:Check|isbn= value: checksum (help)
^Bronk Ramsey, Christopher; Manning, Sturt W.; Galimberti, Mariagrazia (2004). "Dating the Volcanic Eruption at Thera".Radiocarbon.46 (1):325–344.doi:10.1017/S0033822200039631.
^Finkelstein, Israel (1996). "Hazor and the North in the Iron Age: A Low Chronology Perspective".Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.314:55–70.doi:10.2307/1357378.JSTOR1357378.
^Yadin, Yigael (1972). "Hazor: The Rediscovery of a Great Citadel of the Bible".Biblical Archaeologist.35 (3):66–97.doi:10.2307/3209419.
^Finkelstein, Israel; Piasetzky, Eli (2003). "Comment on "14C Dates from Tel Rehov: Iron-Age Chronology, Pharaohs, and Hebrew Kings"".Science.302 (5645): 568.doi:10.1126/science.1085806.
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