Ras el-‘Amud, Jerusalem: The Groundstone Tool Assemblage

The excavations at Ras el-‘Amud yielded 71 identified groundstone tools, 55 of which were discovered in the Intermediate Bronze Age (IBA) strata, with the remaining 16 found in the Iron Age and Roman/Byzantine strata and in unclear contexts. These tools mainly comprise hammerstones, likely associated with the production of flint tools at the site, as well as perforated stones, mortars, bowlets, rubbing stones, a grinding stone, a pestle and some other tools. The identified groundstone tools suggest activities related to the processing of cereals, grains and other agricultural produce, as well as possible animal fiber processing and various domestic tasks that took place in the IBA settlement. It is evident that the objects recovered in the excavations represent only a partial repertoire of the tools used at the site during the IBA, as many were reused or removed in the past. Given that only a few IBA assemblages have been properly published to date, this report holds special significance.