Between function and meaning: the reuse of Bronze Age elements in Iron Age Hazor

This paper explores the significance and meaning of reusing ancient ruined remains in Iron Age Tel Hazor. Hazor was destroyed at the end of the Late Bronze Age and was resettled repeatedly throughout the Iron Age. Many instances of reuse of monumental items, constructional elements, and artefacts were identified in the Iron Age layers. Through a systematic examination of the reused items and their recontextualization, this paper examines whether the new uses were ideologically charged, reflecting certain attitudes towards the past, or were purely utilitarian. The analysis identifies key trends in the treatment of ancient elements, considers what these patterns reveal about the significance attributed to earlier remains at Hazor, and proposes a framework for identifying meaningful reuse.