PRE-LMLK JARS: A NEW CLASS OF IRON AGE IIA STORAGE JARS Itzhack Shai and Aren M. Maeir Abstract The lmIk jars are among the best-known ceramic types of the Iron Age II in Judah and have been widely discussed in archaeological, historical and biblical studies. During the last decade or so, excavations at several sites (primarily in the Judean Shephelah) have brought to light the existence of a precursor to these jars-the pre-lmlk jars '. This paper defines and reviews this new class of jars, beginning with its appearance in the recently uncovered Temporary Stratum 4 (late 9th/early 8th centuries BeE) at Tell e:f- $afi/Gath. Like the lmlkjars, it seems that the pre-Imlkjars were produced somewhere in the Judean Shephelah. Infact, they may have been produced at the same workshop(s) as the lmlk and 'Rosette' Jars, which were manufactured under royal Judean supervision. As such, this multi-generational pottery production tradition sheds light on the long- term economic and production patterns of the Judean kingdom. INTRODUCTION The so-called lmlk jars are among the best-known ceramic types of the Iron Age in Judah (Tufnell's [1953: pI. 95] type 484). The lmlk jars have been extensively discussed (e.g., Ussishkin 1976; Vaughn 1999 [and furtherliterature]; Stern 2001: l74~175) and precisely dated to the late 8th century BCE-in all likelihood, specifically to the reign of Hezekiah. Their association with unambiguous archaeological assemblages (in particular, Lachish Level III) places them within an explicitly defined cultural horizon. Their role within the economic framework of the Judean kingdom and its possible connection to contemporary geo-political events is one of the basic tenets of the archaeological and historical reconstructions of the Iron Age II in the Land of Israel. As such, the morphological characteristics of this class of jars, the unique fabric and, needless to say, the ubiquitous seal impressions on the handles, are well known and easily recognizable. Provenience studies have demonstrated that these jars were produced somewhere within the Judean Shephelah (Mommsen et al. 1984). In the renewed excavations at Tell e~-Safi/Gath (Maeir 2001; forthcoming a; forthcoming b; Maeir and Ehrlich 2001),1 a well-preserved destruction level The Tell e~-~aII!Gath Archaeological Project, conducted under the auspices of the Institute of Archaeology of Bar Han University, is funded by, among others, the Kushitzky Foundation, the Ihel Foundation and the Krauthiemer Chair in Archaeology (all of Bar Han University), the Cotsen Foundation, the Institute for Aegean Prehistory and the Yoav Regional Council. The second author (A.M.M.) is director of the project, while the first author serves as the area supervisor of Area E. 108