1972–1977

Stamp: L 19771

Albright Institute POB 19096 Jerusalem, Israel

Dear Mr. Fortin:

I am now in Jerusalem and have had a chance to look at my notes and those of Daniel with respect to the fortifications at Bamboula.

On the plan which you sent, I have cross-hatched the parts of the large NW tower which Daniel said were LC III. Since he did not carry out a full excavations of the tower, he only remarks on the parts which he could see and test on the exterior of the tower. All the rest of this trapezoidal tower as now seen is Archaic construction, as is that of the wall that goes off to the south of it. The large rectangular area to the SW is another, also of Archaic construction. Here Daniel saw no later tower, LC construction at all.

Daniel did not see any possibility of an entrance where the LC wall must have jogged to the east and then continued north. In my notes, I do remark that there seems to be evidence that there had been an entrance, ca. 2.50 m. wide, in the southern stretch of the wall, before it jogged to the north. This was blocked when the Archaic tower to the east was built. Since the LC part of the north-eastern edge of this tower, which then continues to the line of the LC section on the north face of this tower, also has a considerable part going south of the line of the LC section on the north, there is the possibility of some kind of an LC salient or tower that would have protected this entranceway.

Anyway, most of what you have drawn is Archaic in date and thus, as I gather from your letter, would be outside of your period of interest.

One disappointment is that I have not found my large plans here, only some small ones. The originals are all in Missouri, but I was sure I had left a set of sunprints here. Thus far I have not found them, so I may have to ask that a set be made and sent to me. With those, I could probably give you some further details, but I believe you have seen the essence of the structure you have seen is probably of the 6th c. B.C.

Sincerely,

Saul S. Weinberg