The thesis la concerned with the study of sequence
Dating in the MBII tombs of Palestine, particularly those
from Jericho and Tell Fara (South).
In Chapter One. I have briefly discussed current
views on the absolute, chronology of the MBII, more to assess the length of time the period covers than to proscribe its precise dates.
In chapter two. I have sought to examine the system
of relative chronology in the MBII which Kenyon has proposed for the Jericho tombs. The meaning of typological variation is discussed; Kenyon's chronological arguments are analysed and the application of her technique is shown. In an attempt objectively to test her hypothesis, potential statistical
methods are investigated and a selection of suitable deposits
is made for experimentation. These deposits are then
subjected to a multi-variant trait analysis using multidimensional scaling.
The results indicate an insufficient degree of difference in the deposits; they appear to be
Virtually indistinguishable from one another. In chapter three. I have republished the MBII tombs from Tell Fara. particularly Petrie’s '500' cemetery in order to investigate the tombs of this period in more detail. I have redrawn all the available objects and attempted to clarity the confusion which surrounds each tomb. Plans, sections and drawings are grouped by tomb by tomb.
In the final chapter, I have compared and contrasted Fara with Jericho. At Fara, I certain unique features' of the tombs do not seem to fit readily into the Jericho typological system. It is therefore proposed that such typological change in the MBII may well be a function of local variation rather than of chronological differenc
