Ritual Deposits at Biblical Shiloh: New Archaeological Perspectives from Area D

Jordan McClinton's presentation will focus on archaeological evidence from Area D at ancient Shiloh, where he serves as Area Supervisor for the Shiloh Excavations of Associates for Biblical Research. Particular attention will be given to ritual deposits and the archaeological context of the favissa, a controlled sacred deposit that has yielded evidence relevant to the study of cultic activity at the site.

The presentation will examine material evidence from Area D within the broader archaeological and historical context of biblical Shiloh, considering how stratigraphy, faunal remains, ceramics, cultic objects, and other excavated material contribute to the interpretation of ritual activity at the site.

A final speaker-supplied abstract will replace this preliminary presentation description when it is received.

Published research concerning the Shiloh favissa discusses multiple lines of evidence including ash layers, a large assemblage of animal bones representing clean animal species, cultic vessels, ceramic stands, precious-metal objects, stratigraphic sequences, ceramic typology, radiocarbon dating, and Late Bronze Age chronological context. Each of these elements contributes to the ongoing scholarly interpretation of the deposit's significance within the religious life and archaeological record of ancient Shiloh.

Jordan McClinton is an archaeologist and Area Supervisor for the Associates for Biblical Research excavations at ancient Shiloh, where he oversees Area D. His archaeological work focuses particularly on the ritual and cultic archaeology of Shiloh and the investigation of the deposit generally described by the excavation team as the Shiloh favissa.

McClinton has participated in archaeological work with Associates for Biblical Research since 2018 and has taken part in multiple excavation seasons at Shiloh. He also participated in the Mount Ebal sifting project in 2020.

He is ABD in his PhD programme at Veritas International University and holds an MA in Biblical History and Archaeology from The Bible Seminary. He also serves as a Teaching Assistant at The Bible Seminary and as Co-Director of its Joshua, Judges, and Jesus Museum.

His research interests include biblical archaeology, ancient Shiloh, ritual deposits, archaeology of cult and sacrifice, material culture of ancient Israel, and the relationship between archaeological evidence and the biblical world.