This period is marked by Egyptian rule in Canaan. The El Amarna archive of the late 14th century BCE includes letters that were sent mainly by Canaanite rulers to the King of Egypt. Written in cuneiform characters, the international language of the time, they reveal the interrelationship of the rulers of the city-states and Egypt. Although Canaan was part of the Egyptian Empire, it retained its distinctive culture, which attained impressive achievements, the most important being the invention of the alphabetic script. Findings from this period attest to lively international trading both overland and across the seas, encompassing the entire Mediterranean Basin. Canaan absorbed cultural elements from its neighbors as is clearly expressed in the architecture, pottery, and art of that period.           Bronze mirror with a handle in the shape of a woman

Back to Hecht Museum Welcome Page         Back to the Chronological Table