On the Role of the Argumentum ex silentio in the Interpretation of Missing Archaeological Finds, with Case Studies from Jerusalem

Abstract

The article covers a situation in which archaeologists deal with finds that were not retrieved in an excavation, and they construct various interpretations upon these negative results. The article clarifies how one can know of finds that were not found and perhaps could have been there, and under what circumstances one can safely suggest an interpretation based on this want of data. Further, under what circumstances might such an interpretation prove faulty, and when could more finds be retrieved that might refute the original interpretation? For the clarification of this issue, several case studies from various excavations in ancient Jerusalem are to be examined.