The cities associated with the Philistines — Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza — show a striking transformation in material culture at the beginning of the twelfth century BCE.

Before the Philistine period, these cities show material culture consistent with Canaanite and Egyptian influences.

After the Philistine arrival, a distinctive new material culture appears: a pottery style called Mycenaean IIIC:1b (or Monochrome ware), which is similar to pottery styles found in Cyprus and the Aegean; different ceramic cooking wares; different styles of loom weights indicating different weaving traditions; different foodways (pigs, for instance, which were not typically eaten in Canaanite or Egyptian culture); and different architectural traditions.

The Mycenaean IIIC:1b pottery is particularly significant.