Taygete Atlantis: Excavation Blogs (Antiquity)

New “Near Eastern Archaeology” and the “northern Philistines”?

2010-03-19T13:18:01Z

This week, I received my copy of the new issue of Near Eastern Archaeology (72/4 [2004]). The issue, which is devoted to new studies on the “New Hittites”, includes several very nice articles.

What stood out for those interested in the Philistines are two articles which open up to the more general public an issue that has up until now appeared mainly in more specialized journals, that of the now mounting evidence for the Aegean components appearing in NW Anatolia and N. Syria, and particularly in the Amuq region, during this period.

This clearly is connected to the “Sea Peoples” phenomenon, and what has been coming out in the last years is the very strong similarities to the processes (and finds) found in Philistia. Thus, similar LH IIIC pottery is found in both areas, along with other evidence, such as changes in diet and weaving, all indicating that a significant portion of the population during this phase is of non-local, most probably Aegean origin.

What is particularly interesting is the fact that apparently, among these northern Sea Peoples in the Amuq region there is a group that is identified as the “Palistines!” Based on a relatively new reading of an inscription from Aleppo and from Tel Ta’ayinat, J.D. Hawkins (Hawkins, J. D. 2009. Cilicia, the Amuq, and Aleppo: New Light on a Dark Age. Near Eastern Archaeology 72(4): 164–73) argues that this was the name of the early Iron Age kingdom in the Amuq, based at Tel Ta’ayinat, and that they are connected, culturally and otherwise, with the Philistines of the Southern Levant.

In a second article, T.P. Harrison (Harrison, T. P. 2009. Neo-Hittites in the “Land of Palistin”: Renewed Investigations at Tell Ta’yinat on the Plain of Antioch. Near Eastern Archaeology 72(4): 174–89) discusses the new excavation at Tell Ta’ayinat, including important finds from the early Iron Age (among them various aspects that are clearly Aegean-related).

As the modern exploration of this area expands, a whole new perspective on the changes that occurred in the early Iron Age is being fleshed out.

In particular, what is nice, is how these finds dovetail so well with the up-to-date understanding of the processes occurring in Philistia during this time frame.

Clearly, a more in-depth understanding of the exact relationship between the northern “Palistines” and the southern “Philistines” is needed, but I believe this points out some very promising directions for research in the coming years.

Aren

Comment on Hamilton’s reading of the Safi sherd

2010-03-16T21:54:44Z

Since in the last post I mentioned epigraphy, I guess it was in heaven that today another epigraphic matter related to Safi has surfaced.

On various lists (such as here) a new article by Gordon Hamilton (Huron University College) has been noted. This article, which discusses and reviews various early alphabetic inscriptions found in recent years, deals, inter alia, with the Safi archaic alphabetic inscription (so-called “Goliath” inscription).
Hamilton suggests a slightly different reading of the Safi inscription, suggesting that there is a “G” (gimel), placed slightly above the line, between the 2nd and 3rd letter. Thus, he proposes reading the first part of the inscription as “algwt” (which he sees as a Semitic name) instead of “alwt” (which we interpreted as an Indo-European name in our article about the inscription).

While this is an interesting suggestion, unfortunately it is baseless. As can be seen in the photo below, the supposed “g” (marked in the photo below in a black circle), is a completely different kind of marking, when compared to the actual incised letters of the inscription. The “marking” that Hamilton suggests is a “gimel” is in fact what is most probably the marking left by a plant root on the sherd surface (a very common phenomenon on sherds – one that often brings students/volunteers running to me during pottery washing, claiming that they have found an inscribed letter on a sherd…).

Also, the reason why we originally connected between this sherd and Goliath is not because we were trying to be “sensationalist” as Hamilton claims. We never claimed that this belonged to Goliath, rather, at the time, that “alwt” might be a name similar to Alyattes, a name which for years (since the 1920s) has been suggested as an etymological parallel to Goliath. Once we started our own research, it became apparent that this etymology is baseless. Thus, while “alwt” was an Indo-European name (perhaps related, inter alia, to names such as Alyattes), and one can find good Indo-European etymological parallels for Goliath, the onomastic similarity of alwt/alyattes/goliath was dropped.

picture of Safi sherd with non-G marked

Thus, while I thank Hamilton for critically reviewing our suggested reading (and in fact, accepting most of our reading), the extra letter that he suggests is without basis and can safely be dropped.

Aren

re: lecture by P. Kyle McCarter

2010-03-16T21:38:46Z

Today, we had the pleasure of hosting Prof. P. Kyle McCarter of Johns Hopkins University, in our department at Bar-Ilan University. Prof. McCarter have a very interesting lecture on early Iron Age inscriptions, with particular emphasis on new insights on the typological chronology of the development of the alphabet in light of recent discoveries, such as the Zayit, Qeiyafeh and Safi inscriptions (which have been mentioned in this blog many times). It was very enlightening to hear the viewpoints of one of the world’s leading epigraphists on this and other issues.
A little later during the day, Prof. McCarter came to visit the Tell es-Safi/Gath lab, where I showed him and his travel partner various finds from the excavations.
All told, it was a very interesting and enlightening visit (hopefully for both sides…).

Hopefully, in the future, we will provide more data for him…

Aren

Digital recreation of the Davidic capture of Gath

2010-03-11T16:13:11Z

After much effort and inter-disciplinary work, we have succeeded in recreating the Davidic capture of Gath and its territory, as depicted in I Chron 18:1.
For the recreation, look below…

Actually, this is from the great website, The Brick Testament, which has many very cute recreations of biblical scenes (including this one), all made of Lego!

Enjoy!
Aren

Back from US

2010-03-10T10:34:44Z

Got back from a very nice trip to the US. The lectures at Brandeis and Brown went very well. At Brandeis, I saw some Safiites (see picture of meeting with Alyssa, Zach, Marc Brettler and yours truly), as well as some potential team members for this coming year. At Brown, I also had some very nice meetings with a group from the School of Engineering, who are interested in developing a collaboration relating to digital information processing in the field at the dig. I hope this will develop nicely.

Needless to say, came back to Israel with an enormous pile of things to do…

But it is nice to be back!

Aren

Gabii Project at '7° Incontro di Studi sul Lazio e la Sabina'

2010-03-05T05:45:47Z

The seventh Lazio e Sabina conference will take place at various academic venues in Rome from March 9th through March 11th 2010 and the Gabii Project will again be represented among the presentations. Field director Dott.ssa Anna Gallone will present a paper on March 10th entitled, "Gli scavi dell'University of Michigan a Gabii." The paper, co-authored with project director Nicola Terrenato and vice field director Marcello Mogetta will be part of the morning session, beginning at 09:30 am, at the American Academy in Rome.

The full conference program can be found here.

Burning Incense at Calixtlahuaca

2010-02-28T23:35:42Z

Incense burners (or censers) are a regular part of household artifact inventories at Aztec-period sites in central Mexico. People made offerings to the gods by burning copal, an aromatic resin made from the sap of various trees of the genus coparifera. The censers we found in domestic contexts at Calixtlahuaca are interesting; their form is uncommon at other sites. The first few images show some of our sherds, and a reconstruction drawing (made by ASU student Will Russell). Caitlin Guthrie did a preliminary study of these censers and presented a poster at the 2008 SAA meetings:

Guthrie, Caitlin
2008 The Censers of Calixtlahuaca. Poster presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting, Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver.

We are still working on comparing these items to other central Mexican censers. They seem to most closely resemble some censers from the Tollan phase (Early Postclassic) at Tula. This is interesting, becuase the Calixtlahuaca deposits are all from the Middle and Late Postclassic periods. Perhaps people adopted the Toltec censers, and then kept using them while other Aztec-period peoples in central Mexico changed to the long-handled censer style.

Here is an example of the long-handled censers that are most typical of Aztec sites in the Basin of Mexico and Morelos. There are many images in the codices of priests using these things at public cereminies (this image is from the Codex Mendoza). In Morelos, these were the dominant form of domestic censer. I describe these and talk about possible links between domestic ritual and state ritual in this paper:

Smith, Michael E.
2002 Domestic Ritual at Aztec Provincial Sites in Morelos. In Domestic Ritual in Ancient Mesoamerica, edited by Patricia Plunket, pp. 93-114. Monograph, vol. 46. Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA, Los Angeles.

Back to Calixtlahuaca: We also have some long-handled censers (see the photo), but they are very different from the Aztec examples. In fact, these forms (which are much rarer than the spiked censers shown above) also resemble censer forms from Tollan-phase Tula. Hmmmmmm. I guess the Calixtlahuaca folks really liked those Toltec incense burners. Were they making a delberate social statement about their linkages to the Toltec past, their adherence to Toltec values and ideas? Or were they country bumpkins who were so out of it that they didn't realize that everyone else in central Mexico was now using the new Aztec-style censer? Can we decide between these two views? Or do we need to consider additional kinds of evidence before making complex interpretations like this?

And here is one final example, an unusual decorated basin censer from Garcia Payon's excavations at Calixtlahuaca. The color photo shows the vessel when we photographed the collections in 2002 (thanks to the Instituto Mexiquense de Cultura and the Museo de Antropología in Toluca for permissions and help). But when it was first found, it looked like the second image, taken from the Illustrated London News in 1931:

Gann, Thomas
1931 New Light on Aboriginal America: Interesting Discoveries on Toltec Sites in Mexico: Temples and Art Treasures at Calixtlahuaca and Teotihuacan. In Illustrated London News, pp. 330-331. August 29, 1931 ed, London.

My guess is that this was used in temple ceremonies, not in domestic ritual.

Bar Article on Burna

2010-02-27T19:44:59Z

Hello everyone,

I just found out now (by checking on the Tell es-Safi/Gath Blog) that an article on the Tel Burna Dig has appeared in BAR. here is a link to the article!

http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=36&Issue=02&ArticleID=13&Page=0&UserID=0&

In the article we discuss why we chose Burna, how we came to work together, and a little biut about ourselves and the project.

Two upcoming Gabii Project talks in Canada

2010-02-27T06:27:19Z

Project directors Nicola Terrenato and Jeffrey Becker will present interim lectures on the work of the Gabii Project in the next two weeks.

- On March 3, 2010, at 2:30 PM, Nicola Terrenato will present a talk entitled, "The Gabii Project: a new excavation in a major Latin city" in the Department of Classics at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. The lecture will be in Watson 517 and is open to the public.

- On March 11, 2010, at 4:30 PM, Jeffrey Becker will present a talk entitled, "The Gabii Project, 2007-2010: preliminary conclusions and future perspectives" in the Department of Classics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. The lecture will be held in Togo Salmon Hall 701.

Itzik and Joe on Tel Burna in BAR

2010-02-26T04:11:58Z

In the new issue of BAR, currently available online, Itzik and Joe explain about their decision to choose the site of Tel Burna for the location of a what hopefully will be a long-term project.
Do read the article – also check out their website.

Aren

10th cent. wall in Jerusalem

2010-02-22T20:53:12Z

Today, the media (and from there, all digital platforms interested in Bible, Archaeology, etc.) reported Dr. Eilat Mazar’s press conference on the supposed discovery of a 10th cent. fortification wall in Jerusalem.

For my reservations, at this point, in accepting the 10th date of this fortification (and Mazar’s conclusions regarding the character of the Judean kingdom in the 10th cent.), see here.

Aren

Upcoming lectures

2010-02-22T11:49:24Z

For those interested, I will be in New England next week, and will be giving a few lectures.

On Wednesday, March 3rd, I will be giving two lectures at Brandeis University. The first one, entitled: “The Archaeology of Love and Sex in the Ancient Near East” will be from 2:10 – 3:30 pm at Lown 202, as part of Prof. M. Brettler’s class “The Song of Songs”.
The second one, entitled: “Canaanites, Philistines, Israelites and Crusaders: The Excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel” will from 5:10 – 6:30 pm at Lown 2, as part of a joint lecture for the Depts. of Anthropology and of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.

On Thursday, March 4th, I’ll be presenting a lecture at the Laboratory for Engineering Man/Machine Systems at Brown University, on the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath.

If anyone is in the area, please do feel free to come to these talks.

Aren

New blog on Postclassic urban sites in Michoacan

2010-02-18T15:23:14Z

Marion Forest has just started an informative blog on "Le Projet Uacusecha." This project is investigating some very interesting urban sites in an area of lava flows near Zacapu, Michoacan.As you can see from the photo, many of the stone foundation walls are very well preserved at these sites. This is an important project for expanding our understanding of the forms and organization of urbanism in Postclassic Mesoamerica.

On the Road to Ashkelon

2010-02-17T01:51:50Z

"What? Where? When?" The short answer is that it is a Roman period bath (dated to the fourth century CE) discovered on the North Tel in the mid-1990s. Excavation of the bath uncovered the furnace, hypocaust tunnels which supported a partially preserved floor and two chambers. The scene depicted in the picture is a group of Romans hanging around in their togas as they relax at the bath. Ok, truth be told it is some volunteers engaged in a re-enactment for the benefit of other volunteers on a Tel tour, a once a week opportunity to visit other excavation areas and learn about what is being discovered. For bonus points, where exactly is the bath located on the North Tel? And can you name one of the two supervisors of this area?

On to other things...

I found this article while procrastinating on some work and include a link to it here as an introduction to Dr. Daniel Master, co-director of the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon.

The story is a familiar one as my road to Ashkelon parallels that of Daniel’s to a great extent with some obvious differences (he is a co-director and I am not for example).

This is my story.

My freshman year of college my roommate was an anthropology major which I thought was cool though less practical then my history major. Sure Indiana Jones had lots of great adventures but really, who would pay you to do that sort of work? I wasn’t convinced there were too many people that would. I was, however, more easily convinced that it would be fun to try an archaeological excavation, that spending a summer digging in the dirt under a blazing hot sun would be a great experience.

So, like many students before me I perused the help-wanted ads in Archaeology Magazine and Biblical Archaeology Review. In other words, I combed through their annual listings of excavations that take student volunteers and chose one at random. Ashkelon was the winner. I suppose the Harvard University name attached to it may have had something to do with my choice but I really don’t remember. What I do remember is that once the idea hit me I didn’t let it go until I found myself in Ashkelon several months later.

I liked it enough that first season that I returned a second season as a volunteer happy to pay for the privilege of once again wallowing in the sewers of Ashkelon. My hard work, enthusiasm and willingness to dig just about anything paid off and I was invited back as an assistant square supervisor for the 1991 field season.

In those days Ashkelon was huge. On average 80 to 120 volunteers and a staff of 50 to 60 people. The excavation was large not just in terms of numbers but also in numbers of areas being worked. Each excavation had a Grid Supervisor, the person in charge of directing, collating, processing and interpreting the data collected from however many 10 x 10 meter squares were opened for excavation within that grid. Each square, of course, had a Square Supervisor who was responsible for the day to day decisions within that square. And it was not unheard of for each square to have an assistant supervisor who, obviously, assisted the Square Supervisor while receiving the training with which to overthrow their bosses.

Such was my position in 1991 when not even a week into the season I was promoted, without any overthrowing required, to a Square Supervisor in Grid 50 where I stayed for many years. I even made the cover of BAR one year -- of course, the scenic excavation area overlooking the Mediterranean Sea undoubtedly had more to do with that than I did.

And maybe along the way the power went to my head because I decided archaeology really was cool and that it didn’t matter it was less practical than history (remember, I was young then and I liked to study history). I decided graduate school was the way to go but I wouldn’t do what it seemed like everyone else at Ashkelon was doing. No Bronze or Iron Age archaeology for me. No, I decided that I wanted to study the late periods, specifically the Islamic period. This proved to be a very fortuitous decision as I was able to write about Ashkelon for my dissertation. No one else wanted to do it and I had my choice of topics.

I continued digging at Ashkelon throughout graduate school and in 1997 I became a Grid Supervisor and had the privilege of opening a new area for excavation.

Next it was on to a stint as the Ashkelon Lab Director for which I am most well-known as the author of an unheralded but very amusing (I am told) Lab Director’s Manual. The Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon maintains a lab facility year round in the city of Ashkelon in order to facilitate research and other ongoing projects associated with the excavation. That can mean anything from moving pottery crates from one rat-infested warehouse to another, hosting visiting scholars or team members working on various research projects to supervising, shall we say, the delicate use of mechanized equipment to prepare for the upcoming season of excavation. A varied and demanding job it is nonetheless quite rewarding and puts you in near proximity to some amazing archaeological discoveries on a daily basis.

In 2008 I went back to serving as a Grid Supervisor and there I have stayed. Every year there are new problems, fresh faces and the opportunity not only to uncover the history of Ashkelon but also to teach the next generation of archaeologists who will pursue our dream of revealing and interpreting the material remains of this ancient city.

How will your Ashkelon story read?

And now for the next installment of “What, Where, When?” Thoughts?

Until next time.

Dr. Moshier Part 2

2010-02-15T21:38:26Z

Here is the second installment of Dr. Moshier's blog reprinted with permission. Enjoy!

Blog Entry: The big one that got away (posted July 6, 2009)

Ashkelon is a city on the coast. There is a casual “beach town” vibe here that is not much different from places in the USA like Corpus Christi or Ft. Lauderdale. During the weekends (Friday-Saturday) the population of Ashkelon must triple, at least the occupancy of our hotel does.

Of course, there are disadvantages to living along the coast. The beaches of Corpus Christi and Ft. Lauderdale are frequently traumatized by hurricanes. But, such violent storms are not spawned in the warm waters of the Mediterranean; it’s just not big enough and lies too far north of the equator for strong cyclonal patterns to develop. Other dangers lurk in this tectonically active region that can result in devastation to the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. Something really catastrophic happened here about 3600 years ago.

In the Aegean Sea between southern Greece and western Turkey, and due north of the Island of Crete there is a crescent-shaped island (or rather strand of small islands) named Santorini, also known as Thera. The Minoan culture was thriving in this region during the Late Bronze Age. Minoan art and ceramics are colorful and sophisticated. There may be cultural and ethnic connections between the Minoans and other people groups scattered around the Western Mediterranean, such as the Philistines, Phoenicians, Hyksos, etc. But Minoan culture basically ended with a bang when Thera blew up. Thera is a giant volcano. Or was.

So much ash was pushed up into the atmosphere that it probably explains evidence of climate disturbances in China and frost damage to trees in California and Ireland (Science v. 312, p. 548). Ash from the eruption has been recovered in Greenland ice cores and sediment cores in the Nile Delta. A little global cooling was the least of worries for people living along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. The eruption resulted in the collapse of the center of the island creating a caldera and surges of pyroclastic material flowed in to the surrounding sea. The displacement of water produced the dreaded tsunami waves that propagated in every direction.

Even some 500 km away, the coast of Israel could not have been spared of this disaster. Computer models show the waves hitting our Late Bronze city of Ashkelon about 100 minutes after those pyroclastic surges hit the ocean floor. With wavelengths of over 100 km, tsunami waves build in height as they run up on coastlines. Waves hitting the Levant could have been up to 12 m above sea level. Surely Ashkelon was smacked, but what actually happened and can we find evidence of that fateful day of doom?

Finally, there is controversy over the date of the eruption. Geochronologists using carbon-14 date the eruption at about 1600-1620 BC. Archaeologists, particularly those working Bronze Age sites in the Nile Delta and Levant, believe the archaeological indicators and chronologies put the date at 1500 BC!

Henrik Bruins, a geochronologist at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, has been looking along the coast of Israel for deposits that might be linked to the Thera eruption. He has described in great detail Thera tsunami deposits on the Island of Crete. In the spring of 2009, Ashkelon Excavation Director Daniel Master and Dr. Bruin discussed the possibility of tsunami deposits at Ashkelon. Daniel recalled a particular massive sandy layer on top of the hard kurkar dune rock along the beach cliff. It is about 6 m above present sea level. Perhaps if this deposit had the characteristics of a tsunami deposit and contained datable material and diagnostic pottery, we could establish the presence of the tsumani at Ashkelon and contribute to the resolution of the debate over the timing of the eruption.

My very first morning here two weeks ago we looked at that bed (we could not reach it due to its position on the cliff) and made plans to clean it up for study. What that means is that daredevil archaeologist Josh Walton would scale a ladder and chisel out a smooth surface with a pick and trowel. That did not happen until this past Sunday after our drilling project was finished. It took two hours hard labor by Josh and my geoarchaeology student assistant Ben before I had my first look at the deposit. Josh had already determined that the pottery beneath and within the deposit was much later than Bronze Age. I could see no evidence that the bed was anything other than typical tell sediment (thebrownish yellow loam soiling all my T-shirts). Shoot.

We decided to comb the beach cliff for other candidate deposits, using information from a previous geoarchaeological survey. About 250 m north of the disappointing deposit we found an old covered trench that was documented to contain, “fluvial sand” with Chalcolithic and Early Bronze pottery. Fluvial infers water deposition. The geologist who had described the trench wondered if flooding on the tell had resulted in the deposition of sand in narrow channels running toward the sea. It is hard to imagine that enough rainwater could collect on the tell to create such a torrent. It made sense to us that “the flood” may have been from run up or back wash from the big one. So this morning, Josh and Ben were at it again with pick and trowel, only this time they did not need a ladder. They cleaned a 4 m section and dug a 2.5 m trench. We found nothing even remotely similar to the previous description of that level (in all fairness, we might not have been in exactly the same place described in the previous report). We see no other reasonable places to look for evidence of the elusive tsunami deposit. I joked with Josh and Ben, “there goes our article in Nature.” Josh was not sure if his hours of digging would even have been acknowledged, anyway. Because they worked so hard to create a nice clean trench, we dedicated the next hour to describing the 4 m of sediment in detail, just for the record.

Even though we don’t have geological evidence for the tsunami does not mean that ancient Ashkelon was spared. From now on, archaeologists digging levels of Bronze Age occupation will be mindful to look for evidence of natural destruction. Our work to create a “bedrock” map of the tell will be used to model the effects of a wave on reconstructed Early Bronze Age topography. If waves were even as much as 12 m high hitting the coast, either as a wall or rapidly rising water, we know that some Bronze Age levels are as high as 17 m above present sea level. Even better for them, sea level during the Bronze Age was about 2 m lower than present! The ancient citizens of Ashkelon would have certainly been terrified by the giant wave or waves soaking the coast, but many may have survived by virtue of the elevation provided by the old kurkar dune beneath their city. They probably had more to fear from the falling ash. Who knows what human or natural activity might have erased physical evidence of the event? Or, have we looked in all the right places?

Gideon Sa’ar, Israel Minister of Education, visits the Safi lab!

2010-02-08T22:13:14Z

Today, as part of a visit that Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli minister of education, conducted at Bar-Ilan University, he came to the lab of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project! Although yours truly could not be there (since I do not have the physical, or for that matter, paranormal powers to be in two places at once, and I am currently in Heidelberg…), Amit Dagan, loyal Safi staff member (:-), was in charge of the show at the lab, and gave the minister an explanation about some of the finds from the dig. In addition, Amit stressed to Mr. Sa’ar that archaeology can be used as an excellent education tool for school kids, and suggested that the Ministry of Education develop more programs in which “hands-on” archaeological work can be used to teach history, culture and related issues.

Here is a link to a brief Hebrew news communique by Bar-Ilan University, in which Amit is mentioned.

Way to go Amit!

Aren

Lecture in Heidelberg

2010-02-03T20:40:47Z

As I had posted before, yesterday, I gave a lecture about the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath (focussing on the LB and Iron Ages) at the institute of Archaeology of the University of Heidelberg. Although it was quite late at night (started at 8:15…), about 25 people showed up and most seemed very interested and “alive”. At the end of the lecture there were a few questions and altogether, I had a very nice time. I’m in (cold, rainy, and occassionaly snowy) Heidelberg until the end of next week, a guest of Prof. J. Maran. I am working on trying finish the editing of the not-final page proofs of the Tell es-Safi/Gath I volume, which if things go well, should go to press in the not to distant future.

Aren

Mysterious Calixtlahuaca: Memo to TV producers

Rowe — 2010-02-03T15:24:31Z

Memo to TV producers:

Tonight I watched the PBS/National Geographic show, “Ghosts of Machu Picchu” that emphasized the mysterious nature of this Inca site. When you make your million-dollar documentary on Calixtlahuaca, here are some of the mysteries you could emphasize. Based on the fact that many of the so-called “mysteries” that structured the Machu Picchu show have not been at all mysterious since John Rowe’s 1990 paper (Rowe 1990), I will list some “mysteries” of Calixtlahuaca and their solutions (so that you can avoid the real information until the end of the show, for dramatic effect).

Why was the main pyramid circular in form? Was this a sacred shape, perhaps a symbol of the cosmos? Might the shape relate to the statue of the wind god found buried in the pyramid? Could it indicate that the people of Calixtlahuaca were in tune with the weather and the cosmos? You can use haunting and spooky flute music in this segment.

Reality check: The role of circular temples and the wind god has been known since the first codices were studied, and the topic was thoroughly analyzed in Pollock (1936).

Why did so many of the human long bones excavated at Calixtlahuaca in the 1930s have deep parallel notches? Could these have been sacred musical instruments that produced an eerie percussion sound used in secret rituals? Why did these skeletons disappear after 1935?

Reality check: The uses of these objects as musical instruments has been understood at least since Seler’s work over a hundred years ago (Seler 1992). We don’t know what happened to the bones, though.

Why was this city built on a hill? Was it to worship the gods of the sky, or perhaps the sun god? Can this be explained by the “sacred landscape theory” that explains Machu Picchu according to Nova last night? (actually I prefer Rowe’s more prosaic explanation). Just like Machu Picchu, there were sacred volcanoes to the south and the east of Calixtlahuaca (and probably to the north and west, although I haven’t looked yet).

Well, I guess I have to admit that the placement of the city on a hill is really a mystery of sorts, something that we are working on. But it is hard to attribute the location to a “sacred landscape theory” when nearly all other Aztec-period cities were NOT built on mountains, whereas the basic belief system was widespread.

Sincerely yours,

M. E. Smith, skeptical archaeologist

Now, here are some REAL mysteries, but probably not the kind of mystery that TV producers would be interested in:

Why do so many people insist in attributing mystery to archaeological sites and ancient peoples? Weren’t ancient people humans like you and me, living regular lives like people all over the world? Why must the past be portrayed as mysterious and so very different from the present?
Why do people seem amazed that ancient peoples did the things they did? Inka stonework is admirable for its skill and aesthetics, but there is nothing mysterious about it. They put thousands of people to work cutting stone, they had expert masons, and they took whatever time was needed to do things right. The Mayas had an advanced calendar and writing system, and they were pretty smart people, but there is nothing mysterious about this. (And no, the world will NOT end in 2012). The Aztecs used one of the most highly productive agricultural systems known to the preindustrial world (chinampas, or raised fields), but this is not mysterious. They had the skills, the labor, and the economic and political structure to do what they needed to do.

REFERENCES:

Pollock, Harry E. D.

1936 Round Structures of Aboriginal Middle America. Publications, vol. 471. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC.

Rowe, John H.

1990 Machu Picchu en la luz de documentos del siglo XVI. Histórica (Lima) 14(1):139-154.

Seler, Eduard

1992 Ancient Mexican Bone Rattles. In Collected Works in Mesoamerican Linguistics and Archaeoalogy, pp. 62-73, vol. 3. Labyrinthos, Culver City.

The Iron Age I at Tel Burna

2010-01-30T07:56:36Z

I know its been a while – but I just had twins, and its keeping my hands full!

Returning to our series of earlier posts, its time to discuss the Iron Age I at Tel Burna. The Iron Age I, for those of you who don’t know, is the period that is approximately between 1200-1000 BCE, and marks the arrival of the Philistines, and the development of the Israelite Tribes. During this period, Tel Bruna is not very large, with a settlement of about 2 hectares.

That said, a few important finds were collected in the survey. One of the most interesting is the collection of Philistine pottery. While it seems that Tel Burna was on the Judean side of the border, the presence of Philistine pottery at the site indicates that the people living at Tel Burna interacted with their Philistine neighbors. this is an indication that research needs to rethink how borders worked in the past – these were not like modern borders. this is one of our main research goals at Tel Burna.

The gymnastics of the foto shoot!

2010-01-27T16:29:47Z

Dr. Jill Katz (YU), who headed the YU team in the last few seasons and in 2009 supervized two squares in Area A, sent me this great photo of the process of taking a field photo during the season. On the ladder, Richard Wiskin, our photographer, is preparing to take a foto of one of the squares that Jill supervized, and Steve Weiner (WIS) and yours truly, are stretching their arms as high as possible, holding flashes (which are needed to produce good lighting and contrast in the foto [and counteract the shading that is produced by the tarps above the squares]).

Once it is taken, Richard always asked “Did it geblitz?” (that’s German-English for “did it flash?”).

Aren

Tel Burna on BAR

2010-01-27T07:27:37Z

HI Everyone,

The Tel Burrna Dig has been listed amongst the excavations in Biblical Archaeology Reviews website – check out the link here.

http://digs.bib-arch.org/digs/tel-burna.asp

Amit Dagan gives a talk about Handmade vessels

2010-01-25T15:26:01Z

Last week (apologies for the late posting), Amit Dagan (one of the core staff of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Project) gave a very interesting talk in the lab about the hand made vessels (sometimes called “Negbite pottery” that were found at the “Kfar Menachem site” (which Amit worked on for his MA thesis) and at Tell es-Safi/Gath as well. Amit showed that although these type of vessels were most often reported from sites in the Negev (from the Bronze through Iron Ages), in fact, they appear at sites in the more temperate areas of the Land of Israel, but are most often not reported in the excavation reports. He suggests that these vessels were used for different functions, whether as simply made pottery containers, or as various installations that are used for various daily functions.

All told, Amit stressed that this is a class of material culture that is often over-looked and in fact can provide some very interesting insights on daily functions at various sites.

Aren

Core Sampling Project

2010-01-25T02:40:56Z

As promised, here is the first two of Dr. Moshier's blogs reprinted with permission.

Blog Entry: A big pile of sand (posted July 1, 2009)

All of my T-shirts have brown stains on the part over my belly. The hotel laundry just can't wash out the silt and clay that we are drilling out of Tell Ashkelon. I think the size of the stain is proportional to the size of the belly, a theory confirmed by a quick look at individuals in the pottery compound. I think I’ll have salad tonight for dinner.

The dirt doesn't seem to show as much on my pants, as they are very pale brown to begin with, a shade close to 10YR7/4 on the Munsell scale of soil colors. My typically pale “white” skin color is changed, too, either due to the sun or the absorption of Holy Land clay into my pores. Sunscreen only serves to give the clay something to stick to. Even after rigorous scrubbing in the shower, mud still smears the towel.

On Monday we started a second round of drilling. Archaeology students Ben and David assisted me again. Our driller Efni showed up at the park with his rig at 7 AM. We had been there since 5 AM. Efni packs up and leaves at 3PM and there is no time for lunch before he leaves. Our strategy Monday morning was to push up close to some of the excavation sites. The archaeologists know that the Middle Bronze settlement is built on a cover of yellow sand that extends beyond the (safe) level of excavation. Is the sand part of a dune that covers older cultures? We really wanted to punch through that sand to find out.

The drill is called a bucket auger that looks like a medium-size garbage can with jaws. The rig is mounted on a large tractor that is part forklift and part bulldozer. The drill string rotates and lengthens like a radio antenna, as the bucket churns down through the sediment. It is strong enough to grind through soft rock like the local sandstone, but the scraping sounds like fingernails on a blackboard and louder than a dinosaur in Jurassic Park. When the bucket is full with about 30 to 40 cm of sediment, the drill string is retracted and the bucket returns to the surface. The driller mechanically shakes the sediment out of the bucket, which falls on the ground for examination and sampling.

If everything goes well we can reach a total depth of 11 meters below the surface. Things did not go well Monday morning. At about five meters depth we encountered the yellow sand, but the sand was dry and started caving into the hole. We typically have to pour one or two standard buckets of water down the hole every time the auger goes down in dry sand. The water gives the sand cohesion and conditions the side of the hole to prevent caving. The idea of pouring fresh water down a dry hole seems ironic and perverse. It just did not work and we never got deeper than six meters. We moved the rig about 4 m to the side and tried again with the same results. If there is if there is older archaeological material beneath the sand, we will have to find a better method of drilling to find it. Next, we moved to another location near an excavation site. Same thing. Dry caving sand. Excavation Director Daniel Master stopped by to hear my complaints and told me, “Tell Ashkelon does not easily give up its secrets.”

The last three probes on Monday were more successful. We drilled in the main parking lot located between the north and south tells. The lot was probed in the 1980s but the reports from that survey are difficult to interpret because the descriptions are ambiguous and the depths don’t seem correct. We have good data now and that is the important thing. Even if I offer a lousy interpretation, I want our descriptions of the material and stratigraphy to be useful to future scholars working here.

On Tuesday we started by drilling very close to the beach cliff next to the south rampart built by Crusaders. The goal is to trace deposits evident on the beach cliff landward. Drilling was painfully slow through the sand. David and Ben carried gallons and gallons of water (uphill) from a park faucet some 50 m away from the drill sites. At about 9 AM the cable on the drill rig snapped. Efni called someone to come with a new cable. We were down for about 30 minutes. I fell asleep in the shade sitting up with my legs crossed on the ground. It was hot, but we had a constant breeze from the sea.

The next probe turned out to be our last of the season. It took nearly four hours to drill 10.4 m. We needed lots of water to get through the sand. David and Ben got quite a workout carrying jerry cans of water from an irrigation tap David found about 75 m from the drill site. I wanted to find a place where we would drill to bedrock. We have all assumed that hard sandstone, called kurkar, underlies the tell because it is exposed to elevations of up to 18 m above sea level. But, we have never encountered hard sandstone in our course landward under the tell. We do encounter lots of sand (remember the dry yellow sand from Monday?). We should have reached hard rock in our first probe near the south rampart beach cliff, but we did not. So for this probe we moved the rig to the north tell and set up near the cliff face (about as close as we could safely put it). We should have reached hard rock there, but again we did not! So it appears that the hard rock only occurs along the beach cliff. Hypothetically, the ancient sand dunes that formed the original topography of the tell were only cemented in this narrow zone against the sea. Seawater contains the dissolved calcium and carbonate that probably cemented the rock. We find no other obvious source of rock for the crusader ramparts and structures than the area of the beach cliff and a small quarry close to the cliff on the north tell. It seems then, when we encounter yellow sand anywhere under the tell, we are at, or near, the level of the original topography of the tell. Ashkelon appears to be built on a pile of sand. Our drilling efforts have provided the data to reconstruct the original topography of the site before human habitation and modification of the land.

We did not always encounter what we expected (that would be too easy). But perhaps Tell Ashkelon is beginning to reveal some of its geological secrets after all.

Read more from Dr. Moshier and his team next time to learn more about how geology is contributing to the archaeological exploration of ancient Ashkelon.

Archaeology, It's Not Just For Archaeologists Anymore

2010-01-25T02:39:14Z

"What, where, when?"

First things first, the answer to last month's "What, where, when?" is that the photo shows a Roman period road discovered during the 1992 season. The road and its associated drains were excavated in Grid 2 on the North Tell just outside the ancient city walls. Though exposed the street was never fully excavated and today it is buried under the parking lot just outside the Canaanite Gate

Technology, or How We Get Things Done

The privilege of old age is that I can reminisce with little rhyme or reason about the things that manage to stick out in my memory. So, here are some random thoughts that have managed to linger in the deep recesses of my mind.

Unsurprisingly, over the 20 plus years since I first went to Ashkelon there has been a great deal of change particularly in how we do things. Maybe not going from a horse and carriage to a car level of change but certainly revolutions in both technology and methodology that have changed how we investigate the ancient city. Yep, how we investigate the site and how we stay connected with the wider world as we live in the whirlwind that is an excavation season.

For instance, back in the day technology at Ashkelon meant those ultra thin, light weight air mail letters you could send home. You know the ones you fold and seal shut no envelope needed. That was pretty fancy stuff.

Archaeologically speaking pencil and paper were the recording tools of trade and the only computer on site was a cranky old thing in the dig office that all the supervisors shared along with the team of dig registrars. At the end of the season when square reports were due BEFORE the final dig party that machine saw a great deal of love and attention.

By the early 90s we advanced sufficiently to have access to e-mail. By “access” I mean that the e-mail was sent to the aforementioned cranky old beast in the dig office where it was then downloaded and printed (one screenshot at a time) before being distributed to the designated recipients. And by “we” I mean members of the professional staff. In other words, while a limited few of us had e-mail we had little privacy and certainly few secrets. Did I mention that e-mail came via a 300 baud modem? For those of you not old enough to know what that is, imagine a bunch of hungry alley-cats fighting over food and then toss in a chorus of crying babies. Finally, drop a spoon into the kitchen disposal, listen to all those glorious sounds together and you’re just about there.

Today things are quite a bit different. Pencils and paper are a thing of the past. We actually use laptops in the field to do all our data entry. Anyone with a laptop and I do mean anyone has access to e-mail and the joys of the internet. Need to check the score of the Cubs’s game? You can do that -- just about anywhere you want. Need to update your Facebook page? Doable.

The pervasiveness of computers, both in and out of the field, isn’t the only thing that is different about Ashkelon and the way we do things. In the past few seasons we have started some new projects, one doing ground penetrating radar and another doing core sampling, to help us investigate more areas of the site. These projects use methods that are less invasive than traditional excavation and not only do they help to further our research goals but also they help to shape those goals.

The core sampling project is headed by the team’s geologist Dr. Stephen Moshier who is an Associate Professor of Geology at Wheaton College, Illinois.

Born and raised in upstate New York Dr. Moshier studied geology at Virginia Tech (BS, 1977), SUNY Binghamton (MA, 1980) and Louisiana State University (PhD, 1987). His previous professional experience included working in the petroleum industry and a faculty position at the University of Kentucky. His teaching responsibilities cover areas of general geology, earth history, sedimentary petrology, and geoarchaeology. Prior to 2000, professional interests were focused on ancient limestones and petroleum geology. From 2000 to 2007, Moshier served as team geologist for the Tell el-Borg excavation in the NW Sinai, Egypt and in 2008 he joined the Harvard University-Leon Levy Expedition to Askhelon, Israel.

Dr. Moshier has generously allowed me to reprint some of his blog entries about his work during the 2009 season. The first of two entries will follow after this one.

Now, for the latest “What, where, when?” Any ideas?

One final note, we have a new website for you to check out. The address is digashkelon.com. Visit it to see our flyer about the upcoming season. The site is still under development but check back in the future to see more about Ashkelon and what we do. We also have a new e-mail address, info@digashkelon.com.

Thanks and see you next time!

Jeff Chadwick’s (aka Achish Melek Gath) assessment of the Qeiyafa ostracon

2010-01-24T15:12:48Z

Prof. Jeff Chadwick (field supervisor of Area F), from BYU, has been interviewed about the Qeiyafa inscription.

See his judicious views on this issue here.

Aren

Update

2010-01-22T15:33:57Z

I haven't been keeping the blog going as there was some confusion about divulging public information from a private dig.

Despite not blogging for a while, I'm still committed to writing this blog for friends and family. However, there is a big change. I have left my employer to broaden my horizons and pick up an invaluable skill: driving.

Yep, I'm er... a bit old to not know how to drive but I am picking up the skill now. It's very important to know how to drive yourself around and have access to a car in order to do field archaeology. It's even more important to be able to drive your colleagues around.

I have plans now to go on a research dig. I have my eye on two: one in Israel and one in France.

I'll use the blog for now to point out cool and interesting programs in archaeology as well as talking about topics that interest me.

New article has appeared!

2010-01-21T20:53:19Z

I just saw that an article stemming from the Tell es-Safi/Gath project, that was accepted for publication in the Journal of Archaeological Science is now available in an in-press, pre-final versionon line.

The article, by Ofir Katza, Dan Cabanes, Steve Weiner, Elisabetta Boarettoa, Ruth Shahack-Gross and yours truly, is entitled Rapid phytolith extraction for analysis of phytolith concentrations and assemblages during an excavation: An application at Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel describes a new method for the rapid extraction and identification of phytoliths from archaeological contexts. This method, which was first developed and used at Tell es-Safi/Gath, offers a new, efficient and rapid way to get a picture of phytolith concentrations in the archaeological contexts that are being excavated. In particular, this enables rapid analysis and assessment of the phytoliths in specific archaeological contexts (on a daily basis) and enable the excavators to pay special attention to contexts which are relevant, and this making decisions from one day to the other, while in the field. In the past, most often, results of phytolith analysis were only available after the excavation was over.
If I may add, this is another example of the very exciting methods (and results) in archaeological science that are being applied at the excavations. For those interested in learning more about this, see here.

Here is the article abstract for those interested:
“A rapid phytolith extraction procedure is described, that allows phytolith concentrations and morphotype assemblages to be analysed within hours. This procedure enables the results of these analyses to be used during an archaeological excavation, in order to better understand how plants were used. The new procedure was tested using a standard phytolith extract and two experimental phytolith-sediment blends and found to be both accurate and precise. The reliability of partial slide counting was evaluated and found to be as accurate and precise as existing phytolith quantification methods. The new extraction and counting procedures were applied to an archaeological site, Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel. The results demonstrate how information on phytolith concentrations in sediments that are available from one day to the next, can be used during an excavation to more effectively document the local features of interest and obtain better information.”

And finally (if I may paraphrase): “It’s 10 pm – do you know where your phytoliths are?”

:-)

Aren

Eric Welch Describes his Time at Safi!

2010-01-20T04:57:00Z

Eric Welch, who is a PhD candidate at Penn State, and an old hand on the Safi team (he’s been working for the last 4 seasons in Area F, and has served as a square supervisor for the last few seasons [I've mentioned Eric before, such as here]), has written a very nice piece about his work at Tell es-Safi/Gath for the Biblical Archaeology Society (since he received a travel scholarship from them to participate in the dig – similar to Caroline Tully mentioned in a previous post).
From his description, it turns out that Eric is quite a romantic – not to mention that he apparently has a thing for inflatable, yellow kangaroos!
:-)

BTW, if you are planning to join us this summer – do check out the BAS travel scholarship - each year, 2-3 of our team members are awarded this nice grant – it’s definitely worth the try.

Aren

Upcoming lecture on Tell es-Safi in Heidelberg

2010-01-17T14:51:51Z

if you happen to be in the vicinity of Heidelberg, Germany, on February 2nd, I will be presenting a lecture on the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath at the Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg.

So, if you happen to be in the vicinity – do pop in for the lecture. I’ll be happy to see you all!

Aren

Ulmus canescens – rare tree found near Tell es-Safi/Gath

2010-01-16T21:00:48Z

For those of you interested in the ecology surrounding our site, Oren Ackerman (project geomorphologist) has informed me that several examples of the Ulmus canescens (known also at the Grey Elm, Grey-leafed Elm, or Hoary Elm), which is a tree that is very rare in Israel, have been recently found just to the east of Tell es-Safi/Gath.

For those of you who read Hebrew, here is the notification from the KKL (Jewish National Fund) about this.

Aren

Heads up! Astounding archaeological find!

2010-01-15T11:59:34Z

I was just informed of an outstanding archaeological find – just reported here.

:-)

(thanks to Eli Stillman)

Aren

Caroline Tully describes her time on the dig

2010-01-13T21:49:26Z

Caroline Tully, who was on our team last summer (as part of the University of Melbourne team led by Louise Hitchcock) has very nicely described her time on the dig in the Biblical Archaeology Review.

Caroline, who among many other things is an avid writer about witchcraft and paganism, describes various aspects of the dig (and dig-related activities) and ends the piece with a strong recommendation to participate in the dig for all those interested in archaeology.

Thanks Caroline!

Aren

Drew Magazine

2010-01-12T14:35:04Z

Nice piece on the dig in the Drew magazine.

Finally – Safi website updated!

2010-01-11T20:30:43Z

Finally, after a long delay due to bureaucratic processes, the Tell es-Safi/Gath website was updated! You now can find the dates for the coming season (July 4th-30th, 2010), as well as the new “information and registration package” – which has the relevant registration forms and all kinds of info about the coming season.

Please do check it out!

Aren

Gershon Galil’s new reading of the Qeiyafa inscription

2010-01-09T18:47:37Z

All the news outlets were awash with news of Prof. Gershon Galil’s new suggestion for reading the Qeiyafa inscription (which has been discussed on this blog before). Altough we clearly have to wait for the publication of his study in a scientific journal, from what I have seen, he is the first to suggest a comprehensive and consistent reading of this inscription. If he is correct, and so far, I see no reason why not to accept his (apparently brilliant) reading, this may shed some extremely interesting light on the socio-political picture of this region in the late Iron I/early Iron IIA (e.g., late 11th/10th cent. BCE). Although, as a Gittite, I would have preferred to have an inscription dealing with a “seren”, “Gath” and other Philistine related issues (as Haggai Misgav suggested [just joking...]), Galil’s reading, which provides a coherent, and readable narrative, seeom much more likely.

Nevertheless, we still have to find a contemporary inscription at Gath, that is longer than the one with the 8 signs (e.g., here)…

Aren

Congrads to Joe and Sisi Uziel – twins!

2010-01-06T02:56:04Z

Joe Uziel, long time member of our team and part of the core staff, has informed us that his wife Sisi gave birth yesterday to twins, a girl and a boy, and that both Sisi and the babies are doing well.

Mazal tov!

Here is a great picture that Joe has sent of the twins in the hospital.

The Safi clan is growing…

Aren

Congrads to Steve Weiner!

2010-01-01T12:56:15Z

Prof. Steve Weiner, of the Weizmann Institute of Science, and co-director (along with yours truly) of the BIU/WIS joint program in archaeological science, will be receiving the Israel Chemical Society 2010 prize for excellence (along with his colleague Prof. Lia Hadadi, also of the WIS). The prize is for his work in biomineralization, Steve’s “other” topic of research (besides archaeological science), and will be presented to him at the annual meeting which will be at the end of January in Tel Aviv.

Here’s a picture of Steve working a IR Spectrometer in the field at Tell es-Safi/Gath

Mabruk! Way to go Steve!

Aren

Shira gives lab talk about her PhD research

2009-12-31T08:12:11Z

Shira Gur-Arieh, long time senior member of the Safi team, gave a very interesting lab talk this last Monday. Shira presented us with the initial work that she has done on her PhD thesis, and in particular, some field work that she did in Uzbekistan!
Shira is conducting an archaeological, enthoarchaeological and archaeological-science study of cooking, utilizing the archaeological finds from Tell es-Safi/Gath on the one hand, and a fascinating ethnoarchaeological study that she is conducting in Uzbekistan, observing traditional methods of cooking, baking, etc.
The idea behind the work is to try and understand the various aspects and components of ancient cookings methods using both the archaeological remains, but by adding a perspective of evidence from a culture that still use very traditional methods today.
It appears, from the initial results and directions that this research is going, that this will be an VERY important research from various perspectives. It should help us understand much about how, what, why (etc.) the ancient prepared the food. Regarding Tell es-Safi/Gath, it should, for example, hopefully help us understand various aspects relating to the Philistine diet.
Also, it appears that much of the assumed, accepted understanding of the various cooking installations in the ANE, may not be completely correct.

Here is Shira giving her talk

VERY INTERESTING! We await further results.

Aren

Happy New Year to all!!!

2009-12-30T15:36:03Z

I have not posted in the last week or so, due largely to a long list of things that I had to do. But now that I have given the excuse, I wanted to wish one and all a happy new year, AND, since I did not have a chance this week, wish all of you who celebrated Christmas, a belated happy Christmas as well!
Just an interesting point, since many put up Christmas trees for this holiday, the antiquity of the tree in religious symbolism is well-known, and we see this with the Philistines as well.
Here is a picture of a decorated chalice from the 9th cent. (“Hazael”) destruction at Tell es-Safi/Gath, which has a “petal” decoration, and most probably is meant to be a representation of a tree. With all likelihood, this would be symbolically related to the cult of a goddess, similar to the Asherah in Israelite religion.
So, next time you look under the Christmas tree, you might find a little Philistine hiding there!

Season’s greetings!
Aren

The Late Bronze Age at Tel Burna

2009-12-29T11:21:26Z

Continuing the recent series of posts, the next period to discuss is the Late Bronze Age. the Late Bronze Age (1500-1200 BCE) is generally considered a period of Egyptian domination in the southern Levant, after the establishment of the New Kingdom and the expulsion of the Hiksos. The famous Amarna Letters vividly describe the political upheaval that was part of the period, with local rulers warring amongst themselves, while paying tribute to the Egyptian overlords.

During this period, many sites see a decrease in settlement, with other sites abandoned completely. it seems that sites are not fortified at all, and the urbanism that thrived in the Middle Bronze Age diminishes. that said, the results at Tel Burna, show that the Late Bronze Age is very well represented, and it seems that the site was thriving during this period. the surface finds dating to the LB cover an area of 6 hectares, and the number of LB sherds identified are more than any other period! It will be interesting to see whether the excavations confirm these findings, and if we have a very unusual trend of growth (and not diminishing) of a site in the LB!

Calixtlahuaca structure 3 is on YouTube

2009-12-18T17:08:31Z

Max Farrar has posted an animated 3-D rendering of structure 3, the Ehecatl temples, on You Tube. Click here.

Thoughts of Ashkelon

2009-12-18T03:43:32Z

My name is Tracy Hoffman and I’m a grid supervisor on the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon. As one of the longest serving members of the expedition team it is with some trepidation and even more excitement I take on the task of sharing Ashkelon with the world.

I first volunteered in 1989. I had just finished my freshman year of college and was eager to embark on the discovery of the hidden glories of the ancient past. Glories that I quickly discovered were not always hidden nor particularly gorgeous or even that ancient if it comes down to it. It is unfortunate, albeit sometimes gratifying and satisfying, that we don’t get to choose what impresses us, to hand select the memories that leave an indelible imprint on our life’s journey. If it were possible I would undoubtedly consider exchanging some of my earliest memories of Ashkelon...

My first few summers at Ashkelon were an adventure as might be expected of any “once in a lifetime” experience. One of my roommates, and there were four of us in one room, was adverse to shaving and had a propensity for sleeping in the nude. One of my fellow volunteers managed to drawl his one syllable name into three, sometimes four syllables leaving most of us confused about what his name actually was until halfway through the season when we were able to determine the two key letters that made up his name. There were a pair of supervisors who were affectionately referred to as “the Greek god” and “the Norse god” for their imagined resemblance to the oh so handsome, deities of old.

There were our accommodations which featured roaches (larger than any I had ever seen before and they moved fast), late night pool parties with hotel guests staying up into the wee hours of the night listening to the Chicken Dance on a seemingly endless loop. And, of course, there was the food which was always filling if not wholly satisfying.

Through it all there was the archaeology, the exploration of the ancient city of Ashkelon and its hidden glories. Which for me, that year and the next, meant an inordinate amount of time in sewers. Large or small, little more than rivulets running down the center of a dirt street or purpose built stone drains I experienced it all. And by the end of my first two seasons of sewer excavation I was convinced (and still am truth be told) that a rehydrated sewer, one newly re-exposed to the humid Mediterranean air, retained discernible vestiges of its former odoriferous glory. In other words, they still stank when the wind was blowing the right way.

Over the years I have excavated a wealth of archaeological material from those sewers to houses, warehouses, streets, burials and so much more. Along the way I have encountered a bewildering array of interesting people from those who didn’t like the sun and those afraid of bugs to students of history, archaeology and religion not to mention those more mature adults embarking on the adventure of a lifetime to borrow and repeat an apt, oft spoken cliche.

Ashkelon is many things to many people and as my thoughts turn to the upcoming 2010 season I can’t wait the meet the next group of hardy souls willing to take the 5:00 AM ride from the Gani Dan to the ancient city. With staffing well under way and discussions about excavation strategy and planning heating up it is only a matter of time before the months become weeks, and the weeks become days and the days become the morning after a really long plane ride. If the spirit of adventure moves you, come join us.

If you’re new to our site take a look at the National Geographic January 2001 issue where ancient Ashkelon is a feature article. Head to the library and peruse Ashkelon I, a comprehensive overview of the first season of excavation in 1985, edited by Lawrence Stager, David Schloen and Daniel Master. Or stay tuned to this blog where I’ll pass along interesting tidbits on the daily life and times, not to mention the amazing archaeological research, of the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon.

For those of you who aren’t new, something I’ll call “What, where, when?” Can you identify what’s in the picture to the right?

To learn more about the site, our research and volunteer opportunities please go to www.fas.harvard.edu/~semitic/ashkelon/. Send questions to leonlevyexpeditiontoashkelon@gmail.com.

Thanks and see you next time!

The Middle Bronze Age at Tel Burna

2009-12-15T11:24:30Z

The Middle Bronze Age – roughly 1900-1500 BCE (although there are plenty of arguments to move it one way or the other by 50-100 years) is a period of reawakening for urbanism in the southern Levant. after a dark age of about 350 years, where no cities are found, cities begin to emerge once again, building palaces, temples, and most notably fortifications. These fortifications are one of the hallmarks of the period, as they many times are the reason behind the shape of the tells we know today. These fortifications include earthworks – known as ramparts and glacis – which encompassed the cities. Some have argued against labeling the structures fortifications, preferring alternate explanations, linked to more “social” reasoning behind their costruction.

The survey revealed that there was a considerable presence of Middle Bronze Age pottery at Tel Burna. The rough estimate of surface scatter (the area where artifacts found dating to a certain period) is 5 hectares. this would mean that Tel Burna was a small city, and may have been encompassed by the earthworks mentioned above. It would be interesting to see – through excavation – if the unique shape of the tell is a result of the construction of a rampart!

Happy Hanukah to all!

2009-12-12T21:28:59Z

Happy Hanukkah to all. Since this festival is also called the “festival of lights” – here is a picture of a lamp from Iron Age IIA Tell es-Safi/Gath. Not a “Hanukiah” – but an ancient lamp…

And one more thing – don’t eat too many latkes or “sufganiyot” – they are not healthy!

Aren

Ostia Back in Business: the Debt is Paid

2009-12-11T00:49:52Z

Good news – we have received a substantial donation from our good friend John Beale (founder of Past Times, the Early Learning Centre, and Museum Selection). John has offered to pay all of our 2009 overspend and support our excavation in 2010, covering admin costs and other key expenditures. Thus there will definitely be an expedition [...]

What language was spoken at Calixtlahuaca?

2009-12-10T20:08:13Z

I seem to get asked this question quite a bit. People want to know how to label the people who built and lived in the city of Calixtlahuaca. During the excavations, a group of people from the group "Unión de los Pueblos del Valle de Toluca" visited us and asked if we knew which language was spoken. They represented indigenous people from the western part of the State of Mexico, including speakers of the Mazahua, Matlatzinca, and Otomi languages. It turns out that these three languages, plus Nahuatl, were all present in the Toluca Valley at the time of the Spanish conquest. Here is René García Castro's map of the non-Nahuatl language distribution at that time.
Calixtlahuaca is just above Toluca. It is within the area of Matlatzinca, near its northern border, and also within the area of Otomi (near its southern border). The Mazahua area is not far to the northwest. And we know that Nahuatl was spoken in much of the valley also.

It seems that we cannot answer this question about languages on the basis of present data. My guess is that the city was founded by non-Nahuatl speakers, but by the time the Mexica king Axayacatl conquered the city in the 1470s, there were speakers of all four languages. But that is mostly a guess. Perhaps better data from historical linguistics could help provide a more precise answer. Perhaps if we had better information on the Calixtlahuaca bird, we might be able to narrow down the choice of languages, at least for the ruling dynasty.

This lack of precision is frustrating, but it does not both me unduly. The language(s) spoken and ethnic identity of the inhabitants of Calixtlahuaca are less interesting to me than are their activities and accomplishments.

Lecture at UHL and stratigraphic chart

2009-12-10T08:37:59Z

Last night, I gave a lecture on evidence of cult and worship at Philistine Gath to a class of the University of Holy Land, which took place in the Rothberg School of the Hebrew University on Mt. Scopus. In the lecture, I surveyed some of the evidence for cultic practices at Philistine Gath.

Following the lecture, there was a question and answer period and I was asked if the stratigraphic chart which I had showed in the lecture has been published. I promised to post it on the blog, so here it is.

Safi stratigraphy 12_09

Do keep in mind that this stratigraphic chart is based on our current understanding of the remains, and may yet change as we further analyze the finds, and needless to say, based on finds in future seasons.

Also, it does not have all the finds from all the areas throughout the tell, but it does give a rather robust picture of what we know and it can give a nice idea of the various archaeological phases that we have uncovered in our work on the tell since 1996.

Aren

The Early Bronze Age at Tel Burna

2009-12-09T21:36:36Z

Hello all – First of all, many apologies for the long wait — we hope the coming posts will make up for it.
As mentioned, the following posts will each focus on a period identified in the survey at Burna, and we will begin with the earliest period identified in the survey – the early Bronze Age.
For those who are less familiar with this period, the Early Bronze is roughly 3200-2300 BCE, which can further be divided into EBI, II and III. Probably the most distinct event in this period in the southern Levant is the rise of urbanism, somewhere around the turn of the third millennium BCE. around 2300 BCE, the urban entities collapse, sending the southern Levant into a sort of “dark age”, for several centuries, until the reawakening of urbainsm in the Middle Bronze Age.
While excavations can usually distinguish between the three sub-periods, this is more difficult to do in survey pottery. what we can definitely say is that we collected more Early Bronze Age sherds than we thought we would. this is simply because, since it is usually covered by later periods, it is less abundant in surveys. somne of these can definitively be dated to the EBII-III, while some are less distinct.
The photo of the tell shows the fields where EB was collected in various areas (thanks to Gal Avraham and J Rosenberg for their work in preparing the figure), and it seems that the site may have been a small city, probably under the control of one of the larger entities (possibly Yarmuth).

Etruscan News article

2009-12-09T14:32:16Z

Check us out on p. 15: http://ancientstudies.fas.nyu.edu/docs/CP/963/etruscannews_vol11_winter2009.pdf

First filled-in forms for the 2010 summer season and an “early bird” offer!

2009-12-08T15:01:44Z

Today, I received the first filled-out forms for one of our participants in the upcoming 2010 summer season! This team member will be coming to us from Texas – and I assume will be the first of many (from Texas and other places on the globe) who will sign up for the season.

In the spirit of the holidays (Christmas, Chanukah, etc.), I utilize this opportunity to announce an “early bird offer” for registration for the 2010 season. Those of you who will register and submit full payment before the end of December, 2009 (envelopes postmarked before January 1st, 2010) will receive a special discount – you won’t have to pay the $50 registration fee.
P.S. – This offer is relevant also to the volunteer whose forms arrived today…

So – hurry up and fill in those forms and send ‘em in!

Just in case you don’t have easy access to the forms, they can be found here.

Aren

Artist’s suggested reconstruction of siege

2009-12-06T08:37:58Z

In light of the entry from last week regarding the controversy over the interpretation of the function and meaning of the trench surrounding Tell es-Safi/Gath, see here an artist’s (Sasha Pichura) suggested reconstruction of the Aramean siege at Tell es-Safi/Gath in the 9th cent. BCE. The view that Sasha has chosen to reconstruct is from the air, looking west, over the tower, trench and berm in Area C6, towards the city. Notice the Aramean soldier’s on the tower and along the barricade wall, and the group running towards the tower (notice the overweight soldier as well…).

For the sake of the sceptics – this is a suggested reconstruction, based on the finds in the field, but adding “educated guesses” on various aspects. Don’t think that everything that is drawn actually was found. What this picture serves for is to give an idea of what we think was happening at the time.

Aren

Interesting article – Espionage and Archaeology

2009-12-05T21:13:11Z

Came across an interesting article:

Richter, T. 2008. Espionage and Near Eastern Archaeology: A Historiographical Survey. Public Archaeology 7(4 Winter):212–40.

Makes one wonder …

;-/
Aren

David Ussishkin’s alternative interpretation of the trench at Tell es-Safi/Gath

2009-12-01T08:27:16Z

As I had mentioned previously, David Ussishkin’s article on a reassessment of our interpretation of the trench surrounding Tell es-Safi/Gath as being part of a siege system has now appeared in IEJ, and David was kind enough to send me a copy of the article.
While it is nice to have someone deal with your research in such an extensive manner, and in particular, by a well-known scholar such as Prof. Ussishkin, at the end of the day I was very disappointed, and even a bit surprised, at the details of his arguments, on the basis of which he suggested an alternative interpretation of this feature.
Basically, what he suggests is that the trench is not connected to the Aramean siege; he does not suggest any other historical event or function for the trench, and it might even be a natural feature.
While, clearly, I will have to answer this with a detailed rebuttal, I would like to quickly point out some of the problems that immediately stand out from a first reading of the paper:
1) We have definitively proven that the site was ca. 400-500 dunam (40-50 hectare) in size during the Iron Age II, not only based on the survey, but now based on the excavations in the lower city (Area D [mentioned, for example, here]) where extensive remains have been found of the late 9th cent. BCE destruction). Thus, while David can quote the assessments of previous surveyors (Dagan and Shavit) that the site is much smaller (only the “upper tell”), this alas is not based on the facts on the ground.
2) He apparently did not understand the significance of the Ground Penetrating Radar studies that were conducted on portions of the trench. This studies demonstrated that the trench continues into the Elah river valley, beyond the sections that are seen on the hill, indicating that in fact the trench did connect to the Elah River bed on the northern side of the tell.
3) Most surprisingly, David missed several publications that have appeared regarding our work on the tell, including, most glaringly, Shira Gur-Arieh’s MA thesis, which appeared in 2008, which deals specifically with the trench and related finds (including architecture and pottery from the various areas in the trench which were excavated). For an updated list of publications, see here.
4) Ussishkin believes that our comparison of this feature (as a siege trench) to the “hrz” mentioned in the Zakur inscription is not to be accepted. Instead, he believes that Eph’al’s interpretation of the “hrz” as a tunnel is to be preferred. This is despite the fact that I have demonstrated (in the Stager Fs) that there is absolutely no linguistic basis for understanding “hrz” as a tunnel – it can only be a trench/channel!
5) David is apparently unaware of the various excavation areas throughout the tell (such as Area F near the summit of the tell) even though this had been published in various papers.
6) His attempts to questions the existence of quarrying marks in the trench, the dating, character, contents, and process of formation of the fill in the trench are interesting, but lack any relationship to the detailed archaeological, geomorphological and geological studies that were conducted on the features.
7) Ussishkin believes that the “berm” (the pile of earth and stones that were taken out of the trench) is not visible surrounding the entire trench. He is simply wrong and the picture that he shows (his Fig. 8) claiming that the berm does not exist along a certain section of the trench is simply misunderstood by him, and he is continuing the lack of attention to the relevant details in the field, and the misreading of the relevant evidence, as in the surveys of the site by Dagan and Shavit. It is almost the equivalent to standing next to an elephant and not noticing it since you are looking through its legs…
8) David interprets the layers that were discerned in the berm as simply “typical surface debris”. The close archaeological, geoarchaeological, micromorphological, and other studies that were conducted on these strata in the berm indicate otherwise, and one cannot simply dismiss them offhand without an explanation.
9) He also asks the question of if the trench was excavated and much stone was removed, where is all this stone. Once again, unfortunately, this question stems from a lack of close knowledge of the finds in the area of the tell. Not only are there extensive remains of quarrying chips in the berm, in many areas surrounding the tell there is extensive evidence of large quarried blocks of stone, most likely related to the trench.
10) He conveniently disregards the clear, explicit and undeniable evidence for the date of the laying of the berm (Iron Age IIA) and gradual refilling of the (commencing in Iron Age IIA, then a stop and continuing in the Byzantine period), providing a very brief period of time in which this feature could have been created (and thus, limiting the possible interpretations of the feature).
11) Ussishkin lists various historical references to siege trenches in antiquity, but has missed several important examples. There is mention of a siege trench in the Mari texts, and in addition, Josephus informs us that siege trenches were used in several Hellenistic period sieges in the time of the Maccabbees. Also, while David does mention the Egyptian siege trench at Megiddo by Thutmose III, he prefers an outdated translation of the relevant term (as a “girdle wall”) as opposed to the now accepted interpretation as a trench. Thus, he argument that siege trenches do not appear before the Roman period does not “hold water.”
12) And finally, his suggestion that it perhaps is a natural feature is simply contrary to the opinions of every single geologist and geomorphologist that has seen this feature over the last 15 or so years. Unless he can provide a valid explanation to how this can be a natural feature, I believe this suggestion is at most somewhat embarrassing.

As noted above, I will clearly have to provide a much more detailed response to David’s article in the near future (with details regarding the points noted above and various others) – and have no fear – this I will do.

I must though note that I believe it is unfortunate that David did not have the forethought to discuss this issue with me in detail prior to the publication of this article, since, just as I had gladly provided him with the illustrations that he requested (which appear in the article), I would have been happy to provide him with the publications that he apparently was not aware of (published, in press, and in preparation), and show him the relevant finds and evidence, both in the field and in the lab. While David did visit the excavations once, in the early years of the project, he would have been welcome (and still is!) to visit once again, and see the further results of our studies at any time. After all, Tell es-Safi/Gath is only 45 minutes away from Tel Aviv, and Bar-Ilan University is just 15-20 minutes from Tel Aviv University…

Perhaps though he should consider the other interpretation that I have suggested for the siege trench – that it was actually the imprint of an enormous UFO (ala the movie “Independence Day“) that had landed on an around the site. I believe this suggestion would fit in much better with his lines of argument…

More to come,
Aren

P.S. My name is MAEIR – throughout this article is appears alternately as Maeir and Maier… I don’t have a split personality :-)

Technical problems on website

2009-11-25T18:00:13Z

Do to technical problems with the Tell es-Safi/Gath website, we have not been able to update it, and put on it the up-to-date info about the 2010 season. We do hope that this issue will be solved in the near future.

In the meantime, please note the following:

The excavation dates are July 4th to 30th, 2010.

The “registration and information package” (with updated information and relevant registration forms) can be found here.

As mentioned above, we hope to solve this problem in the near future.

Aren

Itzick’s Impressions from the ASOR-SBL meetings

2009-11-25T13:09:31Z

Itzick presented two lectures on the survey at the ASOR and SBL annual meetings in New Orleans. He received positive feedback from those who attended, and hopefully helped in the effort of gathering people for the dig. A few colleagues expressed interest in joining the team.

The meetings, as usual, included many interesting lectures, and were quite thought provoking. in the coming weeks, we will be presenting the survey finds here on the blog – so stay tuned!!

US update

2009-11-25T05:17:13Z

Got back to Israel on Monday night after a rather intensive week in the US. Following a brief offshoot to Shreveport, NA (where I spoke to a small crowd before the showing of the movie “Secrets”) I arrived in New Orleans for the ASOR and SBL meetings.
This was the first time I had visited New Orleans. This city is a very unusual combination of good music and food (although the latter a bit limited for someone who keeps kosher…), voodoo shops, sex shops, tons of drunks and beggars, and very interesting architecture. It is sort of a Sodom and Gomorrah meets Nashville…
At the ASOR, as always, it was great seeing old friends and meeting a few new ones, renewing contacts, etc., as well as hearing various lectures, some excellent, some good, some less…
While I believe, from my very subjective perspective, that the two Philistine and Philistia sessions went very well (including the three papers dealing with the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations, by myself, Louise Hitchcock [which I read] and Jeff Jadwick), there were quite a few very interesting papers. This included some of the discussions of the Kh. Qeiyafah materials, an excellent session on teaching archaeology, the session on the Phoenicians, to mention a few.
On Friday, I also gave a talk at the “Bible Fest” of the Biblical Archaeology Society”, in which I discussed aspects relating to the Bible that have been revealed through the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath. As usual, this crowd is VERY enthusiastic and interested.
At the SBL, a managed to get to two sessions, one that dealt with the 10th cent./United kingdom and the other on Bob Cagrill’s book on Qumran. Both were very interesting, even if I did not agree with some of the things that were said.
In addition, I have been asked to be the editor for Bronze/Iron Age archaeology for the EBR (Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception) – a position which I accepted.

All told, it was a very nice week – from which I did learn quite a bit, had a good time with friends (old and new), and I believe got quite a few people in the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations.

I even managed to experience a fire alarm at our hotel – which turned out to have been caused by a drunk who pressed some wrong button – at 4 am in the morning!!! But I did manage to see quite a few of my colleagues in their pajamas – not the usual sight… (I told you New Orleans was interesting…)

Aren

Louise Hitchcock is interviewed about the Philistines

2009-11-19T00:37:55Z

Louise Hitchock (University of Melbourne) has informed me of a very nice interview that she gave on ABC radio.
The link is: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/counterpoint/default.htm

Check it out – it’s a very nice interview.

Aren

Article on Medieval and Modern Periods at Tell es-Safi/Gath published!

2009-11-16T13:50:48Z

I have just been informed that an article on the Medieval and Modern periods at Tell es-Safi/Gath, which has been in press for a long time, has appeared.
The article is:
Adrian J. Boas and Aren M. Maeir. 2009. The Frankish Castle of Blanche Garde and the Medieval and Modern Village of Tell es-Safi in the Light of Recent Discoveries. Crusades 8: 1-22.

I have not yet seen the final, published version, but in it, Adrian and yours truly present the evidence relating to these periods that was discovered in the survey and excavation, and discuss the various relevant historical sources for these periods.

Aren

Calilxtlahuaca lectures draw a big crowd !

2009-11-16T02:34:10Z

The AIA lecture that Emily and I gave last week drew a big crowd (see photo). Now either Calixtlahuaca is becoming hip and popular among the in-crowd, or else some professors bribed their intro classes into coming by giving extra credit points. Hmmm ........The actual attendance was 217, perhaps not enough to fill a big arena like this, but a good crowd nevertheless. And people asked some excellent questions:

Q: Were the terraces centrally planned and built by the state, or were they organized and built by individual households?
A: Very good question by Cinthia Carvajal. I'll let my grad students figure out an answer to that one. This is an important issue in both the terracing/agriculture literature, and in the urban literature.

Q: Was there some special local weather condition related to the winds on Cerro Tenismo that may have influenced the placement of the wind-god temple half-way up the hill?
A: Another good question. My answer was "I have absolutely no idea!"

Off to the US of A

2009-11-15T14:33:01Z

Tomorrow, I’m off the USA, to present a few lectures, etc..
On Tuesday evening, I will be presenting a lecture (about the archaeological background to the story of Jephtach) at a Jewish Film festival in Shreveport, Louisiana.

On Wednesday, I fly to New Orleans, where I will be participating in the annual ASOR conference (Wednesday to Saturday). I will be jointing chairing a double session on the Philistines on Friday (and giving a paper on the 2009 excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath in one of the sessions).
Later on that afternoon, I will present a talk on the interface between archaeology and the bible based on the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath, at the Biblical Archaeological Society “Bible Fest“.

I then will have a time for a day of participation at the SBL meeting on Sunday, and then back to Israel on Sunday evening.

Should be a fun, and interesting trip, if not a little “packed with action”. I expect to see a lot of friends, and hear quite a few interesting lectures (and some not that interesting… :-).

See you if you will be there!

Aren

Watch out for Itzick at the ASOR/SBL

2009-11-15T06:55:37Z

If any of you will be heading to New Orleans this weekend, make sure you don’t miss the talks on Burna at the Annual ASOR and SBL meetings. This Friday, Itzick will be lecturing at the ASOR conference, between 2:00-4:00 PM, and on Saturday, between 4:00 and 6:30 PM at the SBL. Itzick will be presenting the preliminary results of the 2009 survey season. Be there or be square!

Some food for thought…

2009-11-12T07:40:28Z

Here is a picture of a piece of graffiti art that I passed this morning while walking my dog.
What can I say – a lesson to us all… :-)

Aren

P.S. So as just to clarify, I don’t support this type of wanton destruction of our urban environment… ;-)

Gabii Project: 2010 staff recruitment

2009-11-10T14:26:56Z

The Gabii Project is Seeking Supervisors and staff members for the 2010 field season

The Gabii Project is an international archaeological initiative focused on the excavation of the ancient Latin city of Gabii located 18 km east of Rome, Italy. After two seasons of survey and study, a 5-year campaign of excavations began in June 2009 under the direction of Professor Nicola Terrenato of the University of Michigan. The dates of the season for staff members are June 13 through August 7, 2010; staff members must be available for the duration of the excavation season.

We are seeking experienced excavation staff members to serve as trench supervisors and assistant trench supervisors; we are also seeking specialist staff for the field laboratory, including those with experience in illustration and conservation. The ideal candidate will have completed a field school program and have at least one prior season of fieldwork experience. Experience with stratigraphic excavation, Harris matrices, and GIS applications is a plus; while not a requirement, the ability to communicate in Italian would also be advantageous.

In some cases the project will be able to subsidize the cost of room and board for staff members and, in exceptional cases, may be able to subsidize travel costs for certain staff members. Necessary equipment and daily transportation to and from the site will be provided for excavation staff.

Staff members must be in good health, have passed a recent physical examination, and submit documentation of current and up-to-date inoculations. Staff members must also be committed to working as part of a large team and providing leadership and guidance for students in the field. Staff members must also have a current passport, valid until at least October 2010, allowing for entry into Italy.

If you are interested in submitting an application for a staff position with the Gabii Project, please send a cover letter, current curriculum vitae, and a letter of reference from someone familiar with your fieldwork experience and credentials to:

Prof. Jeffrey Becker

Managing Director, The Gabii Project
c/o Department of Classics
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West, Togo Salmon Hall 706
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M2

jabecker@mcmaster.ca or gabiiproject@umich.edu

The application deadline is December 1, 2009. Electronic submissions are encouraged. Arrangements may be made for informal interviews either at the AIA/APA meetings in Anaheim, Ca., in January 2010 or via other means.

First lab talk of the year

2009-11-10T07:22:31Z

Yesterday, Itzik Shai presented the first lab talk of this academic year, restarting a tradition that has been going on for several years now in the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project lab at Bar-Ilan University. Various members of the team where present, as well as a few students from the department.

Itzik talked about the results of the survey at Tel Burna, which was basically a preview of the lectures that he will be presenting at the forthcoming ASOR and SBL meetings in New Orleans (starting next week).

Itzik showed us results of the survey (including some great shots of the site, various plans and maps, and some of the finds) that he and Joe Uziel conducted in the summer, and discussed some of their plans for the initial excavation season planned for this coming summer.

Here is Itzik giving the lecture:

Aren

Gabii Project: 2010 field program

2009-11-10T03:56:09Z

The Gabii Project announces its 2010 field program!

The Gabii Project will again offer a field program for students and volunteers in 2010; the program will run from June 20 until July 31, 2010. Applications will be accepted online via the project's website and the deadline for applying to the program is January 31, 2010; all qualified students are eligible to apply, not just those associated with the University of Michigan. Notifications of acceptance will be made by March 1, 2010, and accepted volunteers must submit their payment in full by March 25, 2010, in order to secure their spot. The cost for the 6-week program, inclusive of room and board, insurance, equipment, and local transportation, will be $4,500 (USD). Academic credit is not offered for participation in the field program. The information below outlines some of the basic details of the field program; more complete information can be found on the project website.

Accommodation:

The Hotel Villa Mercede in Frascati, Italy, will serve as the Gabii Project's base of operations. The team will be accommodated there and will take their meals during the week at the Balubino restaurant, while lunches will be provided on-site.
Volunteers will be accommodated in shared rooms (2 to 4 people per room) with a private bathroom.
Convenient local train service links Frascati to downtown Rome and regional buses provide other transportation options.

Work on-site:

Volunteers will work on site 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. Applicants should note that this is a labor-intensive program and be aware that working in the hot sun is to be expected. Applicants must be in good health, have passed a recent physical examination, and provide up-to-date records of current inoculations.
Volunteers will work in small team supervised by experienced excavators. Additionally, the field program will expose participants to all facets of fieldwork, including working with ceramics and other archaeological materials, environmental sampling, flotation, topography, conservation, and documentation.
Regular site tours will help keep all team members up to speed on the progress of excavation work.

Instruction:

The above-mentioned rotation on-site will be accompanied by various instructional opportunities from 'hands on' instruction in excavation technique to small group instruction on archaeological materials and topography.
The 2010 field program will include a lecture series (averaging 1 lecture per week) on topics related to the methodology field archaeology and to the archaeology of Central Italy.
Several weekend outings will be arranged where guided tours will be offered. In 2009 weekend trips included the Forum Romanum and Palatine Hill as well as Ostia Antica.

Atmosphere and Experience:

The Gabii Project is a large team (75-80 people) effort. Teamwork is the key to our success, but the working conditions can be intense. The successful applicant will be ready to work as part of a large team and welcome the opportunity to work and learn cooperatively.
The combined experience of the Gabii Project’s multi-national staff offers volunteers the opportunities to learn and practice some of the latest and most cutting edge techniques of field archaeology.

For more information, please contact Prof. Jeffrey Becker, the Managing Director (gabiiproject (@) umich.edu)

Great picture from Tell – courtesy of Esther Avraham

2009-11-10T03:21:08Z

Esther Avraham, who is a student at Bar-Ilan University and participated in past years in the excavations, has sent me a great picture which she took a few years ago. In the picture, taken from Area F on the top of the tell, there is a view towards to the NW, over the Elah valley, more or less towards Ashdod. Notice in the foreground a Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) in flight. These fascinating birds live in the chalk cliffs of Tell es-Safi/Gath (these white cliffs most probably gave the site its names – Tell es-Safi [Arabic "pure mound"] and Medieval Blanche Garde [white fortress]).

Here’s the picture:

Aren

Bankrupt

2009-11-09T23:47:31Z

Oh well, the 2009 accounts always did have to be done. Well … we overspent, mainly on items that we were not able to anticipate, and for which our budgets allowed no contingency. To start with, the poor exchange rate this year took away 1.5k GBP more than last year, and bank charges took another [...]

Funniest biblical oriented clip

2009-11-09T07:59:01Z

John Walton, who is a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, and the father of Josh Walton, who has worked at Safi for several seasons (well-known for his torn yellow t-shirt that by the end of season has been known to go up to the tell on its own…) has put up a VERY FUNNY clip about how one should truly study the Bible.

Here it is – enjoy!

Clip thanks to John Anderson at the Hesed ve-Emet Blog

Who said biblical studies are boring!?

Aren

Great news – large grant for Louise Hitchcock!

2009-11-09T03:48:46Z

I have been informed that Louise Hitchcock, of the University of Melbourne, who has been on our team (and played an important role, see e.g., here) for the last three years, has just been awarded a very large grant from the Australian Research Council. The grant will provide funding for the next three years for Louise and 20 or so students from Melbourne to participate fully in the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath and related research activities.

Here is Louise’s description of the grant:
“In the Wake of the Sea Peoples, In the Footsteps of Goliath:

Excavating the Philistine Site of Tell es-Safi/Gath

Australian Research Council Funded Discovery Project Administered by the University of Melbourne: 2010-2012

This project will enhance the international reputation of Australian research by bringing it into current scholarly debate on Philistine archaeology, a quickly growing sub-discipline in Mediterranean archaeology. Marginalized in the Bible as decadent, recent research sees the Philistines as a cosmopolitan culture resulting from migration from Cyprus and the Aegean, and interaction with the local Canaanite population.

The goals of the project are to:

• Work in collaboration with the project directory to identify local, regional, and foreign components in the Philistine material at Tell es-Safi/Gath.
• Compare these features to those at Canaanite, Cypriot, Aegean, and other Philistine sites.
• Document and analyze continuity and change in the earlier Late Bronze Age (14th-13th c BCE) and Iron Age I-II (between 1180 and 800 BCE).
• Consider the formation of Philistine culture as a product of interaction by a limited number of migrants from multiple neighboring regions in the Mediterranean
• Increase the presence of Australian scholarship in Near Eastern and Aegean archaeology
• Produce collaborative publications and workshops on the site of Tell es-Safi/Gath with other members of the team
• Subsidize teaching relief for the production of research publications
• Funding to support up to 4 post-graduate excavation assistants and 16 undergraduate student trainees from the University of Melbourne to excavate at Tell es-Safi/Gath”

The grant has even made headlines in the Australian press.

Way to go Louise!

Aren

Ostia Excavations 2009 Public Lecture

2009-11-06T23:06:49Z

The Ostia Excavations of 2009 will be presented in a public lecture at the Kent Archaeological Fieldwork Evening on 24th November in Canterbury, in the Grimond Lecture Theatre 1, on the Canterbury Campus. The evening lasts from 7.15pm to 10pm. Entrance is free and all are welcome. For details click here [...]

A little bit about the directors

2009-11-04T09:25:38Z

I thought some of you may be interested in a little background about the people behind the project: Joe and Itzick.

ITZICK: I was born and raised in Israel, and earned my Ph.D. at Bar Ilan University on the Philistine Material Culture in the Iron Age IIA, which included the publication of the Iron Age IIA assemblage from the Hazael Destruction Layer (A3) at Tell es-Safi/Gath. For Twelve seasons, I have worked on the staff at the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations, as well as directing a number of smaller excavations. I also work in the Archaeology Lab at Bar Ilan University. I currently teach courses at Bar Ilan and David Yellin College. I have recently published articles related to Philistine material culture, place names and their importance in ethnic identification, the status of Jerusalem in the Iron Age and the political structure of Philistia.

JOE: I Moved to Israel from the USA 15 years ago, and earned my Ph.D. at Bar Ilan University on the Middle Bronze Age in the southern coastal plain, which included the publication of material from Tel Nagila, Yavneh-Yam and Tell es-Safi/Gath, where I have worked on the staff for 12 seasons. I have also directed several smaller excavations, and work in the Lab at Bar Ilan, and serve as the program coordinator at the Albright Institute for Archaeological Research. I have recently published articles related to Philistine material culture, the status of Jerusalem in the Iron Age, the Tell es-Safi Survey, and the chain of production of pottery in the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Get to know us a little better by joining us this summer at the excavations – June 13th to July 2nd!

Calixtlahuaca lectures at ASU

2009-11-02T21:40:50Z

On November 12, Emily Umberger and I will each give a half-hour talk on our research at Calixtlahuaca. This is part of the Archaeological Institute of America lecture series, called "Notes From the Field: Aztecs."

New and Old Excavations at Calixtlahuaca, an Aztec Regional Capital
Speaker: Michael E. Smith

Reassembling the Calixtlahuaca Sculptural Corpus
Speaker: Emily Umberger

This even will be Thursday Nov 12, 6:30 - 7:30, in Business Administration C, Room 316.

Congrads to Debi Cassuto!

2009-11-02T21:17:14Z

Debi Cassuto, one of the core staff of the project, recently published an article “Bringing Home the Artifacts: A Social Interpretation
of Loom Weights in Context,” in a volume edited by Beth Alpert Nakhai, “The World of Women in the Ancient and Classical Near East” (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2008).

This volume has been reviewed by S.L. Budin in the Bryn Mawr Classical Review (http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2009/2009-10-60.html) and Debi’s article in particular received extremely high praise.

Way to go Debi!!!

Aren

Two clips on 2009 season

2009-11-02T21:06:37Z

Thanks to Yotam Asscher (who is a PhD candidate at the Weizmann Institute of Science in archaeological science) here are two clips from the 2009 season.

The first clip, which is more serious (for the most part), shows various aspects relating to the archaeological science work conducted in the field. Do take a look at it, since it gives you a nice idea of some of the very interesting and innovative field methods used as a regular part of the excavation. And, thanks to Yotam, there are some “other” shots as well…

The 2nd clip is a little more “light hearted”…
During the season, while bringing the equipment trailer to the top of the tell, Nir, our technical guy, forgot to check if the trailer was properly attached to his truck. Subsequently, the trailer ended up at the bottom of the tell, in a pit.
See some of the “action” in this clip.

Enjoy.
Aren

Visit to Faynan

2009-11-02T07:23:39Z

As I had mentioned on Saturday night, yesterday I went for a quick visit to the excavations in Faynan. Along with a small group of archaeologists from Israel (including Debbi Cassuto from the Safi team), we drove down to the Eilat-Aqaba border in the middle of the night on Saturday, crossed over to Jordan, drove up by bus to Faynan, met some 4X4 cars and then were given the “royal tour” of the excavations at the site, by the directors, Tom Levy and Mohammad Najjar. After a 5 hour visit to the site, we turned around and returned to Israel. I got home at 11:15 pm on Sunday.
Since this was my first visit to Faynan, I was particularly interested in going, even though it was quite an intensive trip with little sleep. There is no doubt that the site is quite a fantastic site and that it is without a doubt one of the most interesting sites in the Levant.
Without going into the details, I am very convinced with Tom and Mohammad’s interpretation of the Iron Age sequence at the site, meaning that there is a substantial stratigraphic, artifactual and 14C evidence for substantial evidence for 10th cent. BCE intensive metallurgical activities at the site (despite, e.g., a recent article by Israel Finkelstien claiming the opposite).
This clearly has important implications regarding the understanding of the formations of polities in the southern Levant during the Iron Age IIA.

Here are some pictures from our visit:

Here is Tom explaining the site of Khirbet Nahas to the group.

And here Mohammad explaining at Khirbet Nahas

Here is Tom explaining next to the giant (6 meter deep) pile of copper slag at the site.

Here Tom and Neil Smith are explaining about the excavations at Kh. Ifdan, where there were both Iron IIA and Iron IIC remains. Notice the camels on the left and our convoy of cars on the right.

Aren

Off to Jordan – to a quick visit to Faynan

2009-10-31T21:54:32Z

Tonite, I’m off to Jordan for a quick visit to Tom Levy’s excavations at Faynan. Will update when I return – should be very interesting.

Aren

Why Build a City on a Mountain?

2009-10-30T03:51:01Z

Why was the city of Calixtlahuaca (3 square km of occupation, probably 10,000+ inhabitants) built on a mountain? Most Mesoamerican cities built on mountains (think of Monte Alban or Xochicalco) were placed there for reasons of defense. Images of mountaintop cities in Mesoamerican codices (see my earlier blog entry on these) tend to show battles and defensive walls. But for several reasons, we don't think that defense was a major factor in the layout of Calixtlahuaca:

We did not find any defensive walls or ditches.
The largest civic buildings were not built in a protected location.

The second factor is quite striking. The royal palace was at the base of the hill, completley unprotected, as was a large unexcavated platform (a possible ballcourt). The two largest temples, structure 3 (circular temple, dedicated to Ehecatl) and structure 4 (rectangular temple, dedicated to Tlaloc) were built part-way up the hill, but closer to the base. Again, these were relatively unprotected. When defense is an issue, the main civic buildings are almost always built at the top of the mountain or hill (again, think Monte Alban or Xochicalco).

Well, what is so surprising about building a city on a mountain if defense was NOT a major consideration? The answer is the effort required to build the site. Every house that was built had to be accompanied by the construction (and constant maintenance) of stone terraces. Temples 3 and 4 required massive platforms and large excavations into the hillside to build level areas for these temples and their groups.

I have some hunches about why Calixtlahuaca may have been built on a mountain, but I will refrain from saying them now. One thing I am doing is looking for other ancient cities around the world whose residential zones were built on mountainsides, with the civic architecture at the base of the hill. Ephesis (the Roman occupation) is one example (see photo), and I am looking for others. If you have suggestions, let me know.

Naked Archaeologist again!

2009-10-28T19:40:59Z

This afternoon, once again I had a chance to have a fun and interesting time with Simcha Jacobovici, the “naked archaeologist” and his team. Simcha and team came to the Safi lab at Bar-Ilan to look at finds from the excavations, including the so-called “Goliath sherd” as well as a few other as yet unpublished inscriptions, and some other finds.
As always – I had a great time – a combination of great humor, intelligent people and ideas, AND whacky ideas… :-)

Aren

Project update

2009-10-27T16:58:51Z

Sorry, the blog has not been active lately. Well, we will soon have a bunch of new posts, so stay tuned. I have been very busy with several things:

(1) A trip to France and Sweden. In Paris, I participated in the the doctoral dissertation hearing of project member Maëlle Serghereaert at the Université de paris I-Sorbonne-Panthéon. Maëlle passed at the highest level. Here she is drawing stone on structure 4:Here is her thesis, a truly excellent study of the organization of the Aztec emire:

Serghereaert, Maëlle
2009 L'expansion mexica (1430-1520 après J.-C.): La question du contrôle impérial dans les provinces extérieures de l'Empire. Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Archaeology, Université Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne.

In Paris, I also gave a lecture on the Calixtlahuaca project, and Cindy and I also found time for museums, medieval churches, and pastries.

(2) I was working on our final report for the National Science Foundation for the first grant (funding for the fieldwork). This is now submitted, and we can get on to publications and a report for the Mexican government.

(3) Here is a positive development. This blog has been an inspiration for a new blog on excavations at Xaltocan in the Basin of Mexico. Lisa Overholtzer, a graduate student of Elizabeth Brumfiel at Northwestern University, as started a blog on her current excavations of Aztec-period houses at Xaltocan. These are important excavations, and it is a very nice blog. Please check it out!

A Nice View of the Tel

2009-10-27T12:38:25Z

On the right, there is a beuatiful picture of Tel Burna and the surrounding fields in the spring. The picture was taken, and sent to us by Dr. Brian Schultz of Fresno Pacific University. The Tell is located on the far left. Besides showing the beautiful green fields around the site, the picture really displays the importance of the region for agriculturally-based societies, and the control that those up on the tell would have on the surrounding fields. Also notable is the river bed of Nahal Guvrin. Just south of the tel is a pumping station for the Israeli Water Works, however, even with the pumping, it seems like the natural water table in riverbed is still very high, as observed by the vegetation growing there. As many of you know, water is one of the most crucial resources in the Ancient Near East (and even in modern times), and the proximity of the river was certainly important in choosing the site in the Bronze and Iron Age.

Anyone who has photos of the site and would like to share them, please email them to us, and we will gladly post them.

Lecture for IBEX

2009-10-25T20:44:06Z

Tonight, I gave a lecture on the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath to a very interested group of students from IBEX, the Master’s College Israel Bible Extension program. The program, which is based at Yad Hashmonah, which is just outside of Jerusalem, between Abu Gosh and Neveh Ilan, is a hands on program for students from Master’s college, who come to Israel to learn about the history, archaeology and geography of the Holy Land.

Must say – it was a very nice group!

Aren

Dates for 2010

2009-10-24T15:26:55Z

We're extending our season a bit this year, to six weeks from four, and splitting into two three-week sessions. The dates will be 6 June to 17 July.

The new Tel Burna blog – check it out!

2009-10-22T12:03:59Z

Joe Uziel and Itzik Shai, team members of the Tell es-Safi/Gath project, have started their own project in the Judean Shephelah, at the lovely site of Tel Burna, perhaps to be identified as Judahite Libnah.

Joe and Itzik have now joined blogdom and have started a blog about the project - do check it out.

Way to go!

Aren

The Survey Season

2009-10-22T11:22:59Z

In June, we set out to begin our project, by surveying the site. surveying has many facets, but the idea behind survey is archaeological study of a site without excavation (which is a very destructive process). the primary survey tool used today is surface artifact collection. this is done by simply walking around the site, in a systematic manner (and you can see the survey map here, which shows you how we divide and make sure to cover all of the surface) and collect the artifacts from the surface. most of the artifacts collected are pottery sherds. these sherds are used for dating the site, and retrospectively one can do the following with the survey data:

determine the periods in which the site was settled.
determine the size of the site per period.
locate areas of excavation for the future.

While we are still processing the survey finds, we can share the following information with you. it seems that the site was settled throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages (Third-First Millennium BCE). the site seems to hae flourished particularly during the Iron Age, and it seems that the fortifications of the summit probably date to this time. the survey also indicates that in later periods (such as the Roman, Byzantine, and Arab) the tell itself was not settled.

Identifying the site

2009-10-22T11:10:48Z

One of the main issues that archaeologists deal with is identifying a site. Site identification helps in linking historical sources related to the site with archaeological data, and apply a well-rounded approach to the site’s past.

It is many times difficult to identify a site, since the only way to be certain of a site’s identification is to find an inscription with the site’s name. this is not all that common in the Bronze and Iron Ages, when inscriptions are hard to come by. Another way is if the site’s original name was preserved. this is more common, although not always is it the case. Finally, if one analyzes the historical data, and is able to pinpoint the location of a specific site mentioned in historical sources, then a possible identification can be offered.

In the case of Tel Burna, with no excavation material available, the problem is even more difficult. despite this, several scholars have suggested identifying the site with Biblical Libnah (although one should note that nearby Tel Zayit is a very likely candidate as well – as Ron Tappy, the excavator their, has recently published).

Libnah was a Canaanite town that was conquered by Joshua who allotted it to the tribe of Judah (Josh. 10:29-30; 15:42). The city was chosen as one of the Levitical cities (Josh. 21:13), which points to its role as a border site. According to 2 Kgs. 8:22 (and 2 Chr. 21:10), the city of Libnah was involved in the rebellion against Jehoram the king of Judah (in 9th century BCE) and later, a woman from Libnah married King Josiah in the 7th century BCE (Kings 23:31-32;2 Kings 24:17-18; Jeremiah 22:11).

In any case, even if the site is not Libnah, it is clear for the survey results (which will be mentioned in an upcoming post) that the site was a very important site in the Iron Age, along the border between Judah and the Philistines.

New article by Itzik Shai et al on an Aegean fire stand from Tel Nagila

2009-10-22T10:32:35Z

Itzik Shai, one of the core team members of the Safi project has just informed me that an article, by itzik, Raz Kletter and David Ilan, has just been published in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly.

The article is entitled:
Shai, I, Ilan, D. and Kletter, R. 2009. An Aegean Fire-Stand from Tel Nagila. Palestine Exploration Quarterly 143/1: 161-167.

In this study, the publish a fragment of a very interesting “fire stand” of apparent Aegean influence, that was found in the excavations at Tel Nagila many years ago, and is being published as part of the publication project of these old excavations (led by J. Uziel and A. Maeir).

The object, which was found in an Iron Age context at a site in Philistia, is seen as an additional piece of evidence of the Aegean cultural influences seen in the later stages of the Iron Age.

Congrads!
Aren

A little bit about the site

2009-10-22T09:57:53Z

For those of you who are not familiar with the site, Tel Burna is located in southern Israel, along the banks of Nahal Guvrin.

The site is located in the Shephelah (foothills), not far from several other important archaeological sites: Tell es-Safi/Gath, Tel Goded, Maresha, Tel Zayit, Beth Shemesh, Lachish and Azekah. The Shephela served as a border between the kingdoms of Judah and the Philistines in the Iron Age, and was known as the breadbasket of the south, due to its suitability for growing crops, such as grapes (which is true until this day) and Olive gorves, important for olive oil production.

The prominent summit is a result of the fortifications that enclosed the upper city. these fortifications are still visible today, as you can see in the photo. These fortifications have been visible since at least the mid-1950’s, when Yohanan Aharoni and Ruth Amiran, two of Israel’s most prominent archaeologists, noted their existence.

Despite this, the site has never been excavated, mostly due to the fear that later periods covered the earlier remains. as you will see in a future post, this is clearly not the case, as the 2009 survey results hve shown

Welcome to the new Tel Burna Blog

2009-10-22T09:25:50Z

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the Blog of the Tel Burna Excavation Project. here you will be able to find information on the site, the budding archaeological project, the directors and communicate with us.

for Starters, here is a nice view of the site, as reconstructed using GIS technology (thanks to Gal Avraham). you will note that this is the picture that appears at the top of the page as well. you can see the riverbed (Nahal Guvrin) running just south of the tell, and the prominent, fortified, summit.

Itzick and Joe

Newflash! Explanation of the Dinosaur extinction – and the dating of the flood narrative

2009-10-22T07:03:55Z

With this new data now in (see below), we finally can supply fairly solid reasoning for the extinction of the dinosaurs, AND, most importantly, provide an evidence-based dating for the Noah flood narrative in Genesis – 65 million years ago! Isn’t it exciting what new finds reveal?

;-)

Aren

Visit to tell today

2009-10-21T17:51:45Z

Today, a small group of the team members paid a visit to the tell. In the morning, Alex, Amit, Debi, Beth (an NYU student who is in Israel for the year and is helping out in the lab), and drove down to the tell to do some work that we had not finished in the summer. There were several sections that needed to be drawn in Amit’s part of Area A. So, we headed down to the tell with the equipment and drew the relevant sections.

As usual, the tell and surroundings were beautiful, and like always, it’s such a pleasure to get out and see some nature (and not cement…). Also, the excavation areas that we saw were in very good shape. Hopefully, this will stay the same until the summer.

Just at the base of the tell we say a group of cows, and next to them, the skeleton of a cow – who had probably not eaten a healthy breakfast every morning!

Later on, we were visited by a group representing the Jim Joseph Foundation, who just donated the new School of Education Building at BIU, and I explained to them about the tell and what we are doing.

By the time we finished all that, it was only 12:15, and then I headed to BIU, to teach my course on ancient weapons and warfare.

Quite a day!

Naked archaeologist at Tell es-Safi/Gath

2009-10-18T16:10:40Z

Today, I had the opportunity to once again spend a day with Simcha Jacobovici, the “Naked Archaeologist”, who with his team toured (some of) Tell es-Safi/Gath with me.
As usual, this was a fun day, as Simcha has the perfect combination of razor sharp intelligence, a great sense of humour, and an especially healthy dose of the lunatic fringe! :-)

Discussions with him are always lively and interesting, and since he does make some very wide ranging connection and conclusions, at times quite challenging – making one think over the “standard” answers.
Yes, I know, some of my colleagues don’t appreciate him (to say the least), but as I have argued before, he does stir up a lot of interest in archaeology, Bible and related issues, and does have the courage to look at things from what at times is a very alternative, but nevertheless, often compelling perspective.

On the tell, we spoke about a variety of things, focussing, mostly, but not only, on aspects relating to the Philistines.

Aren

For those who don’t know any Biblical Hebrew…

2009-10-15T22:16:18Z

I have been asked to provide a translation of the suggested reading, for those who have no biblical Hebrew. Please note that this is a VERY rough translation. Take into account the fuzzy translation of various things, the problematic readings, the letters which may be read in several ways, etc.

This definitely should not be seen as my definite and final opinion of this. It is ONLY a very rough translation of the general reading by Misgav!

אל תעש [ ] ועבד א[ת]
שפט בואלמ [ ]אל?ט
א?ל? ובעלל
א[ ]מ ונקמ יסד מלכ ג[ת]?/פ[?]
סרנ? ע[...] מג/דרת

(Very) Rough translation of Misgav’s reading
Do not do [ ] and servant a[…]
Judge ….. [ ] El(?)…
El(?) and Ba’all
Pe[rso]n will revenge, YSD king (of) G[ath(?)]
Seren(?) a[…] from Gederot (?)

Please – don’t hold me responsible for this for the rest of my life…

Aren

Qeiyafa inscription update

2009-10-15T21:50:04Z

As promised, here is a short update on some of the things that were said at the meeting at the Hebrew University, in the special session on the Kh. Qeiyafa inscription.
Do note – in the meeting proceedings, which were sold at the beginning of the meeting in the morning (and I came too late to buy it), there are full articles by the various people mentioned below. Note, the proceedings are in Hebrew, and can be purchased from the IAA.

First, Sa’ar Ganor, Yossi Garfinkel’s partner at the Qeiyafah excavations, presented an update on the finds from the site, including the last season. He showed slides of the finds from the various areas, including the impressive casemate wall, two gates, and other features. Consistently, throughout the site, there is an early Iron Age IIA (or possibly, late Iron I) level, which is often covered by a Hellenistic level. Save for some Byzantine material in the middle of the site, there are no other stratified materials from other periods (absolutely no Iron IIb-c). Based on 14C dating (indicated as well from comparative pottery typology) they date the Iron Age level to the late 11th/early 10th cent. BCE. Finally, he reiterated their suggestion to ID the site as Shaarayim, mentioned in the Bible in the vicinity of Socho and Azekah.

If I may add (AMM), without a doubt (from having personally seen the finds from the most recent seasons and having visited the site both in this and last season), the Iron Age level dates to the late Iron I/early Iron IIA (late 11th/early 10th cent.).

Following this presentation, Hagai Misgav presented his reading of the inscription. Admitting that it is VERY hard to read, he suggests the following (hold your seats…):

אל תעש [ ] ועבד א[ת]
שפט בואלמ [ ]אל?ט
א?ל? ובעלל
א[ ]מ ונקמ יסד מלכ ג[ת]?/פ[?]
סרנ? ע[...] מג/דרת

Now, Haggai admits that there are many problems and questions, but points out several things:
1) The language is Hebrew (not Phoenician) based on appearance of terms such as אל תעש
2) In his opinion, there is some narrative here
3) He notes the appearance of mlk (king), shofet (judge), eved (servant/slave), perhaps seren (philistine king)
4) He strongly believes (as I do) that the so-called “Proto-Canaanite” script (which he prefers to call Canaanite, I prefer to call “Archaic Alphabetic” [see our BASOR article on the Safi inscription]), continues into the 9th cent., particularly in southern Canaan, parallel to the beginning of the use of the early Phoenician script (such as in the Zayit inscription).

While I have to caution that this reading is a suggestion, it is really quite astounding! There is mention of different titles, some names, perhaps deities (ba’al). Even more interesting, perhaps mention of “YSD, king of Gath” (note – YSD is one of the kings of Ekron in the Ekron royal inscription).
And I won’t even mention some of the more “crazy” reconstructions that raced thru my head when seeing this reading.

Following Hagai’s talk, there were 3 respondents:
1) Ada Yardeni spoke, providing a slightly different reading, although agreeing with many (if not most) of Hagai’s readings. In fact, she reads shofet twice at the beginning and end of line 2. She had various comments on various words and readings. She believes that it may be a draft for a monumental inscription.
2) Aaron Demsky argued that this is sort of a lexical list of various titles in society, king, god, judge, etc., and compares it to such lists in other cultures. Believes that it is a scribal exercize.
3) Shmuel Ahituv was more critical of Hagai’s readings, and for example, does not accept “seren”.

The session ended with Hagai briefly replying to some of the comments.
All told, Hagai should be applauded for working so hard and providing a very interesting reading of this text. While I’m sure there will be many opinions about it, without a doubt, whatever the text means (or does not mean…), the location, the date, the context of the site, and the various words that can be read, provide VERY important new data on the lron I/Iron IIA transition in Judah and the Shephelah, and definitely require many to rethink some very strongly held opinions (and this, for people on both sides of the “fence”).

Personally, as a “Gittite”, the site and the inscription are VERY interesting and important! The vicinity of the site, and perhaps, mention of a king of Gath and other aspects in the inscription, turn this into a very critical comparison to the situation at Gath during this phase.
I won’t go in to all the various issues springing up from this inscription, from a wide variety of topics. I’m sure that it will provide much discussion and debate in the years to come!

Wow – it is simply astounding what turns up!
Clearly, what is required now is to find an inscription from Gath which is the reply that was sent out regarding the Qeiyafa inscription…

Aren

Qeiyafah update coming soon!

2009-10-15T19:43:08Z

I was at the meeting about the Qeiyafah inscription earlier today. Fanstastic! Will update later on.

Aren

Qeiyafa inscription this Thursday at HU

2009-10-13T04:03:49Z

For those interested, my sources have informed me that this Thursday, in the meeting on the archaeology of Jerusalem that will be held at the Institute of Archaeology, HU, in the late afternoon session on Khirbet Qeiyafa, there will be the first full-scale presentation of the Qayafa inscription (by Garfinkel, Ganor and Misgav), along with a discussion by Yardeni, Demsky and Ahituv.

In addition, in the proceedings volume that will appear at the conference, there will be the first official publication of this fascinating, if very difficult, inscription.

From what I have been told – there is much to be discussed!

As a “neighbor” of this fascinating site, I plan to be at the session!

Aren

Bible dept. at Sheffield threatened to be closed!

2009-10-11T06:12:30Z

In the last few days, news has surfaced that the University of Sheffield is threatening to close their Department of Biblical Studies, in an attempt to save some money. As can be seen from this piece that appears on the SBL site, the department meets all the standards of excellence.

Unfortunately, time and again, we see academic institutions cutting important departments in the field of humanities, since “they don’t make money!” Needless to say, if we all turn into lawyers, computers engineers and/or business managers, life will be rather boring and meaningless!

Personally, I have a special reason for calling to cancel this decision. For the last few years, students from the Sheffield Bible Department have regularly joined the excavation team at Tell es-Safi/Gath in the summer (in the past, led personally by Diana Edelman, and this summer by Cynthia Shafer-Elliott), becoming an integral and important part of our team.

I certainly do hope that this decision will not be carried through, and the department of biblical studies will continue to thrive!

Aren

Posted! The registration forms for the 2010 season!

2009-10-09T12:52:56Z

For all those of you who have not been sleeping in anticipation for the posting of the registration forms for the forthcoming 2010 summer season at Tell es-Safi/Gath, you can now, finally, enjoy a restful sleep!

Here are the forms: 2010_information_registration_package

Remember, the dates are: July 4th to July 30th, 2010. Be there, or be square!

Just for the fun of it, here is a nice picture of one of the decorated Iron Age IIA chalices that we found in the late 9th century BCE destruction level.

Aren

Gabii Project at the AIA meetings in Anaheim

2009-10-08T19:07:53Z

There will be two Gabii-related presentations at the upcoming 2010 annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in Anaheim, California.

Session 2G: Poster Session -- Thursday, January 7, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

"The Gabii Project 2009: The First Season of Excavation"

Anna Gallone (The Gabii Project), Marcello Mogetta (University of Michigan), Nicola Terrenato (University of Michigan) and Jeffrey A. Becker (McMaster University)

Session 1E: Pre-Roman Italy -- Thursday, January 7, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM

"Infant Burials and Emerging Social Hierarchy in Orientalizing Latium"

Jeffrey A. Becker (McMaster University) and Jessica Nowlin (Brown University)

Congratulations to Nobel Laureate Prof. Ada Yonath!

2009-10-08T11:17:34Z

Bravo, bravo, bravo to Prof. Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, for being awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, for her groundbreaking studies in the mapping of ribosomes at the atomic level.

Now you are probably asking yourself — what in the world does this have to do with the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project?

The answer is simple!
First of all – everything is connected to the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations! :-)

Second of all, Prof. Yonath is on the faculty of the Department of Structural Biology at Weizmann, which is the department which Prof. Steve Weiner, my co-director of the Joint BIU/WIS Program in Archaeological Sciences calls home at the Weizmann Institute (Steve has “two hats” in his scientific ventures). This joint program is the basis for the fantastic collaboration in archaeological sciences that is carried out each year in the field at the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations, which I have mentioned previously (such as here).

It is fun to bask in glory of others …. :-)

Aren

Luke goes home

2009-09-25T22:45:17Z

I escaped this morning at 7.30am. Family commitments (my 10 week old son) mean that I cant stay longer though I will return if more remains to be done. Poor Judith was left to backfill the last corner of the palaestra, along with Axel and his team who are trying to get some (dry) photos [...]

Backfilling in the rain

2009-09-25T22:43:55Z

Today was hard. We are down to just Michael Mulryan, Judith and myself, and we spent the day back-filling, with some help from a volunteer from the German team in the afternoon. A large area was covered but it was not quite enough. When we were turned off the site at 7pm, a half of [...]

Exit at speed

2009-09-25T22:42:18Z

Today we tried to store all the domestic and digging equipment in a lockup garage in the west of Rome. Easier said than done. At lunchtime Bill and Luke went off to hire a van. They did this with surprising speed, via the metro and a taxi across the city which allowed Bill to take [...]

Cuts (and bruises)

2009-09-25T22:40:59Z

A core team now remains on site, of about 7 diggers and specialists, who are trying to backfill and finish off the remaining jobs. New discoveries have not entirely stopped. Luke has revealed a definite cut in the sondage in the façade, which helps to confirm the relative phasing of the forum, by cleaning up [...]

Addio Americani

2009-09-25T22:40:12Z

We are now doing the back-filling across the site. This involves putting a white cloth (tessuto) down on the site and then covering it with spoil. This is a somewhat depressing process, which resembles putting a shroud on the site, although there is the opportunity to make togas, or to pose as Sarauman the White [...]

Temple blocks lifted

2009-09-25T22:39:22Z

We have today removed two large blocks from the 4th c. temple in the palaestra. This has revealed yet more of the revetment around the cult statue pediment and the opus sectile (marble tile) floor that surrounded it. Sometimes there are bits of marble tile in situ, otherwise there are traces in the mortar where [...]

English pizza and a ball-bath

2009-09-25T22:37:05Z

Ana continued to work on the mortar this morning on site, providing new observations about the decoration of the nymphaeum opposite the forum, and surveying the mortar across the palaestra. We were all very sad to see here leave, as her skill in both excavation and conservation has brought a whole new area of scholarship [...]

Wash out

2009-09-25T22:36:26Z

Luke, Michael and Paolo today visited the archives of the sopraintendenza. We were able to find a range of old photographs from the early excavations of the palaestra which provided some details of the clearance work that took place in the 1920s and at other times. We have been able to confirm that no serious [...]

Addition to Safi bibliography – PhD on weights

2009-09-22T14:26:36Z

In continuation of the list of publications relating to the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath that I posted last week (and since then several people have contacted me requesting various offprints), Dr. Ely Levine (Luther College, Decorah, IA) has kindly pointed out another item that can be added to the list.

In Ely’s PhD, he informs me that included some 51 weights from Safi, including 22 that were in good enough shape to trust their mass, and 16 of those from the Iron Age.

The complete reference to his dissertation is:

Levine, E. 2008. The Evidence of the Weights or the Weight of the Evidence: Ancient balance weights and weight systems from the Iron Age Levantine coast. Unpublished PhD dissertation. Boston: Harvard University.

Thanks Ely!

Aren

Breton Road Works, Weeks 11-13

2009-09-19T10:59:32Z

Progress has been a bit slow in our area due to the complexity of the geology and the archaeology in our zone. At least one of the other zones is similar and has been slow to go through as well. Part of the issue is the level of colluvium, a fancy way of saying sediment deposited from movement going from the top of a hill downwards.

This brings me to mention something about geological forces. They work according to the principles the reader might have learned in Physics classes in school. Both kinetic and potential energy factor in geology, in other words. In the case of a hilltop, sediments move along a potential energy gradient where the hilltop is at a higher energy than lower down along the hill, therefore even a moderate incline can see the process of colluviation occur. This is certainly the case of the zone I'm on. It's located on the slope of the hill, whereas the elite structure worked on earlier in the summer was on the hilltop.

The colluvium is old. It contains flecks of charcoal, daub, and is heavily disturbed from centuries of ploughing and use. As a result, it can masquerade very much like archaeology and there are thin layers of it over bits of the zone that were confused for 'blobs' of archaeology by the person surveilling the machines.

We had some challenging weather this last week but we have almost completed one area of extremely complex archaeology with intersecting ditches and pits that were covered in the colluvium. Otherwise, more of the road has been cleaned up.

Dates for the 2010 Season!

2009-09-17T11:36:10Z

Open your calendars and save the following dates:

July 4th-July 30th, 2010

These are the dates for the upcoming season at Tell es-Safi/Gath!

Do join us this summer – we should be having a great season (as always!), with great finds, and great fun!

I will post the updated registration forms on the website in the next week or so.

See you in the summer!

Aren

David Ussishkin on the Safi Siege System

2009-09-17T11:19:31Z

I have been informed by David Ussishkin (Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University) that in the forthcoming issue of IEJ he will have an article in which he will argue that it is not an Aramaean siege-trench. He contacted me since he wanted permission to use some of the illustrations that we had published in previous studies. Needless to say, I gave him my full permission to use them.
In fact, I have heard rumours that he was writing this article for the last year or two, so this did not come as a complete surprise.
David is well-known as someone who periodically publishes studies in which he critiques the interpretations of other archaeologists, often suggesting substantially different interpretations of various archaeological remains. Needless to say, not all his suggestions have been well-received by the archaeological community – although some have.
Thus, I have the honor of joining a respected group of archaeologists who have had their work critiqued by David Ussishkin!
Although I await eagerly to read his ideas, I must admit that I seriously doubt that he will be able to convince me to change my interpretation of the find, in light of the very convincing and varying evidence that supports our suggestion (see, e.g., some of the studies noted in the last post). As is, over the last 12 years, I have heard so many alternative explanations to the siege trench, none of which “hold water” – I doubt this one will as well!
I have a feeling that as soon as I see the article, I will start writing a rebuttal. It should be an interesting exchange!

I will keep you posted on the issue.

Aren

Updated project bibliography

2009-09-17T09:49:03Z

Recently I was asked about the publications relating to the project. As in any case I was preparing a list for the soon-to-go-to-press “Safi I” volume, I have decided to put on line a list of the more than 110 (!!) project-related publications that have appeared in the last 14 years of the project. This includes direct reports on the excavations and various finds, dissertations and theses deriving from the excavation project, as well as several studies which have used material from Safi as part of their data. Note that it also includes quite a few studies in press.

Keep in mind that in addition to the items in this list, there are a few articles/studies that are in advanced stages of preparation, or that have been already submitted for publication but have not yet been officially accepted for publication, which are not included in the list.

As you can see, we have managed to keep ourselves quite busy…

The list is attached below – enjoy!

Aren

list of Safi publications 16_9_09

Shana Tova card with nice picture

2009-09-16T13:58:44Z

Here is a Shana Tova card that I sent out to various Safiites.

Shana Tova blessing 2009

Aren

Rain doesn’t stop play

2009-09-14T20:33:45Z

Today the heavens opened, with an almost comic timing. Luke was giving a site tour to the whole team and had just reached the late Roman temple. He stood there speculating that it might be a temple to Hercules or Jupiter, as official personifications of late Roman pagan emperors. The skies darkened and thunder rumbled. [...]

A Roman ring and a family of snails

2009-09-13T20:24:12Z

On part of the palaestra portico is proving to be very rich in finds: a robbing trench which was cut into the mosaic during the middle ages to remove a lead water pipe. The water pipe itself is impressive – it survives in one section, against the wall. In this trench we have uncovered painted wall [...]

Happy Jewish New Year to all!

2009-09-13T11:29:22Z

This coming Saturday and Sunday, Jews throughout the world celebrate the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah). It is traditional to bless your friends and family before and after the New Year with the blessing “Ktiva ve-Hatima Tova” (may you be “signed well” [= meaning that you will be marked for a good year]). In addition, there are all kinds of traditional manners in which blessings are bestowed upon the new year.

One of them is through eating pomegranates around the time of the New Year. This is done for several reasons: 1) since there are many seeds in this fruit, one should be blessed with as many blessings as their are seeds; 2) There is a popular belief that there are 613 seeds in the pomegranate (actually it can vary from more or less) – parallel to the 613 commandments that the Torah gave to the Jews (”Taryag Mitzvot”).

In any case, how does this all connect to Tell es-Safi/Gath (and no, I did not have an embolism and completely loose my marbles…)?

As you may recall, a few years ago we found a very interested collection of cultic objects in Area A, which included a very nicely preserved pomegranate shaped vessel (and was reported on various occassions, such as here). So, here is a picture of it – hoping that it will serve as a blessing to you all for a happy New Year!

Shana Tova (Happy New Year)!

Aren

Palaestra repairs smarter than thought

2009-09-11T21:55:21Z

Work in the palaestra has increased in intensity, and a new level of detailed observation has been reached. It is now clear that the late repairs to the portico were not quite as rough as once thought. Today the brick piers inserted into the portico to support the columns seem quite ugly: rough emergency [...]