Other name | Tel Aviv University Institute of Archaeology |
---|---|
Founder | Yohanan Aharoni |
Established | 1968 |
Director | Yuval Gadot |
Staff | 34 (as of 2024) [1] |
Location | , |
Coordinates | 32°06′43.4″N34°48′16.3″E / 32.112056°N 34.804528°E |
Website | en-humanities |
The Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, known also as Tel Aviv University Institute of Archaeology, is a research facility at the Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities. Founded in 1968 by Yohanan Aharoni, the institute sponsors interdisciplinary and international fieldwork and research projects on ancient human societies of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean Sea. Fieldwork includes archaeological excavation and survey in key sites scattered all over Israel from prehistoric, biblical and classical periods. It is currently headed by Yuval Gadot (as of 2024).
The institute operates a library and a number of labs and studios for documentation, restoration and conservation of archaeological material as well specialized research labs such as zooarchaeology, archaeometallurgy, archaeomagnetism, paleoethnobotany, paleoecology, Archaeoparasitology ceramic petrography and computational archaeology. [2]
The Publication Department of the Institute provides printed and online framework for the publication of excavation reports and research, through four book series and through Tel Aviv: The Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University.
Shemuel Yeivin established the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University in 1962. [3] He was succeeded by Yohanan Aharoni of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1968. Upon assuming the role as chair of the Department, Aharoni established the Institute of Archaeology with the purpose of conducting archaeological fieldwork and research. The teaching staff of the Department was incorporated into the newly formed institute. [4] [5] [6] Throughout its history, the institute has sponsered archaeological excavation at sites such as Aphek-Antipatris, [7] Tel Be'er Sheva, [8] Tel Beit Shemesh, [9] Tel Beit Yerah, [10] [11] Horashim East, [12] Horvat Uza, [13] Tel Ira, [14] Jaffa, [15] Jerusalem, [16] Tel Jezreel, [17] Tel Kabri, [18] Kiriath-Jearim, [19] Tel Lachish, [20] Tel Malhata, [21] Tel Moẓa, [22] Wadi Qana, [23] Nahal Zehora, [24] Tel Kedesh, [25] Ramat Raḥel [26] and Yavne-Yam. [27] [28] The Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University collaborates with Israeli Institute of Archaeology in salvage excavations projects across the country. [29]
The Tel Aviv Institute of Archaeology operates a number of research facilities including laboratories, studios and collections. [30] [2]
Apollonia-Arsuf is located on the Mediterranean coast, within the northern city limits of Herzliya. The fieldwork at the site began in 1976 as a salvage excavation and became an academic endeavor of the institute in 1982. The site shows a continuous occupation from the late 6th/early 5th century BCE through the 13th century CE. Research at the site includes surveys and excavations inside and outside the medieval walled town (the site's core settlement and hinterland), as well as underwater surveys and excavations in the sea off its archaeological remains. Recent seasons of excavations have been focused on the site's Byzantine and Crusader-period remains, within the medieval town and in the Crusader castle, whose destruction is dated to March-April 1265, never to be properly resettled ever since. Directed by Israel Roll (until 2006) and Oren Tal (since 2006). [42] [43]
Ashdod-Yam is located on the Mediterranean coast, within the city limits of modern Ashdod and its ancient site Tel Ashdod. The site was inhabited primarily from the Late Bronze Age (15h-12th centuries BCE) and is identified with Asdudimmu, conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire in the late 8th century BCE. The site was known in Byzantine times as Azotos Paralios. The fieldwork started in 2013 and focuses on an Iron Age compound linked to the Assyrians, and a unique Byzantine church with early evidence of Georgian presence in the Holy Land. The project is directed by Alexander Fantalkin. [44] [45]
Tel Azekah (Tell Zakariya) is located in the Shephelah and yields occupational levels that span the Early Bronze Age to the Roman period. The site has revealed monumental remains from the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1500 BCE) and key destruction contexts from the Late Bronze Age III (12th century BCE). The site shed light on the presence and history of the Kingdom of Judah in the region (10th-6th centuries BCE) and later settlements during the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Started in 2010, the expedition is directed by and Oded Lipschits, Manfred Oeming (Heidelberg University) and Sabine Kleiman [46] [47] [48]
Tel Hadid is located east of Lod in central Israel. The site dates to as early as the 3rd millennium BCE and yielded key finds related to Neo-Assyrian rule (8th–7th century BCE), Hellenistic period (4th–1st centuries BCE), and Byzantine period (4th–7th centuries CE), the Late Islamic period and the Modern Era (15th–20th century CE) The fieldwork, directed by Ido Koch and James Parker (NOBTS), began in 2018 and includes a survey and excavation at the site. [49] [50]
The renewed Givati Parking Lot excavation is a joint project between Tel Aviv and the Israel Antiquities Authority, started in 2017 and directed by Yuval Gadot and Yiftah Shalev (IAA). The site forms part of ancient Jerusalem. The site contains remains of public structures dating to between the late Iron Age (6th century BCE), through the Persian period and the Hasmonean period (2nd-1st century BCE). The renewed excavations seek to shed further light on the settlement history of ancient Jerusalem in these periods. [51]
Tell Itzabba is located in northern Israel, within the city limits of Beit She'an, north of its ancient site. It is a multi-period site containing remains from as early as the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BCE) to the Early Islamic period (6th-11th centuries CE). It focuses on the study of Tell Iẓṭabba in Seleucid period, at the time known as "Nysa", and its relation to the later Roman settlement which formed part of the Decapolis. The project is directed by Oren Tal since 2019, and deals with the urban layout, infrastructure, water management and other aspects of the site. Among the topics studied are private archetechture, as well as dietary habits during the Hellenistic period through archaeobotanical, archaeozoological and residue analysis studies. [52]
The site of Masada is a mountain fortress in the Judean Desert, known as a palace of Herod the Great from the late 1st century BCE and the last stronghold of the Jewish rebels during the First Jewish–Roman War. The renewed excavations are directed by Guy Stiebel since 2017, aim to shed light on the pre-Herodian periods at the site, as well as previously unknown remains from later periods, possibly the Early Islamic period. [53] [54]
Tel Megiddo is located in the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel. It is one of the most important sites in the history of the Levant, dating to as early as the 8th millennium BCE and serving as a key site throughout the entire Bronze and Iron Ages (c. 37th to 6th centuries BCE). Directed by Israel Finkelstein,Matthew J. Adams, and Mario A.S. Martin since 1994, the goals of the renewed excavations are to re-examine Tel Megiddo's stratigraphy and chronology as well as the development of new research methods such as Ancient DNA, geoarchaeology, scientific dating etc. [55] [56]
Tel Shaddud is located in the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel, around 10 km north-east of Megiddo. It is identified with a Canaanite town mentioned as śrt in ancient Egyptian sources from the time of Thutmose III and with the biblical town of Sarid, in the territory of the Tribe of Zebulun, which is mentioned in the Song of Deborah. The project started in 2022 and is directed by Omer Sergi, Karen Covello-Paran (Israel Antiquities Authority), Hannes Bezzel (University of Jena), Joachim Krause (Ruhr University Bochum) [57]
Qadas was a Palestinian village depopulated in 1948, located next to the Israeli-Lebanese border. It is situated on Tel Qedesh and its study directed since 2021 by Raphael Greenberg and Gideon Sulimani is a collaboration with Hebrew University excavations there. The project engages in contemporary archaeology. It reveals the ruins of the village, abandoned during the 1948 Arab–Israeli war and demolished in 1966, as well as remains of a military base at the site associated with the Arab Liberation Army, and the remains of human activity at the site by tourists, military units, artists and pilgrims to a recently identified saint's tomb. [58] [59]
The Qesem Cave is a prehistoric site located in central Israel next to Rosh HaAyin. It yields items of the Acheulo-Yabrudian complex and is dated to between 420,000 to 200,000 BCE. The excavation began in 2001, directed by Avi Gopher (until 2016), Ran Barkai, Ella Assaf-Shpayer (Since 2023). It uncovered dental remains of an unknown archaic human, post-dating the Homo Erectus and closly related to Anatomically Modern Humans. The research includes studies of geoarchaeology, prehistoric environment, dating and lithic technology. [60] [61]
The Timna Valley is located in the Arava region in southern Israel. The valley contains dozens of sites related to ancient copper mining dating to the Late Bronze Age to early Iron Age (13th-9th centuries BCE). The multi-disciplinary project, directed by Erez Ben-Yosef since 2012, aims to shed light on the geopolitical role of these mines and their relation to the New Kingdom of Egypt, the kingdoms of Israel, Judah and Edom. It includes studies of archaeomagnetism, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and paleoenvironment. [62] [63]
The Publication Department of the Tel Aviv Institute of Archaeology has four book series and one peer-reviewed periodical. The Institute's publications are accessible online through EBSCO Information Services. [64]
The Monograph Series of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University (co-published with Eisenbrauns) is a platform mostly for the publication of final reports from excavations conducted by the institute. The platform has published 40 books between 1973 and 2021. As of 2022 the executive editors are Oded Lipschits and Oren Tal. [65] [66] Final reports on trial, salvage and rescue excavations are published in the Salvage Excavation Reports platform, which published 10 volumes between 2004 and 2017. As of 2024 the executive editor is Oren Tal. [67] Occasional Publications has published five volumes between 1993 and 2021. [68] Mosaics: Studies on Ancient Israel (co-published with Eisenbrauns) is a book series for thematic studies and collections of articles. It has published three volumes since 2021 and its executive editor is Oded Lipschits. [69] [70]
Tel Aviv: The Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University is a bi-annual peer-reviewed periodical that publishes articles on the archaeology and history of the Southern Levant. While the journal featurs articles dealing with periods ranging from prehistory to Late Antiquity, its primary focus is on the Bronze and Iron Ages. [71] Tel Aviv was established in 1974 by Yohanan Aharoni. [72] Since 2023, its editor-in-chief is Ido Koch. [73]
The Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures is part of The Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities at Tel Aviv University. The department teaches students for a Bachelor's degree in Archaeology of the Southern Levant and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures; [75] Master's degree in these fields as well as Archaeology, Archaeological Materials (with a scientific-technologic focus) and Ancient Israelstudies which combines archaeological, biblical and historical studies and focuses on the ancient history of the Jewish people. [76] Since 2011 the Department has also operated the International MA program for foreign students. [77] Ph.D. studies in the Department are conducted under The Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies and Archaeology. The current chair of the Department is Lidar Sapir-Hen (as of 2024). [78] The academic staff consists of 17 faculty members (as of 2024), [79] including professors and senior lecturers in prehistoric, biblical, classical and historic archaeology, Egyptology, Hittitology and Assyriology. [80]
Lachish was an ancient Canaanite and later Israelite city in the Shephelah region of Canaan on the south bank of the Lakhish River mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible. The current tell by that name, known as Tel Lachish or Tell el-Duweir, has been identified with Lachish. Today, it is an Israeli national park operated and maintained by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. It lies near the present-day moshav of Lakhish, which was named in honor of the ancient city.
Tel Megiddo is the site of the ancient city of Megiddo, the remains of which form a tell or archaeological mound, situated in northern Israel at the western edge of the Jezreel Valley about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of Haifa near the depopulated Palestinian town of Lajjun and subsequently Kibbutz Megiddo. Megiddo is known for its historical, geographical, and theological importance, especially under its Greek name Armageddon. During the Bronze Age, Megiddo was an important Canaanite city-state. During the Iron Age, it was a royal city in the Kingdom of Israel.
The archaeology of Israel is the study of the archaeology of the present-day Israel, stretching from prehistory through three millennia of documented history. The ancient Land of Israel was a geographical bridge between the political and cultural centers of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Tel Rehov or Tell es-Sarem, is an archaeological site in the Bet She'an Valley, a segment of the Jordan Valley, Israel, approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) south of Beit She'an and 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of the Jordan River. It was occupied in the Bronze Age and Iron Age.
Israel Finkelstein is an Israeli archaeologist, professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University and the head of the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa. Finkelstein is active in the archaeology of the Levant and is an applicant of archaeological data in reconstructing biblical history. Finkelstein is the current excavator of Megiddo, a key site for the study of the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Levant.
Gezer, or Tel Gezer, in Arabic: تل الجزر – Tell Jezar or Tell el-Jezari is an archaeological site in the foothills of the Judaean Mountains at the border of the Shfela region roughly midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is now an Israeli national park. In the Hebrew Bible, Gezer is associated with Joshua and Solomon.
Ashdod-Yam or Azotus Paralios is an archaeological site on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. It is located in the southern part of the modern city of Ashdod, and about 5 kilometres northwest of the ancient site of Tel Ashdod, where ancient Ashdod stood in the time of the Philistines. Ashdod-Yam and its inland counterpart, Ashdod or Azotus Mesogaios, were for most of their history two closely connected but distinct entities. Much of the surrounding environ is covered by sand dunes and remains unexplored.
Gath or Gat was one of the five cities of the Philistine pentapolis during the Iron Age. It was located in northeastern Philistia, close to the border with Judah. Gath is often mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and its existence is confirmed by Egyptian inscriptions. Already of significance during the Bronze Age, the city is believed to be mentioned in the El-Amarna letters as Gimti/Gintu, ruled by the two Shuwardata and 'Abdi-Ashtarti. Another Gath, known as Ginti-kirmil also appears in the Amarna letters.
David Ussishkin is an Israeli archaeologist and professor emeritus of archaeology.
Shemuel Yeivin, also spelled Shmuel, was an Israeli archaeologist and the first director of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Khirbet Qeiyafa, also known as Elah Fortress and in Hebrew as Horbat Qayafa, is the site of an ancient fortress city overlooking the Valley of Elah and dated to the first half of the 10th century BCE. The ruins of the fortress were uncovered in 2007, near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, 30 km (20 mi) from Jerusalem. It covers nearly 2.3 ha and is encircled by a 700-meter-long (2,300 ft) city wall constructed of field stones, some weighing up to eight tons. Excavations at site continued in subsequent years. A number of archaeologists, mainly the two excavators, Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor, have claimed that it might be one of two biblical cities, either Sha'arayim, whose name they interpret as "Two Gates", because of the two gates discovered on the site, or Neta'im; and that the large structure at the center is an administrative building dating to the reign of King David, where he might have lodged at some point. This is based on their conclusions that the site dates to the early Iron IIA, ca. 1025–975 BCE, a range which includes the biblical date for the biblical Kingdom of David. Others suggest it might represent either a North Israelite, Philistine, or Canaanite fortress, a claim rejected by the archaeological team that excavated the site. The team's conclusion that Khirbet Qeiyafa was a fortress of King David has been criticised by some scholars. Garfinkel (2017) changed the chronology of Khirbet Qeiyafa to ca. 1000–975 BCE.
Ophel is the biblical term given to a certain part of a settlement or city that is elevated from its surroundings, and probably means fortified hill or risen area. In the Hebrew Bible, the term is in reference to two cities: Jerusalem and Samaria. The Mesha Stele, written in Moabite, a Canaanite language closely related to Biblical Hebrew, is the only extra-biblical source using the word, also in connection to a fortified place.
Ze'ev Herzog is an Israeli archeologist, professor of archaeology at The Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University specializing in social archaeology, ancient architecture and field archaeology. Ze’ev Herzog served as director of The Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology from 2005 to 2010, and has served as archaeological advisor to the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority in the preservation and development of National Parks at Arad and Beersheba.
Yavne-Yam or Minet Rubin is an archaeological site located on Israel's Southern Coastal Plain, about 15 km south of Tel Aviv. Built on eolianite hills next to a small promontory forming the sole anchorage able to provide shelter to seagoing vessels between Jaffa and the Sinai, Yavne-Yam is notable for its role as the port of ancient Yavne. Excavations carried out by Tel Aviv University since 1992 have revealed continuous habitation from the second millennium BCE up to the Middle Ages; the famous Yavne-Yam ostracon is named after the site.
Oded Lipschits is an Israeli professor in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near East Studies at Tel Aviv University. In 1997 he earned his Ph.D. in Jewish History under the supervision of Nadav Na'aman. He has since become a Senior Lecturer and Full Professor at Tel Aviv University and served as the Director of the Tel Aviv Institute of Archaeology since 2011. Lipschits is an incumbent of the Austria Chair of the Archeology of the Land of Israel in the Biblical Period and is the Head and founder of the Ancient Israel Studies Masters program in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near East Studies.
Matthew J. Adams is an archaeologist who specializes in the Near East. He earned his degrees at Pennsylvania State University and the University of California, Los Angeles. He served as the director of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem (2014–2022), and is the current president of American Archaeology Abroad, Inc. He has worked on several archaeological projects in the past, and is currently director of the Jezreel Valley Regional Project, Co-Director of the Megiddo Expedition along with Israel Finkelstein and Mario Martin, and co-director of the Solomon's Pools Archaeological Project with Mark Letteney.
Tel Aviv is the journal of the Tel Aviv University Institute of Archaeology. It is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal published by Routledge. It publishes articles on recent archaeological research in the Southern Levant and studies in Near Eastern archaeology. While its main focus is the second and first millennia BCE, the journal features articles dealing with the prehistoric periods and as late as the late antiquity.
Nadav Na'aman is an Israeli archaeologist and historian. He specializes in the study of the Near East in the second and first millenniums BCE. His research combines the history of the Ancient Near East, archaeology, Assyrology, and the study of the Hebrew Bible. He possesses broad knowledge in all these four branches of research.
The Jezreel Valley Regional Project is a long-tem Archaeological survey excavation project exploring the Jezreel Valley, in the southern Levant the Prehistoric through the Ottoman and British Mandate periods in Israel/Palestine.
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