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Ann E. Killebrew
  • Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies Department
    The Pennsylvania State University
    108 Weaver Building
    University Park PA 16802
In honor of eminent archaeologist and historian of ancient Jewish art, Rachel Hachlili, friends and colleagues offer contributions in this festschrift which span the world of ancient Judaism both in Palestine and the Diaspora. Hachlili's... more
In honor of eminent archaeologist and historian of ancient Jewish art, Rachel Hachlili, friends and colleagues offer contributions in this festschrift which span the world of ancient Judaism both in Palestine and the Diaspora. Hachlili's distinctive research interests: synagogues, burial sites, and Jewish iconography receive particular attention in the volume. Archaeologists and historians present new material evidence from Galilee, Jerusalem, and Transjordan, contributing to the honoree's fields of scholarly study. Fresh analyses of ancient Jewish art, essays on architecture, historical geography, and research history complete the volume and make it an enticing kaleidoscope of the vibrant field of scholarship that owes so much to Rachel.
This Handbook aims to serve as a research guide to the archaeology of the Levant, an area situated at the crossroads of the ancient world that linked the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. The Levant as used here is... more
This Handbook aims to serve as a research guide to the archaeology of the Levant, an area situated at the crossroads of the ancient world that linked the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. The Levant as used here is a historical geographical term referring to a large area which today comprises the modern states of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, western Syria, and Cyprus, as well as the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Sinai Peninsula.

Unique in its treatment of the entire region, it offers a comprehensive overview and analysis of the current state of the archaeology of the Levant within its larger cultural, historical, and socio-economic contexts. The Handbook also attempts to bridge the modern scholarly and political divide between archaeologists working in this highly contested region. Written by leading international scholars in the field, it focuses chronologically on the Neolithic through Persian periods - a time span during which the Levant was often in close contact with the imperial powers of Egypt, Anatolia, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. This volume will serve as an invaluable reference work for those interested in a contextualised archaeological account of this region, beginning with the 'agricultural revolution' until the conquest of Alexander the Great that marked the end of the Persian period.
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The search for the biblical Philistines, one of ancient Israel's most storied enemies, has long intrigued both scholars and the public. Archaeological and textual evidence examined in its broader eastern Mediterranean context reveals that... more
The search for the biblical Philistines, one of ancient Israel's most storied enemies, has long intrigued both scholars and the public. Archaeological and textual evidence examined in its broader eastern Mediterranean context reveals that the Philistines, well-known from biblical and extra-biblical texts, together with other related groups of Sea Peoples, played a transformative role in the development of new ethnic groups and polities that emerged from the ruins of the Late Bronze Age empires. The essays in this book, representing recent research in the fields of archaeology, Bible, and history, reassess the origins, identity, material culture, and impact of the Philistines and other Sea Peoples on the Iron Age cultures and peoples of the eastern Mediterranean. The contributors are Matthew J. Adams, Michal Artzy, Tristan J. Barako, David Ben-Shlomo, Mario Benzi, Margaret E. Cohen, Anat Cohen-Weinberger, Trude Dothan, Elizabeth French, Marie-Henriette Gates, Hermann Genz, Ayelet Gilboa, Maria Iacovou, Ann E. Killebrew, Sabine Laemmel, Gunnar Lehmann, Aren M. Maeir, Amihai Mazar, Linda Meiberg, Penelope A. Mountjoy, Hermann Michael Niemann, Jeremy B. Rutter, Ilan Sharon, Susan Sherratt, Neil Asher Silberman, and Itamar Singer.
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Ancient Israel did not emerge within a vacuum but rather came to exist alongside various peoples, including Canaanites, Egyptians, and Philistines. Indeed, Israel's very proximity to these groups has made it difficult - until now - to... more
Ancient Israel did not emerge within a vacuum but rather came to exist alongside various peoples, including Canaanites, Egyptians, and Philistines. Indeed, Israel's very proximity to these groups has made it difficult - until now - to distinguish the archaeological traces of early Israel and other contemporary groups. Through an analysis of the results from recent excavations in light of relevant historical and later biblical texts, this book proposes that it is possible to identify these peoples and trace culturally or ethnically defined boundaries in the archaeological record. Features of late second-millennium B.C.E. culture are critically examined in their historical and biblical contexts in order to define the complex social boundaries of the early Iron Age and reconstruct the diverse material world of these four peoples. Of particular value to scholars, archaeologists, and historians, this volume will also be a standard reference and resource for students and other readers interested in the emergence of early Israel.
Interpreting the Past: Presenting Archaeological Sites to the Public: Proceedings of an International Conference on New Approaches and Technologies for Heritage Presentation showcases articles relating to the theory, technologies,... more
Interpreting the Past: Presenting Archaeological Sites to the Public: Proceedings  of an International  Conference on New Approaches and Technologies for Heritage Presentation showcases articles  relating to the theory,  technologies, methodologies, and social  implications  of the public interpretation of archaeological sites, monuments, and historic  landscapes in Europe and the Middle East. This volume Includes papers by David Lowenthal, David Batchelor, Ann E. Killebrew, Marc Waelkens/Marc Pollefeys/Luc Van Gool, Pier Giovanni Guzzo, Dirk Callebaut/Marie-Claire Van der Donck, Anton Ervynck, and Neil Silberman.
This volume offers a cross-disciplinary assessment of First Temple Jerusalem, summarizing and critiquing earlier theories about its status as a religious and political center and presenting previously unpublished archaeological data.... more
This volume offers a cross-disciplinary assessment of First Temple Jerusalem, summarizing and critiquing earlier theories about its status as a religious and political center and presenting previously unpublished archaeological data. Contributors include Yairah Amit, Jane M. Cahill, Israel Finkelstein, Richard Elliott Friedman, Hillel Geva, James K. Hoffmeier, Ann E. Killebrew, Gary N. Knoppers, Gunnar Lehmann, Ronny Reich, J. J. M. Roberts, William M. Schniedewind, Eli Shukron, Neil Asher Silberman, Margreet Steiner, Lynn Tatum, David Ussishkin, Andrew G. Vaughn, and K. Lawson Younger Jr.
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This monograph is the final report of a series of salvage excavations which were conducted in the Jericho area from 1975 to 1979. The rescue work was concentrated along the lower slopes of the Judean hills west of the modem city of... more
This monograph is the final report of a series of salvage excavations which were conducted in the Jericho area from 1975 to 1979. The rescue work was concentrated along the lower slopes of the Judean hills west of the modem city of Jericho, where tombs from the Hellenistic and Roman periods were being systematically robbed. In spite of the modest scale of these excavations, this proves to be one of the most significant cemeteries excavated from this period. Due to the excellent state of preservation of many of the organic remains, the tombs have greatly enriched our acquaintance with Jewish burial customs of the period and many aspects of late Second Temple period material culture.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Recent discoveries of iron production remains in multiple Iron Age sites throughout the Southern Levant indicate the significance of iron production in the region during this time. However, one main question remains unanswered—that is,... more
Recent discoveries of iron production remains in multiple Iron Age sites throughout the Southern Levant indicate the significance of iron production in the region during this time. However, one main question remains unanswered—that is, provenance: Where were the iron resources located? Were they local or brought from afar? Answering these questions would allow great potential for reconstructing iron-ore procurement strategies and exploitation practices in the social, political, and economic context of the Southern Levant in the early 1st millennium BCE. It has long been assumed that iron ore, prevalent in the Earth’s crust, is widely available. However, since high-grade ore was required for the smelting technology of the time, the bloomery process, only selected iron ore deposits in the region were suitable. This study aims to identify and characterize chemically and isotopically enriched iron-ore sources in the Southern Levant. Samples were collected from sedimentary and hydrothermal sources and analyzed for their iron content, trace elements composition, and osmium (Os) isotopic ratios. Here, we present the results of this preliminary investigation, introducing several substantial ore sources in the region and demonstrating the possibility of differentiating between these sources based on their chemical and Os isotopic composition. Finally, hematite objects from selected Iron Age archaeological sites are compared against the analyzed ore sources, showing inconsistency with the sampled ores.
Renewed excavations on Tel Akko have uncovered evidence of large-scale Phoenician industrial iron smithing during the Persian period (sixth–fourth centuries BCE). It is distinguished not only by the scale of production but also by the... more
Renewed excavations on Tel Akko have uncovered evidence of large-scale Phoenician industrial iron smithing during the Persian period (sixth–fourth centuries BCE). It is distinguished not only by the scale of production but also by the integration of ritual activities with iron smithing. Th is article presents evidence for an iron workers’ cult at Tel Akko—a largely unexplored aspect of
Phoenician religion and cultic practices.
Napoleon’s famous 1799 defeat at the walls of Ottoman Acre marked a turning point in the French campaign to control the Middle East, an event that lives on in the memory of the citizens of modern Akko. Visitors to the UNESCO World... more
Napoleon’s famous 1799 defeat at the walls of Ottoman Acre marked a turning point in the French campaign to control the Middle East, an event that lives on in the memory of the citizens of modern Akko. Visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Acre, Israel, can follow a walking route exploring several locations that played a key role in Bonaparte’s 1799 siege of the city. In this contribution, we recreate Napoleon’s unsuccessful siege of Acre to examine the role of Tel Akko (“Napoleon’s Hill”) in his defeat. Based on maps dating to the period of the 1799 siege and contemporary eyewitness accounts, we examine the claim that there is no evidence Napoleon ever set foot on Tel Akko. We also employ Esri StoryMaps to present an in-depth investigation and contextualization of Bonaparte’s defeat by British and Ottoman forces, an event which Napoleon, on his deathbed, lamented as the obstacle that prevented his dream of recreating Alexander the Great’s empire.
Link to online publication: https://hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.aspx?id=26308&mag_id=135 The aim of the Tel Akko pit survey is to map and document according to the artifacts found on the tell the size, density and location... more
Link to online publication: https://hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.aspx?id=26308&mag_id=135

The aim of the Tel Akko pit survey is to map and document according to the artifacts found on the tell the size, density and location of occupation, which spanned the third millennium BCE through the Hellenistic period, as well as the Crusader period. The pit survey includes the crescent-shaped tell and the area to the south, where signs of quarrying are visible on the kurkar outcrops, incorporating a section of the tell in the south that was damaged during the British Mandate period, when archaeological debris was removed to backfill nearby swamps. It was considered that subsurface test pits in this damaged area of the tell would provide a “window” into the stratigraphy of the lower occupation levels of the tell and establish the extent and impact of the modern quarrying activity. Based on the pottery readings from the pit survey, the Persian, Iron Age, Iron/Persian and the Middle Bronze periods—in that order—are the best represented periods on the mound.
Link to online publication: https://hadashot-esi.org.il/Report_Detail_eng.aspx?print=all&id=26309&mag_id=135 Between 2014 and 2019, five targeted regional survey seasons in the Plain of ‘Akko were carried out. The survey, on behalf of... more
Link to online publication: https://hadashot-esi.org.il/Report_Detail_eng.aspx?print=all&id=26309&mag_id=135 

Between 2014 and 2019, five targeted regional survey seasons in the Plain of ‘Akko were carried out. The survey, on behalf of the University of Haifa, was co-directed by A.E. Killebrew (Pennsylvania State University, the University of Haifa; photography), J. Quartermaine (Oxford Archaeology [North]; photography) and J.C. Skinner (Pennsylvania State University; photography).
The Plain of ‘Akko Regional Survey (PARS) is a component of the Tel ‘Akko Total Archaeology Project (https://www.telakko.com/).
The survey is a non-intrusive walking survey that takes place in the undeveloped areas in the Plain of ‘Akko with the aim of contextualizing the cultural and environmental interactions between Tel ‘Akko and its hinterland over time. To achieve this goal, PARS utilizes a digital terrain model (DTM), 3D documentation and geographic information science (GIS), combined with a systematic pedestrian survey and the results from previous archaeological surveys. After these initial steps, key areas of interest were visited in 2015. These included Giv‘at Tantur (map ref. 213965/758120), er-Rab‘ain (map ref. 217075/753220) and Adamun (map ref. 217510/752530). Based on these preliminary visits, the survey team determined that Giv‘at Tantur, a forested and relatively undeveloped natural hill 4.5 km east of Tel ‘Akko, was the most promising and environmentally intact area for a case study.
Thus far, the PARS survey team has systematically walked approximately 30% (0.6 sq km) of the eastern half of Giv‘at Tantur. Due to the desire to preserve the archaeological environment and the paucity of ceramics visible on the surface, pottery collection was not a part of this pedestrian survey. Two hundred and eighty-seven sites were documented, representing significantly more sites than identified on this hill in previous surveys.
Link to online publication: https://hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.aspx?id=26307&mag_id=135 The 2010–2019 excavation seasons at Tel ‘Akko comprise part of the Tel ‘Akko Total Archaeology Project (TATAP), a holistic approach to... more
Link to online publication: https://hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.aspx?id=26307&mag_id=135 

The 2010–2019 excavation seasons at Tel ‘Akko comprise part of the Tel ‘Akko Total Archaeology Project (TATAP), a holistic approach to archaeology that encompassed a research-oriented excavation on Tel ‘Akko, an intensive pit survey on the mound, a targeted regional survey in the Plain of ‘Akko, a community outreach program and an innovative field school (see the TATAP website [http://www.telakko.com] for additional summaries and videos).
The preliminary results presented here are based on a limited exposure of Strata A6–A0— dating from the eighth century BCE to modern periods—that have been excavated thus far by the TATAP team. The impact of the post-Hellenistic-period activities on Tel ‘Akko is significant, as, whilst ‘Akko’s population expanded to the areas surrounding the tell in the Persian period and moved westward off the mound during the Hellenistic period, the tell remained in use until modern times (see discussion of Strata A1 and A0 below). This resulted in extensive disturbances to earlier strata, especially Strata A5–A2. The following stratigraphic discussion begins with A6, dated tentatively from the mid-eighth to the mid-seventh centuries BCE; it is the earliest stratum uncovered in our excavation with clear stratigraphic contexts that relate to Dothan’s excavations.
At the ancient site of Akko/Acre, positioned on the northern side of the Haifa Bay, habitation patterns and anchorage locations changed over time. Causes for this are attributed to ecological and geomorphological fluctuations as well as... more
At the ancient site of Akko/Acre, positioned on the northern side of the Haifa Bay, habitation patterns and anchorage locations changed over time. Causes for this are attributed to ecological and geomorphological fluctuations as well as the impact of human processes. The area is influenced by the silt deposited by the River Na’aman, and coastal sedimentation controlled by littoral currents. Akko/Acre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the area. This article reviews a variety of attempts using ground penetrating radar, electric resistivity tomography, coring, and limited archaeological excavations, to reveal the changing locations of anchorages and harbours, and link these to variations in habitation  patterns.
In the Hebrew Bible, God’s covenant and promise of the Land of Canaan as Abraham’s and his descendants’ eternal inheritance mark the emergence of the people of Israel. But before Abraham’s progeny can take possession of the promised land,... more
In the Hebrew Bible, God’s covenant and promise of the Land of Canaan as Abraham’s and his descendants’ eternal inheritance mark the emergence of the people of Israel. But before Abraham’s progeny can take possession of the promised land, they embark on a detour to Egypt as recounted in Genesis 37–50. Abraham’s grandson Jacob (whom God renames “Israel,” Gen. 32:28) witnesses his favorite son Joseph’s sale into slavery, orchestrated by jealous brothers. The saga, which continues with Joseph’s subsequent rise to a position of power and the migration of Joseph’s brothers to Egypt during a time of famine, serves as a literary bridge to one of the central themes of Israel’s emergence—their ensuing enslavement in Egypt and escape to freedom as described in the book of Exodus. The books of Joshua and Judges continue to tell the story of how the twelve tribes, or “sons” of Israel, after four decades of desert wanderings, conquer the Land of Canaan and settle there. For millennia, this story was taken for granted as a reliable account of the genesis of Israel as a people in its land. However, with the advent of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century post-Enlightenment methods of text criticism and the discovery of contemporary ancient Near Eastern texts and cultures, the historical reliability of the biblical text came into question. Aided by an ever-growing body of archaeological evidence, our understanding of early Israel has been transformed during the past century. This essay will review the theories of Israel’s emergence that have been advanced by critical scholarship, beginning with a critique of the two schools of thought developed during the first half of the twentieth century that use the Exodus story and the books of Joshua and Judges as their starting point. Subsequently, two additional models, utilizing sociological, anthropological, and archaeological approaches, attempted to write a secular history of early Israel largely independent of the biblical account. The essay concludes with recent efforts to reconcile the biblical, extra-biblical textual, and archaeological primary sources, considered together with contemporary sociological and anthropological models to reconstruct Israel’s ethnogenesis.
A Chian Straight-Neck amphora with an unusual stamped toe, dating to the third quarter of the fourth century BCE, was excavated at Tel Akko, Israel, in 2015. The stamp impression depicts the profile of a sitting sphinx facing left, with... more
A Chian Straight-Neck amphora with an unusual stamped toe, dating to the third quarter of the fourth century BCE, was excavated at Tel Akko, Israel, in 2015. The stamp impression depicts the profile of a sitting sphinx facing left, with an amphora positioned in front of it. What makes this impression unique is its location on the toe of the vessel rather than the usual placement on the rim, neck, or shoulders of the amphora. Very similar seated sphinxes facing amphoras appear on fourth-century BCE
silver Chian coins. We suggest the contemporaneity of this motif on both Chian amphora stamps and coins indicates a centralized administrative control of measures within a common political-economic context.
The Plain of Akko Regional Survey (PARS), initiated in 2014, utilizes LiDAR, 3D documentation, photogrammetry, and GIS, combined with a systematic non-intrusive pedestrian survey with the aim of contextualizing the human and environmental... more
The Plain of Akko Regional Survey (PARS), initiated in 2014, utilizes LiDAR, 3D documentation, photogrammetry, and GIS, combined with a systematic non-intrusive pedestrian survey with the aim of contextualizing the human and environmental history of Akko and its interaction with the surrounding hinterland. The survey focused on Givat Tantur, a relatively undeveloped landscape located 4.5 km. east of Tel Akko. During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, approximately 20% of the designated area was surveyed. PARS identified 110 sites, including quarries, lime kilns, tombs, wine presses and other features, which illustrates the effectiveness of this high-resolution approach to documenting the visible evidence of human interaction with the landscape.
A ninth-century Phoenician mold-made terracotta mask of an idealized, bearded adult male was found recently during archaeological excavations at Tel Akko. Similar masks have been found at other sites in the Levant and on Cyprus. The... more
A ninth-century Phoenician mold-made terracotta mask of an idealized, bearded adult male was found recently during archaeological excavations at Tel Akko. Similar masks have been found at other sites in the Levant and on Cyprus. The context of the Akko mask is a secondary fill in the area of the tel with a long tradition of metalworking. Items recovered with the mask include fragments of figurines and other cult-related items, as well as pottery. This paper provides a discussion of the mask, its archaeological context, and ways in which it may have been used.
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Eighteen samples from amphorae, bricks, roof tiles, hypocaust tiles and water pipes collected on survey at the archaeological site of Küçük Burnaz, and 11 soil/clay samples from the neighboring region were analyzed archaeometrically.... more
Eighteen samples from amphorae, bricks, roof tiles, hypocaust tiles and water pipes collected on survey at the archaeological site of Küçük Burnaz, and 11 soil/clay samples from the neighboring region were analyzed archaeometrically. Their petrographic properties were analyzed  by thin section optical microscopy, and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was used to determine their chemical composition. Thin section optical microscope analysis was able to distinguish 9 petrographic groups among the 18 samples: 7 groups of amphorae, and 3 groups for the bricks, tiles and pipes.
    The provenance of the samples from the bricks, tiles, and pipes was a source with igneous rock. In contrast, the sources for the amphorae were more varied, including metamorphic rock sources for samples in the Pinched Handle group. Provenances were assessed according to the specific geological features of amphora production sites and findspots. In addition, soil samples taken from the clay deposits surrounding Küçük Burnaz were examined petrographically and chemically, and the results were compared with the data obtained from the pottery.
    The amphora classified as LRA1 seems to be compatible with samples from other amphorae, and the bricks, tiles, water pipes and clays. The Zemer 41 amphorae in contrast are not compatible with the provenance of the other samples, but instead with Alanya Massif.
The origins and ethnogenesis of a cultural entity, people, and territory referred to as "Phoenician" in later biblical and Classical sources and modern scholarship remain a topic of debate. This chapter examines the textual and... more
The origins and ethnogenesis of a cultural entity, people, and territory referred to as "Phoenician" in later biblical and Classical sources and modern scholarship remain a topic of debate. This chapter examines the textual and archaeological sources relevant to the northern and central Levantine littoral during the Proto- (Late Bronze) and Early (Iron I) Phoenician periods (ca. fourteenth-eleventh centuries BCE). What emerges out of the ruins of the Late Bronze Age is a resilient Early Iron Age coastal culture centered on the commercial interactions of maritime city-states, which survived the demise of the Hittite and Egyptian empires, as well as the collapse of international trade at around 1200 BCE. Autochthonous Canaanite traditions dominate Iron I Phoenician cultural assemblages, but intrusive Aegean-style "Sea Peoples" and Cypriot influences are also present. Together they reflect the dynamic interplay of maritime cultural and commercial exchanges characteristic of the northern and central Levantine littoral during the final centuries of the second millennium BCE.
This article reviews five recent publications that address aspects of archaeological ceramic analysis. They include: Pottery Analysis: A Sourcebook, Second Edition by Prudence M. Rice; The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Ceramic... more
This article reviews five recent publications that address aspects of archaeological ceramic analysis. They include: Pottery Analysis: A Sourcebook, Second Edition by Prudence M. Rice; The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Ceramic Analysis, edited by Alice M.W. Hunt; Ceramics in Archaeology: From Prehistoric to Medieval Times in Europe and the Mediterranean—Ancient Craftsmanship and Modern Laboratory Techniques, by Ninina Cuomo di Caprio; Materiality, Techniques and Society in Pottery Production: The Technological Study of Archaeological Ceramics through Paste Analysis, by Daniel Albero Santacreu; and Ceramics and Society: A Technological Approach to Archaeological Assemblages, by Valentine Roux.
Monumental palatial architecture is a defining feature of ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian urban settlements during the 3rd to 1st millennia BC. These large structures served as royal residences and hubs from where authority was... more
Monumental palatial architecture is a defining feature of ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian urban settlements during the 3rd to 1st millennia BC. These large structures
served as royal residences and hubs from where authority was exercised. Often these multi-roomed complexes encompassed additional activities, as indicated by the presence of administrative and storage facilities, workshops, and ceremonial spaces. They are the physical expression of political, religious, and economic centralisation that typifies the cultures of Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Egypt for much of the Bronze and Iron Ages. In contrast, early 1st millennium Iron II Levantine royal residencies are smaller, free-standing structures that lack the architectural complexity of imperial multifunctional compounds characteristic of Mesopotamian, Anatolian, and Egyptian palaces. This article examines the two local traditions of palatial architecture that emerge in the Levant during the first half of the 1st millennium (Iron Age II).
Spanning the Late Bronze transition and the early Iron Age, the last two centuries of the second millennium BCE are often depicted as a period of societal breakdown following the disintegration of the great Late Bronze Age empires.... more
Spanning the Late Bronze transition and the early Iron Age, the last two centuries of the second millennium BCE are often depicted as a period of societal breakdown following the disintegration of the great Late Bronze Age empires. Excavations in the southern Levant and on Cyprus, combined with extensive provenience studies of ceramics and metals, are elucidating our understanding of this “dark age” that ensued after the collapse of interregional trade networks, which defined the Late Bronze Age. Although the Hittite and Egyptian empires and established elite socio-economic structures suffered devastation, other less centralized polities, including those on Cyprus and several coastal regions of the Levant, survived the crisis and even flourished. In what follows, I examine the evidence for cultural connectivity between these two regions, which encompasses administered trade, informal exchange networks, migration, colonization and other social interactions. It is a relationship that continues long established prior ties, though differs in scope, intensity and intention during the pivotal 12th and 11th centuries BCE.
Massive migrations have been cited among the possible factors responsible for the destruction of sites throughout the eastern Mediterranean during the final decades of the 13th c. BCE, leading to the political and economic breakdown of... more
Massive migrations have been cited among the possible factors responsible for the destruction of sites throughout the eastern Mediterranean during the final decades of the 13th c. BCE, leading to the political and economic breakdown of Late Bronze Age societies. Conversely, it has been suggested that the demise and decline of the Hittite and New Kingdom Egyptian empires and the accompanying collapse of international trade triggered significant population movements that characterise this period . But what is the material evidence of migration, forced or otherwise, during the 13th and 12th c. BCE in the southern Levant? In an attempt to answer this question and identify migration in the archaeological record either as a point of departure or as a destination, this chapter examines the settlement history of six key Late Bronze Age sites in the region, exploring three sub-questions: First, what is the southern Levantine evidence for forced migration departures during the pivotal 13th and 12th c. BCE? Second, what does the archaeological record reveal regarding the arrival and settlement of displaced populations during or following the upheavals of the Late Bronze Age? Third, what role, if any, did migrations, forced or otherwise, play in the collapse of the Late Bronze Age?
This article describes our experiences of working with Adel Yahya between 2001 and 2006 on the Wye River People-to-People heritage project, a cooperative exploration of Israeli and Palestinian shared pasts. As daunting as the goal of our... more
This article describes our experiences of working with Adel Yahya between 2001 and 2006 on the Wye River People-to-People heritage project, a cooperative exploration of Israeli and Palestinian shared pasts. As daunting as the goal of our project was, it was made all the more challenging as a result of the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Archaeology in the context of turmoil and tragedy is not new, but our task, to examine contentious heritage as common heritage, made real time events an integral part of our discussions. When meeting together in the "Holy Land" became impossible, we managed to do so by traveling to Turkey and the United States. The project focused specifically on the three sites of Akko/Akka/Acre, Beitin/Bethel and Al Jib/Gibeon, and was multiconfessional, multi-national and multi-ethnic—involving Americans, Israeli Jews, Christian, Druze and Muslim Arabs from Israel, and Palestinian and Bedouin Muslims from the West Bank. In addition to examining our historical differences and similarities, the participants on the project hoped to attain a mutual awareness of and respect for each other's perspectives.
The discovery of a sacrificed puppy at Tel Miqne-Ekron, a major Philistine settlement in Israel’s southern coastal plain, highlights the role of dogs in Iron I Philistia. Though dog sacrifice is described in Hittite religious texts and... more
The discovery of a sacrificed puppy at Tel Miqne-Ekron, a major Philistine settlement in Israel’s southern coastal plain, highlights the role of dogs in Iron I Philistia. Though dog sacrifice is described in Hittite religious texts and attested in lands bordering the Aegean during the second–first millennia BCE, evidence for this practice, or even of dog bones, is largely absent from Late Bronze and non-Philistine Iron I (ca. 1550–1000 BCE) Levantine contexts. What distinguishes the Tel Miqne-Ekron puppy interment from later Persian- and Hellenistic-period dog burials, is the placement of its severed head between its hind legs. Microscopic analyses of cut marks on several vertebrae indicate that the iron knife found nearby was likely used in its decapitation. This article examines the Tel Miqne-Ekron puppy burial within its eastern Mediterranean milieu and explores the ritual role of dogs and cynophagy (dog-eating) in second–first millennia society.
Between 2004 and 2009 the Bay of İskenderun Landscape Archaeology and Survey Project conducted six seasons of survey, focusing on the Issos, İskenderun, and Arsuz Plains. In the course of our work, 200 archaeological sites were documented... more
Between 2004 and 2009 the Bay of İskenderun Landscape Archaeology and Survey Project conducted six seasons of survey, focusing on the Issos, İskenderun, and Arsuz Plains. In the course of our work, 200 archaeological sites were documented in this previously under-explored region of Cilicia. Our surveys revealed that two neighboring sites, Dutlu Tarla and Dağılbaz Höyük, served as the principal settlements in the İskenderun Plain during most of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Considered together, they dominated the human landscape of this region for nearly three millennia. In our contribution in honor of Marie-Henriette and Charles Gates, we present the results of our investigation at these two sister sites and their role in the İskenderun Plain. We also critique the various approaches we employed during the course of our investigations
at these sites, which included both extensive and intensive survey methodologies.
Recent research has approached the biblical narrative of the Exodus as a production of cultural memory or mnemohistory, defined as historical memory where folklore, ethnic self-fashioning, and literary artistry converge. What has been... more
Recent research has approached the biblical narrative of the Exodus as a production of cultural memory or mnemohistory, defined as historical memory where folklore, ethnic self-fashioning, and literary artistry converge. What has been lacking in these pivotal studies of historical memory is the impact of forced migration, in this case resulting from enslavement in Egypt, on the formation of the Exodus story. In contemporary studies of forced migration narratives, personal memories often coalesce with narratives of others, drawing on earlier accounts of deracination, and include ideology, religion, or myth to explain and provide hope. In narratives of modern displacement, such as those of Palestinian or Armenian refugees, a collective memory of the homeland and an epic quest to return serves as a regenerative force in the preservation of memory and identity over time and distance. Recognizing the importance and relevance of current research into displacement memories will doubtlessly open new avenues and a more nuanced analysis of displaced groups and the ethnogensis of identity. Approaches that combine memory studies, diaspora studies, and refugee studies are especially promising venues of future analyses of the Exodus narrative. As a timeless story of forced migration, enslavement, return, and redemption, the biblical account of the Exodus from Egypt, rising from the ruins of the Late Bronze Age world, will remain an enduring symbol of hope and redemption for displaced peoples in the past, present, and future.
The international significance of Akko’s heritage is best illustrated by the inscription of two UNESCO World Heritage sites in this town of just over 55,000 people. This article describes three projects that focus on the concept of a... more
The international significance of Akko’s heritage is best illustrated by the inscription of two UNESCO World Heritage sites in this town of just over 55,000 people. This article describes three projects that focus on the concept of a shared heritage at a World Heritage site in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, diverse town situated in a region that continues to experience ongoing religious and ethnic conflict. The most recent, and still ongoing, effort to balance archaeology and community interests is the Tel Akko Total Archaeology Project. While attempting to incorporate community building through archaeology and dialog, the Total Archaeology approach described here aims for a socially just and inclusive archaeology that will benefit local community stakeholders rather than disenfranchise them. It also emphasizes the need for local perspectives and experiences to play an active role in the interpretation of the past.
This Forum discussion aims to explore the topic of repatriation from a variety of viewpoints considering twenty-first century realities in the region. The contributions fall into three main categories addressing general background... more
This Forum discussion aims to explore the topic of repatriation from a variety of viewpoints considering twenty-first century realities in the region. The contributions
fall into three main categories addressing general background matters, presenting case studies and offering future directions. We hop  that the differing perspectives assembled in this issue of JEMAHS will contribute to the ongoing debate regarding repatriation, curation and ownership of artifacts, some now housed far from their places of origin.
The Philistines, best known in the biblical account as one of pre-monarchic Israel’s most implacable enemies, are among the new peoples that emerge from the ruins of the Late Bronze Age. In the early twelfth century BCE, they first appear... more
The Philistines, best known in the biblical account as one of pre-monarchic Israel’s most implacable enemies, are among the new peoples that emerge from the ruins of the Late Bronze Age. In the early twelfth century BCE, they first appear as the Peleset (p-r-s-t) in ancient New Kingdom Egyptian texts dating to the Twentieth Dynasty, most notably in the account of Ramesses III’s year-eight campaign depicted on the walls of his early twelfth-century BCE mortuary temple at Medinet Habu. Archaeologically, they make their debut during the first half of the twelfth century BCE, where their distinctive Aegean-style material culture serves as an ethnic marker of Philistine presence or influence. The results of excavations during the past half century provide a rich database of primary evidence regarding many aspects of the Philistines.
Analyses of both the literary and the archaeological evidence reveal a dynamic process of interaction over time between the Philistines and their neighbors, highlighting customs and traditions that differ dramatically from the preceding Late Bronze Age material culture and the neighboring Iron Age cultures of the southern Levant.
The final centuries of the second millennium BC represent a transformative period in the eastern Mediterranean and Near East. Memorialized in fragmentary recollections of a golden age of great kings and heroes in Homer’s Iliad, the Late... more
The final centuries of the second millennium BC represent a transformative period in the eastern Mediterranean and Near East. Memorialized in fragmentary recollections of a golden age of great kings and heroes in Homer’s Iliad, the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1550 – 1200 BC) witnessed the rise of the Hittite and New Kingdom Egyptian empires and the development of the world’s first age of internationalism and global economy. The closing decades of the Bronze Age mark a major turning point in history that was characterized by the decline of Egyptian power, the demise of the Mycenaean palace system on mainland Greece, and the collapse of the Hittite empire. This catastrophe is expressed in the destruction of numerous Late Bronze Age centers and the breakdown of centralized administrative and economic structures, including the cessation of large-scale international trade as revealed in the archaeological evidence. In the wake of this widespread crisis, a mosaic of local cultures and peoples emerges from the ruins of the Bronze Age. Of these groups, the so-called Sea Peoples have been portrayed variously as a catalyst or a casualty of the Late Bronze Age collapse. Instead, they should be understood as one of the “winning” groups that emerge most successfully from this transformative period.
The 2013–2014 excavation seasons at Tel Akko entailed excavation, pedestrian survey of the mound, a multi-faceted landscape survey of the Akko Plain, and a community outreach program. Highlights include the discovery of iron working... more
The 2013–2014 excavation seasons at Tel Akko entailed excavation, pedestrian survey of the mound, a multi-faceted landscape survey of the Akko Plain, and a community outreach program. Highlights include the discovery of iron working smithies dating to the Persian period and new insights regarding Tel Akko and its environs.
On August 14, 1990, during the final hour of the last day of nearly a decade of excavations at ancient Qasrin, a hoard of over 8,500 bronze coins was discovered. At the time of its discovery, this hoard was the third largest ever... more
On August 14, 1990, during the final hour of the last day of nearly a decade of excavations at ancient Qasrin, a hoard of over 8,500 bronze coins was discovered. At the time of its discovery, this hoard was the third largest ever discovered within the boundaries of the state of Israel. We are especially pleased to present the preliminary report on this hoard in honor of Rachel Hachlili, who co-directed excavations with Zvi Ma'oz and Ann E. Killebrew in the Qasrin synagogue from 1982–1984.
Aegean-style Late Helladic IIIC pottery unearthed in 12th century B.C. contexts at sites associated with the Philistine "Pentapolis cities" (Ekron, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Gaza: Joshua 13, 2–3) heralds the initial appearance of this... more
Aegean-style Late Helladic IIIC pottery unearthed in 12th century B.C. contexts at sites associated with the Philistine "Pentapolis cities" (Ekron, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Gaza: Joshua 13, 2–3) heralds the initial appearance of this group of newcomers. During the past half century, stylistic analyses of this distinctive ceramic assemblage have played a dominant role in traditional interpretations regarding the chronology and origins of the Philistines. More recent technological studies indicate that this locally produced LH IIIC pottery and its related assemblages at Ekron and elsewhere in Philistia are a result of "relocation diffusion", a process induced by significant migrations of peoples, including potters, to Canaan’s southern coastal plain. This is in contrast to other means of  dissemination of Late Helladic III technologies to the east, which can be attributed to more gradual and multi-directional processes of contact and exchange, such as trade, emulation, or limited population movements.
Some cities were imagined, designed, and created wholly or partially in ways that forever shaped their histories and the identities, governments, religions, and economies of their citizens. These include the great cities of Jerusalem,... more
Some cities were imagined, designed, and created wholly or partially in ways that forever shaped their histories and the identities, governments, religions, and economies of their citizens. These include the great cities of Jerusalem, Baghdad, and Cahokia. They also include other imperial capitals (similar to Baghdad), lesser territorial centers, and religious complexes and pilgrimage centers (such as Jerusalem and Cahokia). Whatever they were and however they developed later in time, the details of their founding, along with the momentous and monumental constructions that redesigned or redefined various sectors within them make them case studies in the historical processes surrounding cities and their regional and continental effects. Here, we seek to outline the commonalities, juxtaposed against the distinguishing features, of Jerusalem, Baghdad, and Cahokia in ways that draw out those processes. The multi-layered “eternal” city of Jerusalem, imperial Baghdad silenced for centuries before reemerging in the twentieth century, precocious Cahokia virtually evaporating in history: What was it about the creation of these places that transcended their histories? What was different in each case, such that their developmental outlines diverged? Comparisons with other cities will help us to focus on the reasons for such similar processes and divergent histories.
Jerusalem, in stone and imagination, is unique as a holy city of the world’s three monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For many, both past and present, Jerusalem is imagined as an eternal future utopia, a vision... more
Jerusalem, in stone and imagination, is unique as a holy city of the world’s three monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For many, both past and present, Jerusalem is imagined as an eternal future utopia, a vision that embodies national redemption, the reign of justice, peace, and religious fulfilment. At the same time, throughout Jerusalem’s contested history, it has been at the center of fierce political, social, and religious conflict.
This Forum, devoted to alternative careers for archaeologists—and many in archaeology—illustrates the variety of occupations for which the training of an advanced degree in archaeology can prepare one. In many respects, career prospects... more
This Forum, devoted to alternative careers for archaeologists—and many in archaeology—illustrates the variety of occupations for which the training of an advanced degree in archaeology can prepare one. In many respects, career prospects for archaeologists are more diverse—and possibly more rewarding—than ever before as the essays in this Forum will amply illustrate. Their experiences offer a veritable smorgasbord of possi-bilities, directly or indirectly related to archaeology, and often addressing larger twenty-first-century social, as well as scholarly, goals.Sabrina Higgins and
For over five millennia, Akko served as a major urban and maritime center located on the Mediterranean’s Levantine coast. The tell, located east of the modern city of Akko, was inhabited from the Early Bronze Age into the Hellenistic... more
For over five millennia, Akko served as a major urban and maritime center located on the Mediterranean’s Levantine coast. The tell, located east of the modern city of Akko, was inhabited from the Early Bronze Age into the Hellenistic period. By the middle of the Hellenistic period, however, settlement had shifted from the mound towards the natural Bay of Akko, under what is now the UNESCO World Heritage site of Old Acre and the adjacent modern city. The first series of excavations under the direction of Moshe Dothan (1973-1989), which remain largely unpublished, revealed remains dating to the Early Bronze through Hellenistic periods. Renewed excavations on Tel Akko commenced in 2010 under the co-direction of Ann E. Killebrew and Michal Artzy. The current project incorporates an integrated, ‘total archaeology’ approach to the region’s heritage past and present. Our goals at Tel Akko, today a municipal park, include: (1) an intensive survey of the mound and documentation of previous unpublished excavations conducted by Dothan; (2) the investigation of Bronze and Iron Age Akko and its role as the major Canaanite and Phoenician urban center in the Plain of Akko; (3) the development of Akko/Ptolemais and the impact of empire during the late Iron (Assyrian), Persian, and Hellenistic periods; (4) the development of new documentation technologies; and (5) a state-of-the-art field school that incorporates excavation, survey, GIS, on-site conservation, underwater archaeology, and community outreach. The preliminary results of the 2010, 2011, and 2012 excavation and survey seasons, a presentation of the project’s innovative, state-of-the art 3D documentation system, and an overview of the project’s approach to Akko’s tangible and intangible heritage are the focus of this paper.
Questions regarding the identity and ethnicity of the hapiru and other peoples known from second millennium BCE Near Eastern literature have been at the forefront of scholarly debate for well over a century. Western Asia, often considered... more
Questions regarding the identity and ethnicity of the hapiru and other peoples known from second millennium BCE Near Eastern literature have been at the forefront of scholarly debate for well over a century. Western Asia, often considered to be the cradle of civilization, comprises the large landmasses of Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the geographically fragmented Levant. The latter, forming the easternmost littoral of the eastern Mediterranean, served as a cross-cultural land bridge connecting the great empires of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia, and was incorporated into these imperial spheres of influence throughout much of its history. The abundance of textual and archaeological evidence for western Asia provides a particularly rich assemblage of primary sources for the study of peoples, ethnicity, and their material culture expressions of identity in the ancient world. Among the most challenging to define are groups such as the Amorites, hapiru, and Aramaeans, who are often described in Near Eastern texts as semi-nomadic entities or peoples residing outside the framework of settled second millennium BCE societies. They have proven to be especially difficult to identify in the archaeological record. Other peoples, including the Canaanites, Israelites, and Philistines, who also appear in contemporary Near Eastern texts but are best known from the biblical account, have left a more distinctive, though at times ambiguous,  archaeological footprint.
As archaeologists continue to adopt geographic information systems and computer-aided design software packages to record and store spatial data, excavations have begun to forgo hand-drawn plans in favor of digital recording. The purpose... more
As archaeologists continue to adopt geographic information systems and computer-aided design software packages to record and store spatial data, excavations have begun to forgo hand-drawn plans in favor of digital recording. The purpose of this article is to present two case studies that have successfully utilized digital drafting techniques to create architectural plans at multiple scales. The first presents on-site 2d and 3d documentation at the site of Tel Akko, Israel, at the square, field, and tell scales. The second study combines orthophotos and legacy data to create an accurate site plan of Qasrin on the Golan Heights. Both harness image-based modeling to produce 2d and 3d spatial data in order to produce top plans with unprecedented spatial accuracy.
Pages 1–5 in The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of the Levant c.8000–332 BCE, ed. M. L. Steiner and A. E. Killebrew. Oxford Handbooks in Archaeology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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The end of the Bronze Age ( c. 1200–1130 BCE) witnessed the demise of the Mycenaean palace system and the decline of the Late Bronze Age Hittite and Egyptian Empires, culminating in the collapse of the first ‘Age of Internationalism’ in... more
The end of the Bronze Age ( c. 1200–1130 BCE) witnessed the demise of the Mycenaean palace system and the decline of the Late Bronze Age Hittite and Egyptian Empires, culminating in the collapse of the first ‘Age of Internationalism’ in the eastern Mediterranean. This Late Bronze ‘golden age of heroes’, romantically immortalized in the Iliad , is defined by economic, political, and cultural interconnectivity that was under the control of imperial networks and local royal palaces. Early scholarly treatments attributed the end of this era to a catastrophe or series of disasters—natural or man-made—that destroyed major Late Bronze Age centres. In this scenario, these destructions triggered migrations of displaced peoples, especially populations in the western Aegean. These groups, often referred to by the modern term ‘Sea Peoples’, were held responsible for the devastation of Late Bronze Age settlements further to the east that resulted in a ‘dark age’ lasting centuries— a view that still prevails among some Aegeanists, particularly when dealing with the Levant. Recent studies reveal a far more complex network characterized by multidirectional cultural and socioeconomic interconnections that preceded and coincided with a more protracted demise of the Bronze Age that continued into the 12th century BCE. Continuity, discontinuity, change, appropriation, diffusion, creolization, hybridity, transculturalism, interculturality, catastrophe, collapse, crisis, dislocation, migration, colonization, ethnogenesis, nucleation, reoccupation, abandonment, and a new term I have proposed, Levantinism are all descriptive terms that have been employed to characterize the instability and fluidity of the late 13th–11th centuries as evidenced in the archaeological record and reflected in the economic, political, and social structures of this period of time.
Israel, as a person, people, region, and kingdom, plays a prominent role in the biblical narrative. Israel (literally ‘struggles with God’) is first mentioned in the Bible as an alternative name given to Jacob aft er he wrestled with an... more
Israel, as a person, people, region, and kingdom, plays a prominent role in the biblical narrative. Israel (literally ‘struggles with God’) is first mentioned in the Bible as an alternative name given to Jacob aft er he wrestled with an angel (Gen. 32: 28–9). It also appears as a collective name for the twelve sons of Jacob (the ‘Children of Israel’), the eponymous founders of the twelve tribes who traced their ancestry back to Jacob (Gen. 32: 32; 49: 16, 28; Exod. 1:9). According to the Bible, following the rebellion of the northern tribes (House of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) and the tribes of Galilee and Transjordan) against Solomon’s successor, Rehoboam, ‘Israel’ is used to distinguish them from the southern tribes (Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin) that remained loyal to the house of David (e.g. 1 Kgs. 12). The archaeology of Israel as a regional territory, also referred to as the northern kingdom, is the topic of this chapter.
Biblical Archaeology Review 39, no. 6 (November/December)
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Archaeology is a destructive discipline, and, unfortunately, the majority of methods employed by archaeologists to record and preserve the archaeological record consist of two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional (3D)... more
Archaeology is a destructive discipline, and, unfortunately, the majority of methods employed by archaeologists to record and preserve the archaeological record consist of two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional (3D) subjects. Recent breakthroughs in 3D technology, however, have the potential to revolutionize the discipline. In recent years, multiple software suites capable of generating spatially accurate, photo-realistic 3D models with a series of digital photographs have become available. Following a successful season of field testing in 2011, the Tel Akko Total Archaeology Project (Akko, Israel) expanded the use of Agisoft’s PhotoScan Pro—one of the commercially available software suites—to test the accuracy and suitability of the program for archaeological applications at multiple scales. After two years of field testing, it is clear that the implementation of PhotoScan Pro in archaeology facilitates unprecedented accuracy in field recording and digital heritage management, and provides a new outlet for the dissemination of archaeological data.
First discovered in 1860, the monumental structure at Qazion and its late second-century CE Greek dedicatory inscription by Galilean Jews have been a focal point of scholarly debate. Did this building serve as a synagogue for the local... more
First discovered in 1860, the monumental structure at Qazion and its late second-century CE Greek dedicatory inscription by Galilean Jews have been a focal point of scholarly debate. Did this building serve as a synagogue for the local community or was it a Roman temple constructed by Jews to honor Septimius Severus and his family? This article presents the results of the Hachlili and Killebrew archaeological survey of the Qazion cultic complex and a new interpretation of this site located on the border of Jewish and pagan Galilee.
Despite the ever expanding archaeological record, the origins, identity, and material manifestations of the Sea Peoples and their role in the eastern Mediterranean world during the thirteenth and twelfth centuries b.c.e. remain elusive.... more
Despite the ever expanding archaeological record, the origins, identity, and material manifestations of the Sea Peoples and their role in the eastern Mediterranean
world during the thirteenth and twelfth centuries b.c.e. remain elusive. The textual and archaeological evidence leaves no doubt that the major political powers of this period—the Hittites and Egyptians—experienced a profound crisis during the transition from the Late Bronze to the Iron Age, resulting in the decline or dissolution of these great powers. Symptomatic of this reconfiguration of the eastern Mediterranean at the end of the Late Bronze Age is the disappearance or interruption of highly specialized Bronze Age writing systems and recording traditions (e.g., Linear B, Hittite cuneiform, Ugaritic, and/or Akkadian) that coincided with the crumbling centralized administrative
and economic structures. The resulting localized networks are characterized by decentralized systems, a trend that is reflected in well-defined regional variations in Iron I material culture assemblages. As a result, the eastern Mediterranean region succumbed to a gradual process of political, economic, social, and cultural fragmentation. Corresponding with the deterioration of the Late Bronze Age ancien régime, “ethnically” defined groups begin to appear in contemporary and later texts. These include various Sea Peoples groups, most notably the Philistines, as well as later Iron Age peoples such as the Phoenicians, Israelites, Aramaeans, Moabites, and others, whose traditional geographical territories often correspond to regionally defined archaeological assemblages.
The search for the biblical Philistines has provided previously unanticipated insights into one of the most pivotal periods of time, namely, the demise of the Late Bronze “Age of Internationalism,” and the ensuing cultural and political... more
The search for the biblical Philistines has provided previously unanticipated insights into one of the most pivotal periods of time, namely, the demise of the Late Bronze “Age of Internationalism,” and the ensuing cultural and political fragmentation of the eastern Mediterranean region.The discovery of five twelfth-century BCE pottery kilns in Field INE at Tel Miqne-Ekron, used in the firing of monochrome-decorated and other Aegean-style pottery, is key to our understanding of production of this very distinctive repertoire. In the article, I briefly summarize the relevant stratigraphic sequence at Tel Miqne-Ekron, including a short overview of the basic ceramic assemblages associated with each major phase, as a prelude to the focus of this chapter—Philistine ceramic technology. The technology employed to produce this distinctive ceramic assemblage is examined with an emphasis on the clay sources, clay recipes, and firing techniques used to produce this pottery at Tel Miqne-Ekron.The Philistine ceramic production sequence is then contextualized and compared with earlier millennia-long indigenous potting techniques in the southern Levant. Lastly, I consider the broader regional implications of these results for our understanding of the transition from the Late Bronze to Iron I periods.
When Jerusalem first appears in biblical history, it is a location unaffiliated with any individual Israelite tribe. In the Bible, Jerusalem is described as a Jebusite settlement, conquered and chosen by David to be the capital of his... more
When Jerusalem first appears in biblical history, it is a location unaffiliated with any individual Israelite tribe. In the Bible, Jerusalem is described as a Jebusite settlement, conquered and chosen by David to be the capital of his newly united kingdom. In the three thousand years that separate the modern city from David’s settlement on the southeastern spur of Mount Moriah, Jerusalem is a contested city, considered sacred by the world’s three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Its spiritual significance encompasses past, present and future. In this paper, I reassess the evidence and present the major highlights of recent archaeological discoveries near the Temple Mount during the First and Second Temple periods.
Near Eastern Archaeology 74: 116–119.
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During the 2009 survey season in the Plain of Iskenderun, a storage jar handle with a seal impression bearing Anatolian hieroglyphic signs was found on the lower western slopes of Dağılbaz Höyük (Site 45), located located near the Kişla... more
During the 2009 survey season in the Plain of Iskenderun, a storage jar handle with a seal impression bearing Anatolian hieroglyphic signs was found on the lower western slopes of Dağılbaz Höyük (Site 45), located located near the Kişla Köy village southeast of the modern city of İskenderun. The impression, which is quite well preserved, belongs to a flat, round stamp seal. It consists of five Anatolian hierglyphic signs in two columns and dates to 15th–14th centuries BCE. This would indicate that in the İskenderun Plain the adoption of the Anatolian hieroglyphic script predates the Syrian campaigns of the Great King Šuppiluliuma I to the region and is not directly connected to the installation of the imperial provincial administration south of the Taurus Mountains.
This article summarizes the results of the 2009 Mopsos Project in the Bay of Iskenderun, Eastern Cilicia.
During the excavation in the industrial area of Deir el-Balah, four kilns and a potters' workshop area were uncovered. These four kilns and potters' workshop date to the Late Bronze IIB and were used in the local production of Egyptian-... more
During the excavation in the industrial area of Deir el-Balah, four kilns and a potters' workshop area were uncovered. These four kilns and potters' workshop date to the Late Bronze IIB and were used in the local production of Egyptian- and Canaanite-style 13th century pottery.
Two studies (pre-1979 and post-1979) were undertaken to determine by means of chemical analysis the provenience of a selection of ceramic artifacts from Deir el-Balah. These studies followed an earlier analysis of... more
Two  studies  (pre-1979  and  post-1979)  were undertaken  to  determine  by  means  of  chemical analysis the provenience of a selection of ceramic artifacts from Deir el-Balah. These studies followed an  earlier  analysis  of  anthropoid clay coffins.  What this set of analyses revealed was  that  all  the Egyptian-style  pottery  examined was in fact of local origin.
This chapter presents the Late Bronze IIB (13th) Canaanite ceramic assemblage from Deir el Balah. Ceramic types are arranged in the following order: open unrestricted vessels (kraters and cooking pots); closed restricted vessels from... more
This chapter presents the Late Bronze IIB (13th) Canaanite ceramic assemblage from Deir el Balah. Ceramic types are  arranged in the following order: open unrestricted vessels (kraters and  cooking pots); closed  restricted vessels from small  to large (juglets, jugs, flasks  and  jars); and lastly  miscellaneous  shapes (lamps, cups-and­ saucers,  mugs  and  local  imitations  of  imported vessels). This typological discussion  begins  with kraters, since  all  the  bowls  found  at  Deir el­-Balah have  been discussed in the  chapter on  Egyptian-style  pottery (Chapter  2), though  it should be stressed that most of these bowl types are common at Late Bronze Age IIB sites throughout Canaan. All the kraters are discussed in the present chapter;  however,  it  should  be  noted  that  they display some Egyptianizing features, such as rope pattern designs on the bodies of the vessels.

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This report presents the results of the 1985–1987 excavations in Field INE: Areas 5, 6, 7 (The Bronze and Iron Ages Text and Data Base: Plates, Sections, Plans).
This report presents the results of the 1984 excavations in Field INE/SE (Text and Data Base: Plates, Sections, Plans
Near Eastern Archaeology 71: 179–180.
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Religious Studies Review 33: 140.
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Religious Studies Review 33: 139–140.
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Religious Studies Review 32: 119.
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Religious Studies Review 32: 118–119.
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Near Eastern Archaeology 63: 59–60.
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Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception 1: 446-448
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In memory of Rachel Hachlili
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Biblical Archaeology Review 39, no. 6 (November/December)
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Science 297 (5580): 315-316.
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and heritage studies, vol. 6, nos. 1–2, 2018 Copyright © 2018 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Ken Holum, esteemed historian, beloved teacher, and valued friend and colleague, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer... more
and heritage studies, vol. 6, nos. 1–2, 2018 Copyright © 2018 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Ken Holum, esteemed historian, beloved teacher, and valued friend and colleague, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on September 20, 2017. He was best known to archaeologists as the dedicated director of the University of Maryland's archaeological program at Caesarea in Israel and, under Ken’s expert hand, invaluable research was conducted at that important site. The discoveries of the palace of Herod the Great, the temple built by Herod and dedicated to Augustus, the amphitheater of Herod the Great, Caesarea’s Byzantine church, and the city’s massive Roman harbor are the archaeological legacy of the Combined Caesarea Expeditions, to which Ken devoted so much of his career working alongside his Hebrew University and University of Haifa colleagues Joseph Patrich and the late Avner Raban. For more than four decades, Ken was a professor of late antique history in the Department of History at the University of Maryland. In addition, as those who knew him are well aware, he was a prolific and outstanding scholar. His authored and co-authored books, edited volumes, and many articles attest to his wide-ranging interests. Theodosian Empresses: Women and Imperial Dominion in Late Antiquity; Shaping the Middle East: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in an Age of Transition, 400-800 C.E.; The Greek and Latin Inscriptions of Caesarea Maritima; Caesarea Maritima: A Retrospective after Two Millennia, among many other titles, are a testament to Ken’s erudition in his chosen fields. Ken was especially appreciated by JEMAHS as one of the first members of our board and an enthusiastic supporter of the journal, copies of which he displayed proudly on his coffee table. Both of us knew Ken for many years. We will miss his enthusiasm for eastern Mediterranean archaeology. We will miss his good advice and, most of all, his spirited conversation. As an active participant in national, local, and university affairs, Ken was a good, though by no means uncritical, citizen of his country and his university. Nevertheless, it was also clear that he had a particular affection for the land he explored for so many years. Inevitably, we associate Ken with Israel, where he and Marsha spent almost every summer for decades—until 2017 when Ken’s illness struck. And, of course, we associate him with the unparalleled site of Caesarea. In the Caesarea exhibition book King Herod's Dream: Caesarea on the Sea, Ken and his fellow authors include the poem “To Caesarea,” in their epilogue, the last lines of which are:
The Plain of Akko Regional Survey (PARS), initiated in 2014, utilizes LiDAR, 3D documentation, photogrammetry, and GIS, combined with a systematic non-intrusive pedestrian survey with the aim of contextualizing the human and environmental... more
The Plain of Akko Regional Survey (PARS), initiated in 2014, utilizes LiDAR, 3D documentation, photogrammetry, and GIS, combined with a systematic non-intrusive pedestrian survey with the aim of contextualizing the human and environmental history of Akko and its interaction with the surrounding hinterland. The survey focused on Givat Tantur, a relatively undeveloped landscape located 4.5 km. east of Tel Akko. During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, approximately 20% of the designated area was surveyed. PARS identified 110 sites, including quarries, lime kilns, tombs, wine presses and other features, which illustrates the effectiveness of this high-resolution approach to documenting the visible evidence of human interaction with the landscape.
The discovery of a sacrificed puppy at Tel Miqne-Ekron, a major Philistine settlement in Israel's southern coastal plain, highlights the role of dogs in Iron I Philistia. Though dog sacrifice is described in Hittite religious texts... more
The discovery of a sacrificed puppy at Tel Miqne-Ekron, a major Philistine settlement in Israel's southern coastal plain, highlights the role of dogs in Iron I Philistia. Though dog sacrifice is described in Hittite religious texts and attested in lands bordering the Aegean during the second–first millennia BCE, evidence for this practice, or even of dog bones, is largely absent from Late Bronze and non-Philistine Iron I (ca. 1550–1000 BCE) Levantine contexts. What distinguishes the Tel Miqne-Ekron puppy interment from later Persian- and Hellenistic-period dog burials, is the placement of its severed head between its hind legs. Microscopic analyses of cut marks on several vertebrae indicate that the iron knife found nearby was likely used in its decapitation. This article examines the Tel Miqne-Ekron puppy burial within its eastern Mediterranean milieu and explores the ritual role of dogs and cynophagy (dog-eating) in second–first millennia society.
and heritage studies, vol. 6, nos. 1–2, 2018 Copyright © 2018 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Ken Holum, esteemed historian, beloved teacher, and valued friend and colleague, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer... more
and heritage studies, vol. 6, nos. 1–2, 2018 Copyright © 2018 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Ken Holum, esteemed historian, beloved teacher, and valued friend and colleague, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on September 20, 2017. He was best known to archaeologists as the dedicated director of the University of Maryland's archaeological program at Caesarea in Israel and, under Ken’s expert hand, invaluable research was conducted at that important site. The discoveries of the palace of Herod the Great, the temple built by Herod and dedicated to Augustus, the amphitheater of Herod the Great, Caesarea’s Byzantine church, and the city’s massive Roman harbor are the archaeological legacy of the Combined Caesarea Expeditions, to which Ken devoted so much of his career working alongside his Hebrew University and University of Haifa colleagues Joseph Patrich and the late Avner Raban. For more than four decades, Ken was a professor of late antique history in the Department of History at the University of Maryland. In addition, as those who knew him are well aware, he was a prolific and outstanding scholar. His authored and co-authored books, edited volumes, and many articles attest to his wide-ranging interests. Theodosian Empresses: Women and Imperial Dominion in Late Antiquity; Shaping the Middle East: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in an Age of Transition, 400-800 C.E.; The Greek and Latin Inscriptions of Caesarea Maritima; Caesarea Maritima: A Retrospective after Two Millennia, among many other titles, are a testament to Ken’s erudition in his chosen fields. Ken was especially appreciated by JEMAHS as one of the first members of our board and an enthusiastic supporter of the journal, copies of which he displayed proudly on his coffee table. Both of us knew Ken for many years. We will miss his enthusiasm for eastern Mediterranean archaeology. We will miss his good advice and, most of all, his spirited conversation. As an active participant in national, local, and university affairs, Ken was a good, though by no means uncritical, citizen of his country and his university. Nevertheless, it was also clear that he had a particular affection for the land he explored for so many years. Inevitably, we associate Ken with Israel, where he and Marsha spent almost every summer for decades—until 2017 when Ken’s illness struck. And, of course, we associate him with the unparalleled site of Caesarea. In the Caesarea exhibition book King Herod's Dream: Caesarea on the Sea, Ken and his fellow authors include the poem “To Caesarea,” in their epilogue, the last lines of which are:
ABSTRACT The ratios of the stable isotopes of carbon (13C/12C) and oxygen (18O/16O) in calcite in clays that contain carbonate and that were fired at temperatures between 500 and 700 °C displayed a good correlation with the firing... more
ABSTRACT The ratios of the stable isotopes of carbon (13C/12C) and oxygen (18O/16O) in calcite in clays that contain carbonate and that were fired at temperatures between 500 and 700 °C displayed a good correlation with the firing temperature for both isotopes. The isotopic composition indicated that the original carbonate was either completely decomposed or that it exchanged with environmental CO2 to obliterate the original isotopic signature. The isotopic effects seem to be kinetically controlled. The isotope thermometer is used to compare refiring temperatures of pottery which was fired under controlled conditions. The differences between calculated and actual temperatures did not exceed 132 °C and in most cases was about 50 °C or less. Isotopic analysis of pottery from Tel Miqne‐Ekron and Deir el Balah, dated to the 13th–12th centuries BC, gave an average ancient firing temperature of about 600 °C. If shown to be of general validity, then perhaps this technique can be used also for estimating preparation temperatures of ancient mortar, especially when preserved in dry climates where later changes would be minimized.
The international significance of Akko's heritage is best illustrated by the inscription of two UNESCO World Heritage sites in this town of just over 55,000 people. This article describes three projects that focus on the concept of a... more
The international significance of Akko's heritage is best illustrated by the inscription of two UNESCO World Heritage sites in this town of just over 55,000 people. This article describes three projects that focus on the concept of a shared heritage at a World Heritage site in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, diverse town situated in a region that continues to experience ongoing religious and ethnic conflict. The most recent, and still ongoing, effort to balance archaeology and community interests is the Tel Akko Total Archaeology Project. While attempting to incorporate community building through archaeology and dialog, the Total Archaeology approach described here aims for a socially just and inclusive archaeology that will benefit local community stakeholders rather than disenfranchise them. It also emphasizes the need for local perspectives and experiences to play an active role in the interpretation of the past.
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2021, Artzy M., Jol H., Giaime M., Salmon Y., López G. I., Abu-Hamid A., Morhange C., Kaniewski D., Bauman P., Killebrew A. K., The Effects of Coastline and River Changes on Anchorages, Harbors and Habitation Patterns: the case of Akko,... more
2021, Artzy M., Jol H., Giaime M., Salmon Y., López G. I., Abu-Hamid A., Morhange C., Kaniewski D., Bauman P., Killebrew A. K., The Effects of Coastline and River Changes on Anchorages, Harbors and Habitation Patterns: the case of Akko, in Under the Mediterranean I: Studies in Maritime Archaeology, S. Demesticha et L. Blue (eds.), sidestone press, pp. 267-278.
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The discovery of a sacrificed puppy at Tel Miqne-Ekron, a major Philistine settlement in Israel’s southern plain, highlights the role of dogs in Iron I Philistia. Though dog sacrifice is described in Hittite religious texts and attested... more
The discovery of a sacrificed puppy at Tel Miqne-Ekron, a major Philistine settlement in Israel’s southern plain, highlights the role of dogs in Iron I Philistia. Though dog sacrifice is described in Hittite religious texts and
attested in lands bordering the Aegean during the second–first millennia BCE, evidence for this practice, or even of dog bones, is largely absent from Late Bronze and non-Philistine Iron I (ca. 1550–1000 BCE) Levantine contexts. What distinguishes the Tel Miqne-Ekron puppy interment from later Persian- and Hellenistic-period dog burials, is
the placement of its severed head between its hind legs.Microscopic analyses of cut marks on several vertebrae indicate that the iron knife found nearby was likely used in its decapitation. This article examines the Tel Miqne-Ekron puppy burial within its eastern Mediterranean
milieu and explores the ritual role of dogs and cynophagy (dog-eating) in second–first millennia society.
Research Interests:
Virtual reality (VR) and multimedia are central components of the heritage presentation programme at Ename, Belgium. These techniques are designed to help the visitor understand and experience the past as revealed through archaeological... more
Virtual reality (VR) and multimedia are central components of the heritage presentation programme at Ename, Belgium. These techniques are designed to help the visitor understand and experience the past as revealed through archaeological and historical research. The programme uses different VR approaches to bring to life archaeological remains, standing monuments and elements of the historical landscape for visitors. We named the overall project “Ename 974” to commemorate the foundation date of the first mediaeval settlement. Its major aim is to communicate new insights about archaeology, history and conservation to the general public, paying great attention to scholarly accuracy and by means of multimedia technologies. Among the most important of these technologies are on-site virtual reconstructions, museum multimedia and educational projects. Since 1998, the Ename Centre for Public Archaeology and Heritage Presentation has served as an international extension of the Ename 974 project. Its goal is to develop new technologies and new standards for heritage presentation. It also coordinates heritage presentation projects and educational programmes for partner sites around the world
Page 1. Archaeologically Based Heritage Formulation in Overtly Politicised Environments Ann E. Killebrew, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States At the seventieth annual meeting of ...
Page 1. 15 Public exposure: for better and for worse © UNESCO 1998 Public exposure: for better and for worse Racheli Merhav and Ann E. Killebrew What is the concrete, visible, day-to-day impact on sites and artefacts of the increasing... more
Page 1. 15 Public exposure: for better and for worse © UNESCO 1998 Public exposure: for better and for worse Racheli Merhav and Ann E. Killebrew What is the concrete, visible, day-to-day impact on sites and artefacts of the increasing influx of cultural tourists? ...

And 7 more

ABSTRACT The ratios of the stable isotopes of carbon (13C/12C) and oxygen (18O/16O) in calcite in clays that contain carbonate and that were fired at temperatures between 500 and 700 °C displayed a good correlation with the firing... more
ABSTRACT The ratios of the stable isotopes of carbon (13C/12C) and oxygen (18O/16O) in calcite in clays that contain carbonate and that were fired at temperatures between 500 and 700 °C displayed a good correlation with the firing temperature for both isotopes. The isotopic composition indicated that the original carbonate was either completely decomposed or that it exchanged with environmental CO2 to obliterate the original isotopic signature. The isotopic effects seem to be kinetically controlled. The isotope thermometer is used to compare refiring temperatures of pottery which was fired under controlled conditions. The differences between calculated and actual temperatures did not exceed 132 °C and in most cases was about 50 °C or less. Isotopic analysis of pottery from Tel Miqne‐Ekron and Deir el Balah, dated to the 13th–12th centuries BC, gave an average ancient firing temperature of about 600 °C. If shown to be of general validity, then perhaps this technique can be used also for estimating preparation temperatures of ancient mortar, especially when preserved in dry climates where later changes would be minimized.
... Rechercher / Search. Titre du document / Document title. Jewish Funerary Customs During the Second Temple Period, in the Light of the Excavations at the Jericho Necropolis Auteur(s) / Author(s). HACHLILI R. ; KILLEBREW A. ; Résumé /... more
... Rechercher / Search. Titre du document / Document title. Jewish Funerary Customs During the Second Temple Period, in the Light of the Excavations at the Jericho Necropolis Auteur(s) / Author(s). HACHLILI R. ; KILLEBREW A. ; Résumé / Abstract. Le cimetière juif de Jéricho. ...
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