| go to Ann. Meeting page or session index | 2004
ASOR Annual Meeting |
| T H U R S D A Y S E S S I O N S | |
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Aren M. Maeir, Bar-Ilan University, Presiding 1)
Joe Uziel, Bar-Ilan University The study of the Philistines has pointed to an ongoing process of change in the culture of this group, whose origin is widely accepted as being Aegean. These changes are present in their ceramic traditions, demographic patterns, public architecture, etc. In the past, the changing culture of the Philistines has been attributed to the assimilation, or more recently acculturation, with elements of the local, neighboring cultures infiltrating into their traditions. Recent studies point out, however, that although a core group did arrive from the Aegean, many local "Canaanites", already living in the region prior to their arrival, were incorporated into the Philistine entity. It therefore seems very feasible that the transformation that the Philistines underwent is not due to external influences, as suggested by the terms assimilation or acculturation, but rather a process of internal unification of a new emerging ethnic group. A review of the shifting elements of the Philistine culture, particularly regarding cultic practices, will be used to stress this point. 2)
Aren M. Maeir, Bar-Ilan University The transformation and development of the Philistine culture during the ca. 600 years of its existence has received a growing amount of attention in recent years. Following earlier attempts to see this process as one of assimilation, multi-faceted explanations of the transformation have been put forward, including acculturation and creolization. In this paper I will attempt to view the developmental trajectory of the Philistine culture from a socio-linguistic perspective, endeavoring to understand the changes in the material culture (as evidenced from the archaeological remains) from the viewpoint of modern theories of language change. 3)
Carl S. Ehrlich, York University As part of the 2002 field season in the Jabal Hamrat Fidan region of southern Jordan, the University of California San Diego Department of Antiquities of Jordan team carried out a series of intensive pedestrian archaeological surveys along the eastern Wadi al-Ghuwayb and Wadi al-Jariya. While sites from all periods were recorded, the main goal of the survey was aimed at reconstructing the Bronze and Iron Age landscapes related to early metal production in the Faynan district. In addition to the general site survey, extensive mapping and collections were undertaken at two large Iron Age sites at Khirbat en-Nahas and Khirbat al-Jariya, with the long term aim of understanding the development of metal production during the Iron Age and the relationship of this production to the evolution of the kingdom of Edom. To supplement the 'deep-time' study of metal production and social change in the research area, detailed mapping and surface collections were made at the Medieval Islamic period production site of Ngeib Assemer first discovered by Nelson Glueck in the 1930s. This paper outlines the main results of the 2002 survey and our preliminary interpretations of the data. 4)
Yuval Gadot, Hebrew Union College
Since the first discoveries of Philistine finds at sites located along the Yarkon
River, such as Tell Qasile and Tell Gerishe, the central part of Israel's coastal
plain has traditionally been viewed as part of the Philistine territory. Chronologically
it has been established that these sites were settled later then sites located
in the heartland of Philistia, mainly Ashdod and Tel Miqne. 5)
Steven Ortiz, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Tel Miqne is an important site to isolate and compare regional variations and the complex socioeconomic variables that pattern the archaeological record. Excavations at Tel Miqne-Ekron provide new evidence for an evaluation of recent chronological proposals and aid in the development of a regional ceramic corpus for the Aijalon Valley Region. Of particular importance is the transition between Iron Age I and II. While much is known about the Iron Age I Philistine Corpus and the later Philistine Iron Age II-III corpus-not much is known about the "middle phase" of the Philistine ceramic development. The main distinguishing mark of the Tel Miqne-Ekron Stratum IV assemblage is the transition from the hallmark Philistine bichrome pottery to the red-slip and burnished pottery of the Iron II. The Tel Miqne-Ekron Stratum IV assemblage continues the forms and types of the pottery of strata VI and V with the introduction of new forms and variations, most notable in the bowls. Although the red-slip burnished decoration makes its first significant appearance in Stratum V, it is not until Stratum IV that it becomes dominant in the corpus. The Tel Miqne-Ekron Stratum IV assemblage demonstrates that the Philistine ceramic corpus is imprinted by the ethnic, political and cultural complexity during the Iron Age I-II. 6)
David Ben-Shlomo, Hebrew University The
appearance of the Philistine pottery (the earlier Monochrome style and the later
Bichrome style) in the Iron I is one of the main components of a new material
culture brought to the southern coastal region of Israel by a new population.
This pottery shows high resemblance in form, decoration and technology to contemporary
Mycenaean wares from the Aegean and Cyprus; previous INAA and petrographic studies
showed it to be locally made in Philistia. During the subsequent period, the Iron
Age IIA, a distinct type of decorated pottery, defined as 'Late Philistine Decorated
Ware' (also termed 'Ashdod Ware') is suggested to continue this tradition. Susan L. Cohen, Montana State University, Presiding 7)
Rachel Hallote, Purchase College, SUNY As
the modern disciplines of archaeology and biblical scholarship emerged during
the 19th century, the Holy Land was a rapidly changing place. With Palestine and
its various populations under Ottoman control, scholars encountered a variety
of modern political obstacles that hindered their approach to the land's biblical
past. How they perceived the ancient, as refracted through the contemporary, is
the subject of this paper. 8)
Alexandra Retzleff, McMaster University
The construction of theatres was both an instrument and a product of Roman imperialism.
On the one hand, ancient literary sources suggest that Herod, Caesar, Augustus,
and Vespasian sponsored the construction of theatres in some cities in Syria.
On the other hand, inscriptions show that theatres also could be part of local
building programs sponsored by private individuals. This paper examines in particular
the relationship between patronage and programs of decoration. The theatre was
more than a place of entertainment; it was one of the city's principle public
gathering places. Conscious choices were made with respect to design and decoration,
making the theatre a showplace of the importance of the city and a symbol of the
community's identity and status. The sculptural program in the theatre thus became
a visual indicator of the connectedness of city and empire. 9)
Jeff Chadwick, Brigham Young University The American Expedition to Hebron (AEH), directed by Philip Hammond, surveyed and excavated at Tell Rumeide from 1963 to 1966. Among other discoveries, Hammond unearthed sections of ancient Hebron's city wall. But no report of the expeditions results was published. A new project to systematically review and pulicize AEH finds was begun in 2003 (forty years after Hammond began work) by Jeff Chadwick of Brigham Young University. The "AEH 2003 Review" has determined that Hammond actually excavated parts of two different Bronze Age fortification systems, not just one (as he had thought). The first was a six meter wide city wall built during Early Bronze Age II. The second, a four meter wide city wall with a nine meter wide gate tower, ws built during Middle Bronze Age II, and continued in use during the Late Bronze, Iron I, and Iron II periods. AEH finds enable the entire city wall line on the south side of Tell Rumeide to be reconstructed. The two walls discerned in the "AEH 2003 Review" parallel the EBII and MBII city wall remains discovered on the north side of Tell Rumeide in 1999 by Emanuel Eisenberg of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Chadwick's 2004 ASOR Annual Meeting paper/presentation (illustrated with Hammonds excavation photos and plans) explores both the EBII city wall remains and gateway and the MBII city wall remains and gate tower unearthed by Hamlmond, as well as the probably line of the city wall around the entire tell. It also suggests how Hebron's walls were behind the biblical tradition of Canaanite cities that were "walled up to heaven." 10)
Michael Weigl, Catholic University of America
The largest share of excavated artefacts, originating from Sir William Flinders
Petrie's excavation at Tell el-'Ajjul, is now part of the "Petrie Collection"
at London's University College. However, several hundred objects were given to
collections throughout the world either by Petrie himself, by the practice of
division of finds, or they were sold to various institutions all around the world
by his wife after Petrie's death. 11)
John Raab, Dubuque Theological Seminary Various
surveys, since Glueck's initial work of seventy years ago, have refined our understanding
of the location of settlements in the Transjordan during the Late Bronze and Iron
I periods. For example, during early Iron I many new settlements were established
in the northern and north/central Transjordan. And settlements which were active
in the Late Bronze in this area continued into the early Iron I period. Additionally,
some sites, such as Tall al-'Umayri grew in prosperity and local organization.
Different models have been suggested to account for the impetus behind this growth.
Generally, these models have centered on the sedentarization of nomads and pastoralists
for a number of reasons such as increased farming, an increase in local populations
and the development of long-distance trade in the area. However, the question
still remains as to how these conditions developed. A4, New Technologies and their Uses in Archaeology Rhonda Root, Andrews University and Gary Christopherson, University of Arizona, Presiding 12)
Christian Haunton, University of Iowa The
focus of this poster presentation will be to illuminate the value of experimental
archaeology, a technique still underrepresented in the United States. Specifically
it will be used to examine possible functions of the ubiquitous tripod vessel
through examination of experimental reconstructions. 13)
Robert Bates, Andrews University Methods for making pottery plates have not changed much in the last hundred years. This process usually involves tracing a prepared diagnostic on paper, inking the drawing and then possibly scanning it into a computer. Drawing a pottery plate by hand can be tedious and time-consuming. A single diagnostic drawing may take as long as 45 minutes. Recently, the introduction of computer graphics has begun to change the way that archaeologists draw ceramic diagnostics for publications. This poster introduces a method for making pottery plates using Photoshop software and a computer scanner to input the diagnostic image directly into the computer. This eliminates the hand-drawing process and the need to later scan the inked drawings in preparation for publication. The result of this process is a clear crisp drawing in a publication format that can be stored for future use. 14)
Michel Fortin, Université Laval and Jacynthe Pouliot, Université
Laval
Taking advantage of the tensed situation in the Near East in the summer of 2003,
the Canadian team of archaeologists working at Tell 'Acharneh, in Syria, rethought
entirely its recording system with the help of a team of experts in geomatics
from Université Laval (Québec). The ultimate aim is to develop a
"knowledge discovery" system allowing multi-variate queries of the spatio-temporal
informations stored in an archaeological database, coupled with a 3D visualization
system of the results. Since all the operations related to the acquisition and
the processing of the data will be in "real-time", this system should help tremendously
the archaeologist in adjusting his/her strategy in the field as he/she proceeds
with the excavation. 15)
Matthew Harpster, Texas A&M University Ancient Egyptian texts describe the carriage of vessels across the eastern desert from the Nile to the Red Sea. Inspired by these descriptions, a one-to-one scale model of a section of cedar planking was built, wetted, then dried under high heat to replicate some of the stresses placed on the vessel while journeying from the Nile to the Red Sea. Similar tests were repeated to replicate the return journey after a round-trip voyage to Punt. The results of this testing, which indicate that the cedar planking would survive such a trip, will be discussed, as well as theories regarding material choice by Egyptian craftsmen.
Theme: Votives and Votaries in Cypriote and Levantine Sanctuaries Danielle Parks, Brock University and Ann-Marie Knoblauch, Virginia Tech. University, Presiding 16) Stuart Swiny,
University at Albany Excavations at the Early Bronze Age site of Sotira Kaminoudhia in the 1980s, supplemented by new evidence recovered in 2001-2002 strongly suggest the presence of a ceremonial or cult complex (Unit 12) on the western perimeter of the settlement. A final field season planned for 2004, if funding is received, should provide information, which will further define the nature of this ceremonial activity by excavating the approaches to the complex. If no fieldwork is undertaken the existing evidence for a non-domestic function of Unit 12 will be discussed. At present it consists of a large open area subdivided into four discrete spaces by parapet walls. The entrance, via the largest of these, was placed opposite an unusually high wall which collapsed forward sealing everything beneath. The other subdivisions display unique features such as large carefully shaped stone basins, a grain grinding platform and a built shelf running along two sides of a room on which was displayed an eclectic range of finds. These consist of several gaming stones, pieces of copper slag and ore, stone tools and the scapula of a deer. Built hearths with their attendant coarse ware basins, low benches and quantities of animal bone, as well as a range of pottery and sherds, all aspects of domestic activity typical elsewhere at the settlement, are conspicuously lacking. 17)
Louise Hitchcock, University of Melbourne
This paper re-evaluates some of the controversies related to understanding the
statuettes known as the Horned God and the God of the Ingot and their respective
sanctuaries. These include the artistic origins of the statuettes and their sanctuaries,
the character of the offerings, and presence of two buildings linked to cult and
metallurgy, although metal working seems to have ceased at Enkomi prior to the
end of LC IIIA. 18)
Derek Counts, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Despite the wealth of iconography present, there is little agreement on the identification of votive images dedicated in Cypriote sanctuaries during the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. The interpretation of male divine images, often identified based on their relationship to similar images found abroad, is especially problematic. Modern scholars advocate geographical (i.e., ethnic) specificity in the interpretation of these images and inevitably suggest the worship of a multitude of foreign deities in Cypriote sanctuaries. To meet the principal male divinity of Cyprus in current archaeological literature is to meet the Phoenician Reshef and Melqart, the Egyptian Amun, as well as the Greek Zeus, Herakles, and Apollo. Previous scholarship has thus tended to highlight the differences among the many divine images dedicated at Cypriote sanctuaries; however, striking typological and iconographical parallels clearly suggest that each of these sanctuaries hosted the same deity. My research seeks to move beyond the idiosyncrasies of ascribing specific theonyms to these images and focus directly on a common ideological construction that I feel they personify. Among the most common representations are the so-called Herakles, Zeus Ammon, and Pan types. Each betrays diverse foreign artistic and iconographical influences. Nonetheless, they represent symbolic manifestations of a single, principal divinity and the attributes that accompany them are fundamentally similar in their implicit meaning. Most importantly, each exhibits characteristics that underscore the god's role as potnios theron, or master of animals. This divine aspect represents a somewhat generic symbol of the god's control over the forces of nature and his role as guarantor of prosperity. 19)
Nancy Serwint, Arizona State University Given
the geographical proximity of Cyprus to the Levantine coast, the commercial exchange
that developed between the island and the mainland resulted in significant influence
on cultural and artistic expression. During the Iron Age, the pace of maritime
exchange quickened, and within the oeuvre of votive offerings recovered from Cypriot
sanctuary sites, the presence of objects of Eastern type is telling. The nature
of this sub-class of votive objects, the presence of specific iconography and
significant attributes, as well as manufacturing techniques, and in certain cases
the actual materials used, lend credence to the reality that Levantine influence
impacted not only on artistic expression on Cyprus but also on the island's religious
sensibilities as well. 20) David Ilan,
Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology The Iron Age I Strata of Tel Dan contain an amalgam of material culture elements that originate in varying, sometimes distant places: pithoi from the coast and the south of Canaan, cooking vessels from the Baka Valley of Lebanon and metallurgy, sanctuary layouts and votive behaviors that appear to come from Cyprus. By what mechanism did these latest phenomena arrive at Tel Dan? Do they represent "Sea Peoples"? The Biblical account in Judges 18 may also be a distant echo of what actually transpired. 21)
Doron Ben-Ami, Hebrew University of Jerusalem I
would like to suggest a lecture dealing with a cultic sanctuary recently uncovered
in the center of the Canaanite acropolis of Hazor, dated to the Middle Bronze
Age. The most prominent feature of this sanctuary is undoubtedly the many standing
stones uncovered in situ, arranged in what seems to be rows of masseboth. The
presence of flat-lying stones at the foot of each standing stone may have served
as offering tables, hence supporting their cultic purpose. 22)
Kevin McGeough, University of Pennsylvania and Justin Lev-Tov, University of Pennsylvania Animal remains are frequently found in cultic contexts, yet the precise nature of their role as votive offerings is difficult to establish from the archaeological evidence alone. The comparison of textual and archaeological evidence of animal remains in votive contexts can better illuminate questions of what kinds of religious offerings were made, and who made him. Unfortunately it is rare to find both textual and archaeological evidence pertaining to votive offerings in Cypriote and Levantine contexts, and thus it is difficult to analyze the nature of the religious offering and even harder to identify who made it. In this example, textual evidence from Late Bronze Age Emar will be compared with the faunal remains from cultic contexts at Late Bronze Age Hazor, in order to address the issue of what types of animals and animal parts were used in votive offerings, as well as who made the offerings and what these offerings signified to the religious community. The results of the study show that this comparative method can be productively employed to better understand the nature of votive offerings in Cyprus and the Levant. Conclusions specific to northern Late Bronze Age Syro-Palestine will be offered as well as more general conclusions on the role of animals and animal parts in votive contexts. 23)
Pamela Gaber, Lycoming College Cypriote votaries stand in a long line of Near Eastern worship stretching from Nippur, through Tel Asmar, and down through Akkad and Ashur. The stance of the votaries clearly indicates that they are not cult figures. This has implications as well for the numbers of votive figures found and mis-identified in Israel. In addition, Cypriote votive figures are so numerous that it is possible to identify regional styles, workshops, and even individual hands within workshops. Because of their numbers Cypriote votaries are useful as artifacts that give us information about contact between sites on and off Cyprus, as well as something about the nature of worship at a given site. Taken together, this approach gives us a wealth of questions we can now ask of Cypriote votaries. A6) Archaeology of Mesopotamia I Constance E. Gane, Andrews University, Presiding 24)
Amy Gansell, Harvard University
Within the Early Dynastic "Royal Cemetery" at Ur the adornment of those interred
may be read as a system of material communication indicating the social and personal
identities of deceased individuals in relation to other members of this mortuary
community. 25)
Richard Zettler, University of Pennsylvania no abstract received 26)
Magnus Widell, University of Chicago
For some products in the Ur III period, a sufficient number of texts provide their
silver equivalences, and the ancient value of the products can be estimated. Several
scholars have studied price fluctuations in ancient Mesopotamia. These studies
have demonstrated the complexity of comparing prices or values from one period
with prices and values of another period. Nevertheless, the different values of
Ur III products and commodities are important for our understanding of the exchange
in this period and the social and economic context in which the exchange took
place. 27)
Clemens Reichel, University of Chicago
The looting of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad in April 2003 has attracted worldwide
attention; even if a total loss of its collection, as initially reported in the
news did nit occur, they still constitute a major catastrophe for human heritage
as well as scholarship. Scholars and law enforcement officials from many countries
are now working in an unprecedented international effort to help recover missing
artifacts. As a tool that already has found widespread use in the collection and
dissemination of information concerning stolen artifacts, the World Wide Web is
of great importance in these efforts.
Laura Mazow, University of Arizona, Presiding 28)
Nili Fox, Hebrew Union College
In two biblical accounts gold earrings(and/or nose rings)are transformed into
cult objects. In Exodus (32:1-6)Aaron requests that the men of Israel remove the
earrings from their wives, sons, and daughters so that he can create a calf of
molten gold from them. Similarly, in Judges (8:24-27)Gideon collects an earring
(or nose ring)from each soldier's cache of booty to create an Ephod-- a cult object
for Israelite worship. In a third account, Genesis 35:1-7, earrings are buried
along with discarded cult images. The latter tells that Jacob's household members
deposited their earrings with their family gods under an oak tree as they prepared
to purify themselves to worship God. 23)
Friedrich Schipper, University of Vienna At their outset both Books of Maccabees describe the introduction of pagan customs into Jerusalem by so called 'unlawful men' (1 Macc 1:11). The texts 1 Macc 1:11-15 and 2 Macc 4:7-22 form part of the Maccabeean polemics against those hellenizers, in 2 Macc especially in persona of the High Priest Jason who had been appointed by Antiochos IV Epiphanes. Together wiht his followers he symbolized a 'Greek' conduct of life in fervent opposition to Jewish traditions. Considerable portions of the quoted texts relate to the establishment of a Greek gymnasium in Jerusalem. This paper investigates on the motives for the intense refutation of the gymnasium and notion on Greek athletics as evident in the Books of Maccabees using literal as well as archaeological sources. 30)
Carl Savage, Drew University
The question of whether or not there is a first century habitation at Et-Tell
(Bethsaida) has once again been raised. And, while previous theories from the
principles of the dig may have at times gone beyond what can be well substantiated
from the uncovered archaeological data and context, there is evidence that the
city did indeed exist as a viable and growing community during the 1st century
CE. 31)
Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, Israeli Antiquities Authority Jerusalem
is shown on the Madaba Map as an oval shaped city, surrounded by a wall. Remains
of this wall, were documented in several places under the courses of the Ottoman
City Wall, and around Mount Zion, and the Ophel, outside the present Old City
of Jerusalem. 32)
Michael Fuller, St. Louis Community College Excavation by St. Louis Community College at Tell Tuneinir has yielded a small sample of Roman/Byzantine coins but a very large sample of Medieval Islamic coins. The variability of coins within the small city will be discussed and the implications for the populations political and economic associations. The paper will summarize the insights of the project co-director (Michael Fuller) and the project numismatist (William Spengler). A8) The Ethics of Collecting and Communicating the Near Eastern Past Theme: Academic Responsibility, Publishing and the Scholarly use of Materials without Provenience Patty Gerstenblith, DePaul University College of Law, Ellen Herscher, CAARI, and Morag Kersel, University of Cambridge, Presiding 33)
Patty Gerstenblith, DePaul University College of Law
It is now generally accepted at least among archaeologists that the intentional
looting of archaeological sites is largely fuelled through the international art
market. This looting causes the destruction of sites and the loss of a unique,
non-renewable cultural heritage resource. Archaeological organizations have adopted
professional codes of ethics to discourage their members from engaging in activities
that may contribute, either intentionally or unintentionally, to this looting.
The publications of the American Schools of Oriental Research and the Archaeological
Institute of America now have policies which aim to prevent the publication of
unprovenienced antiquities, as publication is viewed as adding market value to
such objects and corrupting the historical record through the possible introduction
of fraudulent antiquities. 34)
Piotr Michalowski, University of Michigan In the years between the two Gulf wars the archaeological sites of Iraq were no longer properly protected; as a result plunder began and the antiquities market was flooded with artifacts. In the year since the last war this plunder has intensified to unprecedented levels and the end is not in sight. After the looting of the Baghdad Museum press attention was directed at this tragedy, but since then other issues have taken precedence and little is being said in public about this horrible development. In the meantime scholars face a dilemma: how to deal with the masses of materials that have already made it into private and public collections. The majority of these artifacts are cuneiform tablets that often contain invaluable, often unique testimony about the history and literature of ancient Babylonia. Many archaeologists believe that no one should touch any of this, while many Assyriologists disagree, arguing that their primary loyalty is to the muse of history. The debate on this matter, mostly conducted in private, has been intense, to say the least. It is time to discuss this problem in an open forum. 35)
Larry Herr, Canadian University College, Joe Seger, Mississippi State University,
and Jim Weinstein, BASOR ASOR's Committee on Publications follows the Statement of ASOR Policy on Preservation and Protection of Archaeological Resources as passed by the ASOR Board of Trustees on November 18, 1995 and published in BASOR 309: 1-2. Other policies adopted by the United States government and UNESCO, especially The Hague conventions and protocols, are also used. We attempt to strike a reasonable interpretation of the various policies, but must realize that we are growing into our own awareness of the issues and how we put them into practice. [read ASOR's Policy mentioned above] 36)
Sidnie Crawford, University of Nebraska-Lincoln The Dead Sea Scrolls, from the time of their discovery in the 1940's and 50's until today, have generated much attention and controversy, not only because of their importance as primary texts of Second Temple Judaism but also because of the circumstances of their discovery and the history of their publication. The scrolls, which fall under the general rubric of "epigraphic material," were for the most part not excavated in a controlled situation by trained archaeologists, but clandestinely by Bedouin tribesmen. These illicitly excavated fragments were then purchased by scholars on behalf of institutions of higher learning, most notably by Eleazar Sukenik of the Hebrew University and Roland de Vaux on behalf of the Palestine Archaeological Museum. The ad hoc nature of these purchases continued in the publication history, where various arrangements were made and later altered in response to changing circumstances. This paper will explore the history of the discovery and publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls with an eye to discerning what that history can teach us today about archaeological acquisitions and publications. 37)
Christina Brody, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Unprovenienced archaeological collections present a unique set of opportunities
and challenges for museums. These museum collections are often from stolen, illegally
excavated, and/or illicitly transported sources, but can also be the result of
improper recording, housing, and handling. Recent trends have relegated unprovenienced
archaeological museum collections to storage, neither researched nor exhibited,
because of their questionable source and perceived liabilities. The educational
value of these types of collections warrants a closer look at the potential benefits
and detriments of unprovenienced archaeological collections. A9) Ancient Mediterranean Trade Eric H. Cline, George Washington University, Presiding 38)
Seth Richardson, University of Chicago The collapse of the Middle Bronze states at Babylon and Alalakh in 1595 B.C. significantly post-date the international trading systems that flourished in the region ca. 1900-1750 B.C. When trade networks in this Euphratean zone (connecting North Syria with Mesopotamia) reappear in the Late Bronze, they seem to have required a significant incubatory period, during which state powers reasserted themselves locally, before they truly revived independently. This paper will present new cuneiform evidence from the Late Old Babylonian period about trade relations with Syria and northern Mesopotamia from the 17th c. B.C. which speaks both for the survival of earlier networks as well as the establishment of some later patterns at an earlier date. It will be argued that such trade interests more determined state competition during this era of transition than vice-versa, and that the specific strategies of the Babylonian and Hittite kingships for North Syrian trade at this time were bound up in issues of security on the Euphrates. 39)
Deborah Cantrell, Vanderbilt University Trained chariot and cavalry horses were the single most expensive commodity traded in the Ancient Near East during the late Bronze and Iron Ages. The value of the horses depended on their training and breeding. The large Kushite horses were the prized chariot horses for the Assyrians, while the small Caspian horses were the preference of the Persian cavalry. The large stable complex at Megiddo and horse trading centers at Tyre and Gaza placed Israel in the middle of the lucrative horse training business during the Iron Age. The archaeological and epigraphical evidence for the horse trading and training between Israel, Egypt, Assyria, Syria and Cyprus during the Iron Age is investigated in this paper. 40)
Christoph Bachhuber, University of Oxford Direct trade relations between Cyprus and the LH/LM IIIA-B Aegean have been axiomatic in Bronze Age scholarship for the better part of 70 years. This archaeological tenet is founded on the enormous quantities of LH IIIA-B pottery occurring on Cyprus (more than in Syro-Palestine and Egypt combined). Early models of exchange between Cyprus and the Aegean were dominated by descriptions of Mycenaean trading and colonizing activities. Increasingly, however, scholarship has begun to doubt the existence of a Mycenaean merchant fleet in the greater Eastern Mediterranean. The ventures of Near Eastern (particularly Cypriot) merchants have gained favor in discussions of long distance trade with the Aegean. The paradigm shift has subsequently minimized the relevance of Mycenaean palatial administrations in long distance trade. These recent developments warrant reviewing the Linear B evidence. Careful consideration of the Linear B texts, coupled with archaeological observations from the LH/LM IIIA-B Aegean, does indeed highlight the activities of Cypriot or Cypriot-based merchants in the Aegean. At the same time, these observations also suggest that the Mycenaean palatial administrations were more relevant to the processes of long distance trade than recent models will allow. 41)
Avraham Faust, Bar Ilan University and Ehud Weiss, Harvard University
During the seventh century BCE the Phoenician trade in the Mediterranean was at
its height. The seventh century was also a period of economic prosperity in southern
Israel, and various evidence for trade, production intensification, and settlement
expansion are found along the Coastal Plain, and even as far as the Judean desert
and the Negev. We believe that the two phenomena are closely linked, and that
the former is, to a large extent, responsible for the latter. 42) Deborah
Carlson, Texas A & M University Between
1999 and 2001, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University excavated
the remains of a Classical Greek shipwreck off the Aegean coast of Turkey, at
Tektas Burnu. This modest merchantman was carrying a cargo of East Greek pottery,
wine, beef ribs, and pine tar when it sank between 440 and 425 B.C. The ship's
primary cargo appears to have been a consignment of wine contained in almost 200
amphoras of a previously unattributed South Aegean type. Though conservation of
the Tektas Burnu artifacts is still ongoing, at least three different stamp types
have been identified among the amphora cargo. Chief among these is an EPY monogram
stamp which suggests that the majority of amphoras had been produced at Ionian
Erythrae.
A10) Archaeology of Mesopotamia II Richard Zettler, University of Pennsylvania, Presiding 43)
Jesse Casana, University of Chicago While tells are often regarded as the archetypal archaeological site of the ancient Near East, they in fact only form during specific historical time periods and in particular geographic zones. Rather than accepting the existence of tells as the default in the Near Eastern landscape, it may be better to view tells as cultural artifacts-the products of a distinctive and definable milieu of social rules and norms. This paper will compare the lower Orontes Valley and the Khabur Basin, two regions in which highly nucleated, tell-based systems of settlement flourished throughout the Bronze Age before being replaced by more dispersed and intensive systems during the first millennium BC. By integrating archaeological landscape data, derived through recent surveys, together with local textual data, it is possible to suggest some of the cultural factors - such as institutions of land rights and the organization of agricultural economies - that drove the formation and development of tells during the third and second millennia BC. Equally, by contrasting these periods with those that follow, it is possible to infer some of the changes that precipitated the abandonment of Bronze Age tells and led to the emergence of very different systems of settlement that characterize later periods of Near Eastern history. 44)
Marco Ramazzotti, University of Rome La Sapienza This work explores the economic phenomena that occurred in central, north-central, south-central, and north-central Mesopotamia, from the Late Ubaid period to the end of the Early Dynastic period. The analysis focuses on each economic transformation as it can be recognized by statistical and mathematical models compiled by American survey projects. The data collected since the sixties investigate the region comprised between Ur plain and Diyala valleys, a southern sector of the so-called "Greater Mesopotamia". On the methodological level, this contribution intends to formalize some of the rules that determined the birth of the early urban settlements. For this reason it is opposed to the tendencies, which is evident in recent research, that describe the Sumerian urbanization as a systemic model linked ideological principles and limited by pre-determined rules; the "Urban Revolution" plays a central role. It is a "substantial phenomenon", unique but able to occur again in different regions and periods as it can assume a "habitus" reflecting numerous types of arrangement and a great richness of cultural "milieux". For these reasons the mechanism set up was not just an anthropological, gradual, orthogenetic, multilinear, evolving process, but an even stronger indication stamped on these fragile fragments of cultural material is conscious choice (therefore revolutionary) by man. 45)
Jeremiah Peterson, University of Pennsylvania The extant corpus of Sumerian texts yields a several verbs that describe the various behaviors of the tail (Sumerian kun), reflecting a minute appreciation of its anatomical function. This vocabulary includes the fixed expression kun—sud, "to wave the tail." Kun—sud is used with a variety of animals, including equines, mammalian predators, the scorpion, broad land animal categories, and fish. Throughout its attestation, the expression gains different nuances of meaning depending on the agent that it modifies and the specific context which it is found in. The expression is also abstracted to describe the action of a waterway at its terminating end, acting on the analogy of the effect of a fishes' tail on water with the current produced when a flowing canal or river meets a reservoir or ocean. By analyzing the various applications of this expression, we can gain an appreciation of the Sumerian conception of a basic animal behavior and the process of abstracting animal behavior in order to describe inanimate natural phenomena. 46)
Matthew Rutz, University of Pennsylvania The
earliest archaeological investigations in Mesopotamia unearthed sizeable collections
of cuneiform tablets, and little time elapsed before these collections from Nineveh
and Nippur were deemed "libraries." By the mid-twentieth century the category
"archive" came into currency in the study of cuneiform sources, as did the general
appreciation that the archival approach required detailed information about archaeological
context. Contextualized domestic archives subsequently served as the basis for
reconstructing social organization as sites such as Nuzi and Nippur.
A11) Archaeology and the Public I Ann Killebrew, Pennsylvania State University, Presiding 47)
Moti Haiman, Israel Antiquities Authority
This presentation is part of a project supported by funds provided by the International
Arid Lands Consortium (ILAC) and Bar Ilan University. 48)
Adi Kafri, Hebrew Union College, David Ilan, Hebrew Union College, and Yuval Gadot,
Hebrew Union College In the past year the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology has been involved in a community-based archaeology project in the city of Modi'in. The project is managed by both archaeologists and the representatives of the community: schoolteachers, students, municipality functionaries, the local Society for the Preservation of Nature and others. This partnership raises a series of questions. Who creates the narrative? Is it the archaeologist equipped with professional methods and knowledge, or the various community members, each with their own agenda? Can there be more than one story for the site? Our lecture will present the case of Horvat Sher, a site with no written history. 49)
Danielle Steen, Stanford University, Benjamin Porter, University of Pennsylvania,
and Bruce Routledge, University of Liverpool Archaeologists have rarely sought productive means to incorporate Middle Eastern publics in site interpretation and presentation. Yet the local communities that live alongside ancient settlements are often primary stakeholders in the site's management and must be included at every stage of research, from excavation to interpretation to development. Realizing this, the authors initiated an experimental community-based archaeological project at Dhiban, Jordan during the summer of 2004. To prepare for this encounter, one author (Porter) spent previous seasons meeting informally with area residents to document the local meanings attached to the site, and, more broadly, local notions of heritage (turath) and history (tareekh). This understanding of the site's meaning in the community greatly informed the authors' research goals. During the 2004 field season, the authors took several steps to collaborate with the community to plan Dhiban's development for domestic and international tourism. These collaborative encounters occurred in private and town hall meetings, during tours of the site, in hands-on school presentations, and private interviews with community members. In this paper, the authors share their successes and failures in their attempts to incorporate local communities in archaeological research design. 50)
Robert Sauders, American University
Archaeological research in Palestine has been the domain
of Palestinian archaeologists and governmental administrators only since the signing
of Oslo II in 1995. With the advent of Palestinian archaeological and heritage
administration, Palestinian communities, both public and professional, have been
able to independently collect, interpret and present Palestinian heritage both
within Palestine and throughout the world. This process has resulted in an essentially
political negotiation between local communities, governmental agencies and non-governmental
organization concerning the processes and priorities of heritage management in
Palestine. While there is general agreement among the various stakeholders concerning
the importance of heritage management, there are differences of opinion regarding
the process of implementation. 51)
Zvi Gal, Israel Antiquities Authority
The intensive development in Israel poses a high risk
on its cultural heritage, and doubts the future of hundreds of sites which are
not designated as national parks. Karmiel is a test case where a given area is
under massive development with the participation of many interests. This is a
rocky area which had been exploited in the 1930's as quarries that heavily damaged
its landscape. The 1984 survey detected a unique cluster of Byzantine Christian
sites which were protected by the Town Plan, but with no integrated approach as
for their future. H. Bata was excavated, but not preserved while H. Qab was excavated
and integrated into a local park. Other sites were discussed only when they were
risked a few were excavated and were rescued. Ironically, the old quarries were
developed as a municipal park, giving a preference to preserving the damage they
caused. A12) Artifacts: The Inside Story Theme: Metals and Metallurgy Elizabeth Friedman, Illinois Institute of Technology, Presiding 52)
Jonathan Golden, Drew University This
paper addresses a range of methodological issues concerning the integration of
scientific data with theoretical models designed for the study of prehistoric
technology and craft production. As a case study, we will examine the early copper
industry of the northern Negev desert, Israel, during the Chalcolithic period
(ca. 4500-3500 BCE). Using a database from Abu Matar, a village site well known
for early copper production, along with material from several nearby sites, we
will test some of these models. For this particular case study, we will develop
a model for specialized craft production adapted specifically for use with a metallurgical
assemblage that includes ore, crucibles, furnaces, slag and both "raw" and "finished"
copper. 53)
Steven A. Rosen, Ben-Gurion University and Irina Segal, Geological Survey of Israel
Metallurgical analysis and contextual study of the seven copper objects recovered from the Camel Site, an Early Bronze I-II Age pastoral nomadic encampment in the Negev Highlands, indicate a complexity to the metal trade in this period beyond the usual assumptions concerning directed trade and mining colonies. Composition analyses demonstrate trade in and use of at least two types of copper, arsenical copper and pure copper, and the likelihood of at least two different ore sources, one providing copper sulfides and the second, arsenical copper. The presence of copper prills and finished tools (two copper awls), as well as three undefinable copper lumps, suggests that the inhabitants of the site engaged in the trade of copper objects, as well as using them, and were also probably involved in production. The nature of the Camel site as a small pastoral nomadic seasonal camp suggests that at least part of the early copper trade was attached to the nomadic system in the desert periphery of the Levantine urban heartland. 54)
David Peterson, University of Chicago, and Peter Northover, Oxford University Recent Dagestan-American field research of sites in southern Dagestan have investigated Early Bronze Age components (late 4th early 3rd millennium BC) associated with the Kuro-Araxes horizon (aka Early Transcaucasian culture, Red-Black Burnished and Khirbet-Kherak Ware). These sites contain significant evidence for the production and use of copper and bronze metalwork during this period. A previous analysis of an assemblage of some 1500 metal artifacts from Tomb 1 at Velikent found tin bronze in 15 objects, out of a tested sample consisting of 195 metal objects. The results of that study suggest that the tin bronze was made by mixing imported tin or recycled bronze with locally produced copper. The tin in this metalwork has been subsequently linked, through isotopic analysis, to the Early Bronze Age tin trade in Southwest Asia. Thus, the Northeastern Caucasus is implicated in an interregional network of metal production and exchange that encompassed a large part of the Near East. However, this does not indicate the direct transfer of technological practices from political centers to the south. The evidence instead suggests that, in the Northeastern Caucasus during the Early Bronze Age, tin was incorporated into a set of technological practices and a value system that involved the selective use of copper, silver, and bronze in metalworking, mortuary ceremony, and bodily adornment. The identification of metalworking techniques by metallographic analysis is also discussed as an important resource for the investigation of the technology and value of metal artifacts. 55)
Deborah Schorsch, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Elizabeth Hendrix, MIT Late Bronze Age Cyprus witnessed a dramatic increase in its bronze production, and a new dedication of the material in the service of cult and conspicuous display. Yet, despite the increased importance of bronze, and the introduction of a range of sophisticated manufacturing techniques, the execution of the work can be judged as relatively crude. This opinion, while contrary to most scholarly assessments of Cypriot artisanship, is based on new evidence provided by X-ray radiography and other analytical methods applied to the study of Late Bronze Age tripods, four-sided stands, and amphorae fittings. These ambitious bronzes were cast using the lost-wax technique. Due in part to the poor quality of the castings and an apparent indifference to surface refinement, the processes involved in the preparation of the wax model and the execution of repairs after casting are readily observed. The incongruous combination of ambition and innovation with technical mediocrity and scant attention to detail, typifies these luxury goods, and is of particular interest when they are considered in relation to contemporary works from the Aegean. 56)
H. Alexander Veldhuijzen, University College London, and Thilo Rehren, University
College London
Use of iron in the Middle East is first attested by sporadic occurrence of iron
artefacts during the Bronze Age. Most of these are prestige items, likely made
from meteoritic iron. By the end of the LBA, however, iron use increases to such
a level that one can assume regular production of iron metal from terrestrial
ores by smelting. Unfortunately, very few iron metallurgical workshops or installations
have been published so far that date before the Classical period. Of these, very
few if any have clear evidence for iron smelting.
A13) Archaeology of Israel: New Developments Theme: Large-scale excavations in Israel Gideon Avni, Israel Antiquities Authority, Presiding 57)
Ronni Reich, University of Haifa and Eli Shukrun, Israel Antiquities Authority no abstract received 58)
Martin Peilstoecker, Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient
Jaffa is one of the important harbor-sites of the Mediterranean coast of Israel.
The site was settled already in the Early Bronze Age and served during various
periods as harbor for Jerusalem and "entrance gate" to the Holy Land. 59)
Raz Kletter, Israel Antiquities Authority Yavneh,
20 km south of Tel-Aviv, has a rich history. It was a city between Judah and Philistia
conquered by King Uziah. Later, it was a Hellenistic city. Pompeius made Yavneh
independent and Augustus gave it to Herod. After 70 AD, it became the seat of
the Sanhedrin- a birthplace for rabbinical Judaism. In the Byzantine period it
was home for Samaritans, Jews and Christians. Ya'qubi and Al-Maqdisi mentioned
it. Fulco, King of Jerusalem, built there a castle; Saladin occupied it, and Richard
the Lion Heart allegedly spent a night there. Baybars I built a magnificent building
at Yavneh and in Ottoman times it was a village related to Gaza. 60) Gerald Finkielsztein,
Israel Antiquities Authority The knowledge of the Hellenistic period in the Southern Levant benefited greatly from excavations in Israel during the past quarter of a century. The main question remains the degree of "Hellenization", in all respects, of the unique mosaic of ethnies : Nabateans, Idumeans, Judeans, Samaritans, Itureans and Phoenicians. Fortifications of cities are primarily Graeco-Macedonian in technology (Dor, Maresha, Akko-Ptolemais). Both domestic and funerary architectures appear a mixture of local and Greek cultures. Local pottery productions allow differentiating the material cultures of most geo-ethnical components (mainly the Phoenician/Tyrian and Jewish ones). Imports of Greek and Italian amphorae show full integration of the Levant in all trends of the Mediterranean trade, as well as historical changes (e.g. the coming of Rome). The lack of civic (stone) epigraphy is confirmed. However, local small inscribed finds (coins, seals, amphora stamps and weights) increase our understanding of the history of events as well as the administration of the Levant, especially in the 2nd c. BC. They complete the evidence of (mainly Jewish) litterature on the relation with the central Syrian power (specially Antiochus IV): re-foundations of cities (Nysa-Scythopolis, various "Antiochias"), monetary (quasi-autonomous mints) and metrological (harmonization with the Syrian system) reforms, and the appearance of the "agoranomos" as a key magistrate. The conquests of the Hasmoneans (John I Hyrcanus), as well as their civilization (palaces) as a forerunner of the Herodian one are well evidenced. However, the physical organization and nature (actual "polis" in each case?) of towns need more explorations to be fully understood. 61)
Gabi Mazor, Israel Antiquities Authority abstract not received. A14) Recent Investigations at Tell Atchana (Alalakh), Tell Ta'yinat and Related Studies in the Amuq K. Aslihan Yener, University of Chicago, Presiding 62)
K. Aslihan Yener, University of Chicago and David Schloen, University of Chicago As part of the Oriental Institute Amuq Valley Regional Projects, the renewed series of excavations at Tell Atchana, ancient Alalakh, took place in the fall of 2003. Ten 10 x 10 squares were placed in three regions (Areas 1-3) of this 22 hectare site unexcavated by Leonard Woolley. Area 1 is located adjacent to the Level II/III building called the Hittite style "Military Fortress" and is intended to be a deep sounding. Area 2 coincided with the "private houses." These broad horizontal exposures represent the city just before a regional collapse that put an end to both the Hittite empire, Late Bronze Age palace economies, and the city of Alalakh. A multi-chambered pottery kiln was found suggesting the use of this area as a craft sector. Several epigraphic documents were discovered which included two tablet fragments, one of which is a lexical text enumerating birds, and the other a Hittite hieroglyphic sealing. Area 3 was a step trench situated along the eastern slope and did not yield an anticipated LBA fortification wall but instead a MB/LB casemate wall emerged in the lower squares. An industrial production complex was found with an in situ horseshoe hearth along the slope and a hitherto undiscovered necropolis was discovered in this area. One burial stood out as special: a plastered tomb (03-3017) with multiple interments and special grave goods including gold, carnelian, amber and faience jewelry as well as 24 vessels, some of which were red burnished spindle bottles, and Cypriot base ring wares. 63)
David Schloen, University of Chicago One of the major areas of investigation in the renewed excavation of Alalakh is the "private house" district in the northeastern part of the tell near the city wall. The original excavator, Leonard Woolley, exposed several phases of domestic architecture dating to the Late Bronze Age. Our excavations are exposing an additional area of several hundred square meters just south of Woolley's trenches. Using modern methods of stratigraphic excavation and of ceramic, faunal, and botanical analysis, we are elucidating the architectural plan and socioeconomic functioning of several houses within this domestic neighborhood. 64)
Amir Sumaka'i-Fink, Tel Aviv University
Sir Leonard Woolley's dating of levels III-0 at Tell Atchana (Alalakh) is based
on 1) local stratigraphy, 2) the presence of wares (mostly imported) or the lack
thereof in each of the levels, 3) inscribed material found in each level, 4) typology
of buildings and building methods, 5) burial practices, and 6) the supposition
that each level was either built or destroyed following a global political event
(Woolley, 1955). 65)
Timothy Harrison, University of Toronto Textual sources depict the political landscape of the Amuq region as dynamic and in transition during much of the Iron Age, with the Aramaeans emerging, and then eclipsing an older Luwian/Neo-Hittite presence as the dominant political force by the late ninth century, before succumbing in turn to Neo-Assyrian imperial expansion in the latter part of the eighth century. In contrast to this picture of political volatility, a number of recent studies, drawing largely on archaeological evidence, have proposed a gradual process of consolidation, marked by the emergence of regionalized settlement networks, and the foundation of regal, urban centers which politically dominated their surrounding hinterlands. This paper will review the textual and archaeological evidence for Tell Ta'yinat, the dominant Iron Age settlement on the plain, and believed to have been Kunulua, capital of the Kingdom of Patina/Unqi. Particular attention will be devoted to the results of recent geophysical investigations on the upper and lower mounds at the site. 66)
Asa Eger, University of Chicago The formation and settlement of the Early Islamic frontier (al-thughûr) with Byzantium has not been properly understood through archaeological methods. Inseparable from this issue is the problem of discerning chronology between the ceramics of the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. The University of Chicago recent survey of the Amuq Valley (Plain of Antioch), a lowland plain located initially on the front frontier line in the 7th century and part of the second line of defense in the 8th 10th centuries revealed over 300 sites dating to this period of transition in both lowlands and uplands. The survey combined with ceramic analysis of these sites using stratified Islamic assemblages from other excavations of the region disclosed distinct patterns of Early Islamic settlement. Rural sites are established on the marshy plain in key locations either along canal systems or on tells within the lake/marsh itself. The settlement in marshlands implies an implementation of an adaptive strategy in familiar environments by relocated Arab (Southern Iraq) tribesmen. This is supported by textual and ethnographic evidence. Urban sites continuing from pre-existing Byzantine towns are located along strategic passes and routes and form a periphery around the plain. A preliminary picture of the frontier region indicates the founding of new Early Islamic settlement in key administrative point in the marshy lowlands while Christian settlement continues in the uplands. A15, Archaeology and the Public II Theme: Jerusalem Past and Present Ann Killebrew, Pennsylvania State University, Presiding 67)
Gideon Avni, Israel Antiquities Authority The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has been the major Christian religious landmark in Jerusalem since the construction of the first church in the fourth century CE. As one of the most important pilgrim destinations in the Holy Land, the church was described and analyzed by numerous visitors and researches through the ages. Since the 19th century, most archaeological work was conducted by various scholars who were affiliated to one of the major Christian communities. During the course of a comprehensive documentation and rescue excavations project conducted in the last decade at the church and its surroundings, issues related to the sensitive connections between archaeologists and the Christian communities living at the church were raised. The archaeological, architectural and historical interpretation of finds became sometimes a major issue, both for the collective memory of the community, and for legal claims of land ownership and possession rights. Archaeologists working at the Holy Sepulcher compound, as in other sensitive religious sites in Jerusalem, became mediators between the ancient monument and the living community. 68)
Orit Peleg, Hebrew University, and Ehud Netzer, Hebrew University
The Double Gate, also known as the western "Huldah Gate," one of the two southern
entrances to the Temple Mount, was originally built as part of King Herod's project
of rebuilding the Temple compound. The gate's two doorways lead into two underground
passageways, the southern part of which is roofed by four shallow domes, decorated
with carvings of rich designs. 69)
Mahmoud Hawari, Oxford University
The great medieval Citadel of Jerusalem is one of the major monuments land marks
in the Old City. Most research devoted to the Citadel is concerned principally
with its ancient biblical history, while its medieval and Islamic history is still
largely unexplored. As it stands today, the Citadel is monument to Islamic military
art and architecture. It was reconstructed in the early fourteenth century, nevertheless
it incorporates earlier components such as Hellenistic, Herodian/ Roman, Early
Islamic, Crusader, Ayyubid, and later Ottoman additions. 70)
Eric Cline, George Washington University Jerusalem, whose name may mean the 'City of Peace,' has been anything but peaceful during the past four millennia. A new study by the present author indicates that there have been at least 118 separate conflicts in and for this city since 2000 BCE - conflicts which ranged from local religious struggles to strategic military campaigns and which embraced everything in between. Jerusalem has been destroyed completely at least twice, besieged 23 times, attacked an additional 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, been the scene of 20 revolts and innumerable riots, had at least five separate periods of violent terrorist attacks during the past century, and has only changed hands completely peacefully twice in the past 4,000 years. Many of these conflicts left evidence in the archaeological record and recent discoveries have shed new light on many of these successive struggles, including those involving Egyptians, Canaanites, Israelites, Jebusites, Neo-Assyrians, Neo-Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Moslems, and Crusaders. This diachronic monolocal study of 4,000 years of conflict in a single city also illustrates how archaeology, politics, and nationalism are frequently linked in the troubled environment of the Middle East today, especially when ancient conflicts and their archaeology are used as propaganda by modern military and political leaders in the region. A16) The World of Women: Gender and Archaeology Beth Alpert Nakhai, University of Arizona, Presiding 71)
Jonathan Mabry, Desert Archaeology, Inc. For generations, some archaeologists have interpreted the female figurines commonly found at Near Eastern Neolithic sites as fertility fetishes or representations of "mother goddesses" (or even the same "Mother Goddess"). An alternate interpretation is that they reflect another aspect of the ancestor veneration attested by special treatments of skulls and other archaeological evidence. Based on ethnographic patterns, it is argued that, in general, Neolithic human figurines were depictions of recently deceased members of each household. These recent ancestors were treated as elders with continuing roles, and their presence symbolized the continuities of lineages and legitimized claims to heritable properties. Most human figurines depicted females because women usually conducted household ancestor rituals, and because male ancestors were honored in other ways in public rituals. 72)
Beth Alpert Nakhai, University of Arizona
One of the most pressing topics in Late Bronze Age studies is that of the relationship
between Canaan and Egypt. Written and artifactual information is used to build
cases that support theories of heavy-handed Egyptian domination or of more benign
Egyptian control over Canaan. Scholars rely most heavily on studies of the Amarna
Archive, trade in pottery and precious objects, and monumental architecture in
Canaan. While the sharing of gods and of religious imagery between Canaanites
and Egyptians is widely acknowledged, few speculate on the meeting of that exchange. 73)
Channa Cohen Stuart, Leiden University
In many works about the social life of the Israelites, the bible is used as a
guideline on how family life was organized. In my opinion the 'bible scholars'
have been very male opinionated. Part of the picture painted by these scholars
seems to be influenced by Sunday School and children bible pictures. Because of
this, the role of women has been marginalized in many cases. 74) Marica Cassis,
University of Toronto The study of women in antiquity includes much work on the status of women in both the Classical period and in the later Medieval period. However, less work has been done on women in the Late Antique and Early Byzantine Near East. Nevertheless, the archaeological record increasingly provides us with evidence for both the lives and status of women in this period. This material is extremely important, since the few primary texts written about and by women are generally overshadowed by contemporary male writers, leaving us with a very masculine perspective of this period. Yet, an increasing variety of material indicates that women did play an active role in both the Christian and Jewish communities, whether as donors, participants, or holy figures. This paper will examine archaeological evidence which illustrates the role and status of women within their respective religious communities and society as a whole. 75)
Uzi Dahari, Israel Antiquities Authority
The beginnings of Christian monasticism and its development in the 4th - 8th centuries
is a male phenomenon. Most of our knowledge deals with desert fathers, monks and
monasteries. We have only limited evidence of nuns and nunneries in the early
Byzantine period. I shall present historical evidence on nuns and nunneries, and
describe feminine monasticism using historical sources and conclusions from the
Israel Antiquities Authority excavations at Hurvat Hani, in the lower hills of
Samaria, the first nunnery excavated in the Holy Land. A17) Ancient Inscriptions: Recent Discoveries, New Editions, and New Readings Christopher A. Rollston, Emmanuel School of Religion, Presiding 76)
Aaron Demsky, Bar-Ilan University
Ben Arieh published an ostracon excavated in Tel 'Ira', while relatively small
size, is considered part of the 7th centuries BCE. Most scholars interpret its
opening work mpqd as "census". A list of four names follow: Berekhyahu,
Gibeakh, Moqir and Shelemyahu. Y. Garfunkel has suggested the alternate meaning
of "a command". Writing lists of names was part of the training of young scribes
for their administrative duties (cf. Judg. 8:14), one of which was taking a census.
There is epigraphic evidence for such a practice during the Iron Age. 77)
P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., Johns Hopkins University and Bruce Zuckerman, University
of Southern California During the summer of 1997, the (Phoenician) Honeyman Inscription was recollated and rephotographed. This presentation will analyze some of the new data (including new readings). 78)
Ryan Byrne, Rhodes College This paper will explore the social and intellectual factors that facilitated the transition between scribalism of the Amarna period and that of the Iron Age II. What, if anything, can we say about scribal education during this period? What was the place of scribalism in the highly decentralized political economy of the Iron Age I? We will discuss some possible pedagogical templates that belie the claims of some critics who belittle the value of paleographic dating. 79)
Walter E. Aufrecht, University of Lethbridge Notes on aspects of producing a revision of A Corpus of Ammonite Inscriptions and a new Corpus of Phoenician Inscriptions, including: to corp or not to corp; searching for inscriptions and other games at museums; photos and wanting to shoot yourself; including the whole kitchen, never mind the sink; and coping with tedium, another word for bibliography. 80)
Christopher A. Rollston, Emmanuel School of Religion During recent years, Rollston has been in the process of collecting data (e.g., personal collations, new photos, copies of the best original negatives) of various Old Hebrew Inscriptions (from Iron II). Two major results of this research will be new editions of the Reisner Samaria Ostraca and the Gibeon Inscribed Jar Handles. This presentation will discuss the progress of this research (including specific details about the content of the new editions), as well as the projected completion dates for the new editions of these two corpora.
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