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Editorial: New Editors
for Near Eastern Archaeology
Brian Hesse and Paula Wapnish must
be at least subconsciously familiar to anyone who has scrutinized
the 1980s version of the Albright Institute of Archaeological
Research informational brochure. The pamphlet featured a photograph
of the famous library reading room, and there sat Brian and
Paula, ageless and studious for a decade. I began my acquaintance
with them at about the time the photograph was taken, 1978
or '79, and since then, I have become a great admirer of their
palaeosteological research. It is characteristically meticulous,
methodologically reflective, and, above all, authoritative.
I am thrilled that they will bring these same qualities to
their role as editors of NEA. Their convictions about the
requisite scope of NEA as well as their anthropological orientation
will lead the magazine in the right direction. And they have
even published in the journal! Their article about the famous
dog burials at Ashkelon was one of the first I published as
editor (56:2) and one of which I remain quite proud. Brian
and Paula's sub-title&emdash;Plain Pariahs or Pampered Pooches
manifests something of their flair for communication (see
illustration below). Their appointment begins with the first
issue of volume 62(1999).
Paula Wapnish received her Ph. D. in
Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures from Columbia University.
She has written extensively on faunal remains and pastoral
production from all parts of the Near East. She has worked
as Research Collaborator and Research Associate at the Smithsonian
Institute, and was coinvestigator for the Philistine Pastoral
Production Project, a National Science Foundation project.
Currently, she is a Lecturer in the Department of History
and a Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology
at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. She also serves
as Research Associate at the Harvard Semitic Museum. Her excavation
experience includes one season as square supervisor at Tepe
Ganj Dareh, Iran, and she has served as zoo-archaeologist
at Tel Jemmeh, Qazrin/Kanaf, Tel Batash, Ashkelon, and Megiddo
in Israel. She has received numerous grants to support her
work.
Brian Hesse received his Ph. D. in
Anthropology from Columbia University. He has worked as an
Anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of Natural
History, and since 1979 has held the position of Professor
in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alabama,
Birmingham. He directed the excavations at Ganj Dareh, in
Iran and has served as zoo-archaeologist at Ganj Dareh, Iran,
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, and at Tel Miqne/Ekron and Ashkelon
in Israel. Recipient of numerous awards, including a Fulbright
Fellowship, Hesse has written extensively on faunal remains,
recently leading the way toward the use of bone data in relation
to archaeological correlates of ethnicity, especially visa-vis
pig consumption among Judaites and Philistines in the Iron
Age southern Levant.
Together, Brian and Paula have authored
the foundational textbook Animal Bone Archaeology. Together,
they are also responsible for a daughter, Arielle, already
a field veteran with a leg up in bone identification.
I extend my heartiest welcome and most
sincere good wishes to their editorship!
David Hopkins
From BA to
NEA: The Editor's Thanksgiving
David C. Hopkins
I relinquish the role of editor of this venerable journal
with a modicum of ambivalence, but a magnum of relief and
thanksgiving. Nine years is a long time to be associated with
a project as all-consuming as NEA. I anticipated little of
the daily preoccupahon, bibliographic drudgery, or deadline
pressure when I first began work with then Biblical Archaeologist
as Associate Editor during the last three years (1990-92)
of Eric Meyers' distinguished decade at the magazine's helm.
At that time, BA was a paste-up operation with a full-time
production manager. When I succeeded Meyers, the magazine
moved from Durham to Washington, and economics dictated the
end of the production manager's positron. I assumed those
duties and converted the magazine to electronic production.
The new art director, Lyle Rosbotham, reworked the style and
format to give the magazine greater coherence. I grew quickly
to appreciate Lyle's creative talents and dedication to detail.
Meanwhile, I also learned quickly what a morass of details
production management required: from the editorial evaluation
process, including peer review for every manuscript, to the
size of the press run.
During my tenure, I have worked to expand the appeal of BA/NEA
through the persons associated with its edidng. When Arti-Facts
revived, I invited Bruce and Carolyn Routledge, then connected
with the University of Toronto, to serve as its editors. For
the column "Caught in the Net," I solicited Aegean archaeologist
John Younger to write on electronic opportunities in archaeology.
A french-speaking archaeologist specializing in Syria, Michel
Fortin diversified the book review section, and Eric Cline,
another Aegean specialist has succeeded the Routledges as
Arti-Facts editor. Likewise, a broad spectrum of scholars
composes the Editorial Committee. I owe a great debt of gratitude
to all these colleagues, not least to John and Michel for
their exemplary efforts.
The same intention was more elusive for the contents of the
magazine. I am pleased, however, to have edited issues with
arhcles focusing on ancient Anatolia, Lebanon, Cameroon, and
even the Olmec of Mexico. Often scholars outside of BA's traditional
temporal and chronological framework showed a redcence to
publish in the journal, because many of their archaeology
and antiquities department colleagues mis-interpreted the
name Biblical Archaeologist. This realization helped convince
me that the long-tenured and beloved name had ceased to communicate
effectively the journal's content and mission. Talk of a title
change was at least as old as my earliest association with
Biblical Archaeologist. But how to go about it?
I remain satisfied with the process I designed through which
ASOR was able assess the viability of the htle and choose
a new one. The process began in 1996 with "balloting" among
current subscribers. The vast majority of BA's subscribers
who responded "voted" to keep the name, but librarians (who
would have to reshuffle their periodicals sechons!) conshtuted
the greatest percentage of these voters. Most respondents
liked the name BA, but were more concerned with content. In
any case, other data outweighed the reader survey. For example,
a very high percentage of subscribers to Biblical Archaeology
Revirw responded positively to a direct-mail offer of a free
trial issue. Yet almost no one then subscribed. Clearly, the
name had suggested a kind of magazine that Biblical Archaeologist
was not.
One option would have been to give these readers the magazine
that the name denoted, but the years had taken most of the
biblical out of the archaeological research carried out by
ASOR scholars as well as the self-identity of the organization.
It is difficult to publish articles that are not written.
Be that as it may, we conducted the debate openly, published
the information gathered, and detailed the rationale for change.
A new title graced the masthead with volume 61:1 (1998). As
responses to subsequent subscription drives indicate, Near
Eastern Archaeology has begun to penetrate new arenas and
more adequately fulfill its purpose of broadly communicating
the fruits of the research of ASOR archaeologists.
In many ways, my editorship has served as a period of transition.
The paste-up process gave way to desk-top publication, the
informal board and editorial appointments of the past were
replaced by term limitations, and ASOR's Publications Office
has begun to take a more active role in the production of
the journal. Succeeding editors will not be saddled with the
necessity of locating a new art director, printer, and mailer.
As much fun as learning the ins and out of sheet-feed presses
was, such necessities often overburdened an editor trained
to negotiate texts and tells, but not printing contracts!
Thanksgiving
Fortunately, I had the help of a number of talented and magnanimous
colleagues and a generous institution. First and foremost,
I offer my thanks to Wesley Theological Seminary who provided
NEA with many thousands of dollars of phone, photocopy, and
mailing services. The Seminary's gains were hardly tangible,
apart from an occasionally crabby, deadline-weary faculty
member. Within the institution, I am delighted to be able
to thank the reliable folks in the business office, especially
Jean Wright, who wrote the checks, Bill Walker, and Judy Stanfield.
Under the guidance of Allen Mueller, the library catered to
my needs, especially Howertine Duncan whom I kept busy with
inter-library loan requests and bibliographic quandaries.
Raymond Washington runs the friendliest and most dependable
mail room and copy center anywhere. No more rushing to catch
the UPS truck with the next-day mail.
At Scholars Press, Pat Johnston has been a dependable, affable,
and professional manager of NEA's subscriber lists. Pat repeatedly
accommodated requests with the utmost of grace. Leigh Anderson
has put up with me in a most pleasant manner as well. We worked
out a system: she solicits advertisements, and I forget to
publish them (only happened once... really!).
Within ASOR, I have been keenly aware of the support of the
two ASOR Publicahons Committee chairs, Tom Schaub and A1 Leonard.
I would like to acknowledge as well the support and counsel
of Billie Jean Collins, ASOR's Director of Publications. Billie
has been unfailing in her efforts to assist with NEA and its
various projects.
Above all, I am obliged to recognize the foundational efforts
of Jim Flanagan. Along with Holden Gibbs, sorely missed ASOR
treasurer, Jim's tenure as Vice President of Publications
launched publications as a self-standing component within
ASOR and established a secure basis for its future. Jim also
raised the price of then BA a substantial amount (to
cover the costs of production!), giving me fewer subscribers.
Thanks, Jim!
NEA's current Art Director deserves no end of praise. Bucky
Edgett has been a super colleague. Creative, but rational,
Bucky has been a problem solver, has communicated forthrightly,
and has adhered to a work schedule far better than his editorial
partner. And he knows his business: what can be done, what
can't be reasonably done, what'll cost an arm and leg, and
what can be thrown in gratis. It has been a privilege working
with you for four years, Bucky.
Several fine people have filled the role of editorial assistant
over the years, formatting and otherwise wrenching manuscripts
into publishable condihon. Tlm Adamson helped me get up and
running. Lately, Lynn Swartz has been generous with her time
and writing talents. She knows what to do with the passive
voice! Mary Boyd has chopped through more than her share of
awkward syntax and incomplete bibliographies. Mary's not so
bad in the field, either, having put in three seasons at Tall
al-Umayri and received her crown as "Queen of Figurines."
My heartfelt gratitude goes to you all.
I save my last lines of thanksgiving for Ellen Rowse Spero
who for four years has "organized" the NEA office, persistently
called my attention to those tasks about which I had procrastinated
long enough, and otherwise taken care of the correspondence,
the tedious formatting of manuscripts, the office budget,
and every other aspect of the daily operations that I requested.
Her name should be higher on the credits than mine. Ellen
worked tirelessly and demanded little compensation. My enduring
gratitude is hers. Thank you, El.
That's insufficient thanksgiving for nearly a decade of involvement
with BA/NEA; I've left out my family who put up with my out-of-kilter
work schedule and my preoccupation. Denise, Brian, and Ariel
are probably more relieved than I about the end of my editorship.
I am, after all, losing a good excuse for my absence at that
faculty committee meeting tomorrow. I'll have to find something
else to do, like reassemble some pots.
Update on Storejar:
I reported in one editorial that I had finally completed
work on the reconstruction of a sixth-century BCE storejar.
Well, I dropped it. While adding some plaster gauze to insure
its stability, I dropped it. It shattered. I think I'll take
up lithics.
The Neolithic
Period: Triumphs of Architecture, Agriculture and Art
E. B. Banning
The impressive list of the achievements of the Neolithic
of the southern Levant encompasses village life, crop domestication,
ceramic technology, and life-like plaster sculpture. Together,
these "revolutions" (V. Gordon Childe) make the period one
of the most attractive and compelling objects of archaeological
inquiry. Moreover, the study of the Neolithic takes place
at the busy intellectual crossroads of biblical archaeologists,
prehistorians, biologists, and even climatologists. While
the conversation between all these disciplines seems sometimes
out of reach-for example, prehistorians often have a distaste
for pottery, while biblical archaeologists typically care
little for lithics-recent researchers have begun to create
a wholistic portrait of this fascinahng period which contributed
so much to the future of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Ted Banning
defty reviews the complexities of chronological terminology,
surveys the critical Neolithic sites-including Jericho, Sha'ar
ha-Golan, Wadi Rabah, Munhata, Beidha, end 'Ain Ghazal-and
portrays the latest findings of paleoenvironmental studies.
Banning then offers synopses of Neolithic technology, economy,
settlement pattern, social organization, and ideology and
caps off his review with a discussion of controversies and
research directions. A thread of awe for the inspiring triumphs
of the Neolithic peoples of Palestine runs through Banning's
succinct characterizations of lithics pyrotechnology, architecture,
and burial practices.
The History of Paleoethnobotany
in the Near East
Peter Warnock
Pioneered by such familiar names as Helbaek and van Ziest,
paleaethnobotany in the Near East has come far since its early
days. The enhanced recovery of botanical remains through flotation
has replaced serendipitious finds as a regular source of data.
Analysis has reached beyond seeds and fragments of wood to
embrace the examination of microscopic pollen grains and silica
skeletal fragments (phytoliths). Although initially narrow
in focus and fractured in traditions, the field is coalescing
into a broad-minded, unified extension of archaeology. There
are problems, typical of all growing and expanding sciences,
but the future looks promising, with no indication that the
relatively few Near Eastern paleoethnobotanists will be running
out of work any time soon.
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