FOA Webinar: Kara Cooney on September 15

FRIENDS OF ASOR WEBINARS

The Good Kings: The Modern Obsession with Ancient Egyptian Kingship


2 signed copies of this book and Sarah Parcak’s book, The Archaeology from Space, will be given away during the webinar!

Friends of ASOR present the next webinar in our monthly series on September 15, 2022, at 6:00 pm EDT, featuring Prof. Kara Cooney and moderated by Prof. Sarah Parcak. In an era when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, Egyptologist and best-selling author Kara Cooney examines our modern obsession with ancient Egyptian kingship and especially figures like Tutankhamun, the perennial star of international blockbuster exhibitions. She seeks to understand why the many so often give up power to the few, and what this can mean for our future. This lecture will reveal how the pharaohs and their process of divine kingship can tell us much about the world’s politics, past and present. Every animal-headed god, every monumental temple, every pyramid, every tomb, offers extraordinary insight into a culture that combined deeply held religious beliefs with uniquely human schemes to justify a system in which one ruled over many.

Join Dr. Cooney as she delves into the stories behind some of the most powerful men in all of ancient history, including Tutankhamun, Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa, to uncover the lessons their kingships can teach us today. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A session moderated by Prof. Sarah Parcak (University of Alabama at Birmingham).

Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a professor of Egyptology at UCLA and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. Specializing in social history, gender studies, and economies in the ancient world, she received her Ph.D. in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins University. In 2005, she was co-curator of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Cooney produced a com­parative archaeology television series, entitled Out of Egypt, which aired in 2009 on the Discovery Channel and is available online.

Her popular books include The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt (2014), When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt (2018; winner of ASOR’s Nancy Lapp Popular Book award in 2019), and The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World (2021). Her books, Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Royal Caches from American University in Cairo Press, and Ancient Egyptian Society: Challenging Assumptions, Exploring Approaches from Routledge are forthcoming.

This webinar will be recorded and all paid registrants will be sent a link to view the recording.

ASOR Sustaining Members: $0 | ASOR Members: $6 | Public: $12
Season Pass: ASOR Sustaining Members: $0 | ASOR Members: $75 | Public: $150
Buy one here!

To receive your ASOR member discount, log into the online store. If you are new to ASOR, please click on the “New Visitor Registration” link to register your e-mail address and choose a password for our online store. Once logged in, navigate to “Meeting and Event Registration” to register for the webinar and pay the fee. Each paid registrant will receive a confirmation e-mail when you pay for the webinar. If you do not receive this e-mail, then you are not registered. Please e-mail membership@asor.org with any questions or issues with registering.

You will be e-mailed the Zoom Webinar link in the week prior to the lecture on September 15, 2022. If you do not receive the link by the close of business on the Tuesday before the webinar, please e-mail membership@asor.org immediately. This webinar will be recorded and all paid registrants will be sent a link to view the recording.

All proceeds from this webinar are used to fund scholarships for members as well as increasing ASOR’s online resources, which are free to the public.

READY FOR A WEBINAR SEASON PASS?

Buy a season pass for all the webinars* of the 2022-2023 FOA Webinar Season! 1) You will automatically receive the Zoom link for each webinar so no need to register each time. 2) You will also receive the recording of each webinar automatically after the event.

If you have missed webinars earlier in the season and still want to buy the pass, you will receive the links to the recordings of the webinars you missed in your automatic confirmation email after you buy the pass.

*Special symposiums may be excluded from the season pass price.

No more registering for a year if you buy your pass today!

Pricing:

Members: $75.00
Non-Members: $150.00
ASOR Sustaining Members: $0 (automatic registration for each webinar)
Not a member yet? Click here to join as a member and receive the 50% off a season pass!

 

Log into our online store to purchase the season pass for 2022-2023. If you are new to ASOR and do not have a record in our store yet, click here to register. After you login, navigate to the left to “Meeting and Event Registration.” Please e-mail membership@asor.org if you have any questions or issues.

WHY SPONSOR A WEBINAR?

Several levels of support from $50-$1,000 are available. Proceeds go towards membership scholarships and towards increasing ASOR’s virtual resources. Each sponsorship is tax-deductible and you can give your friends free registrations to a webinar!

Bronze Level ($50): up to 2 guest registrations
Silver Level ($100): up to 5 guest registrations
Gold Level ($500): up to 20 guest registrations
Platinum Level ($1,000): up to 50 guest registrations

After you sign up for a sponsorship online or over the phone, email the names and email addresses of your guests to Felice Herman at membership@asor.org, who will send your guests a confirmation and the Zoom link before the webinar.

WANT TO SAVE $6.00 ON THE NEXT WEBINAR?

Join ASOR as a member! Click here for more details about discounts for events and other benefits of membership. Memberships start at $40 for the year as an Associate Member.

Not ready to join yet? Become a Friend of ASOR for FREE!

Click here for more details about our online resources.

PAST WEBINARS

You can now purchase the link to the recording of any webinar. You can also purchase the bundle packages of all webinars from the 2020-2022 seasons. Please e-mail membership@asor.org for purchase details.

To see a printable pdf of the webinar titles from the 2020-2021 season, please click here. To see a printable pdf of the webinar titles from the 2021-2022 season, please click here.

Pricing:

Members: $6.00 per recording
Non-Members: $12.00 per recording
Bundle of 2020-2021 Webinars: $75.00
Bundle of 2021-2022 Webinars: $75.00
Bundle of 2020-2022 Webinars: $125.00

2021-2022 Season

A World at War: Protecting Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict
Patty Gerstenblith (DePaul University), Lisa Ackerman (Columbus Citizens Foundation), Andrew Cohen (Government Professional and Cultural Heritage Expert) | May 12, 2022

Preserving Cultural Heritage in Hisban and Umm al-Jimal, Jordan
Øystein LaBianca (Andrews University), Elizabeth Osinga (Umm al-Jimal Archaeological Project), Darrell Rohl (Calvin University) | April 24, 2022

Back to the Field: Recent Discoveries & Summer Plans 2022
Lorenzo d’Alfonso (ISAW), Kathryn Grossman (NC State University), James R. Strange (Samford University) | April 3, 2022

Uncovering What is Nubian Beneath the Veneer of Egyptianness: Excavating the Archives
Debora Heard (University of Chicago) | March 20, 2022

Where Are They Now?: A Preview of 2022 ASOR-Affiliated Fieldwork Projects
Michael Given (University of Glasgow), Xenia-Paula Kyriakou (Florida Gulf Coast University), Stephen Batiuk (University of Toronto), Monique Roddy (Walla Walla University), Kent Bramlett (La Sierra University), Friedbert Ninow (La Sierra University), and Michael Hoff (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) | March 8, 2022

Excavations at Tel Gezer: A Personal Story
Sam Wolff (Tel Gezer Laboratory) | February 20, 2022

Tel Rehov: A Major Bronze and Iron Age City in the Jordan Valley
Amihai Mazar (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Nava Panitz-Cohen ( Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Nota Kourou (Athens University), Naama Yahalom-Mack (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Robert Mullins (Azusa Pacific University) | February 10, 2022

The Not-So-Innocents Abroad: The Beginnings of American Biblical Archaeology
Rachel Hallote (Samford University) | January 20, 2022

Synagogues as Jesus Knew Them
James R. Strange (Samford University) | December 2, 2021

Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City
Andrew Lawler | November 4, 2021

Jesus and Jerusalem on TV: How Do Bible Documentaries Get Made?
Robert Cargill (University of Iowa) | October 17, 2021

Digging the Divine?: Judahite Pillar Figurines and the Archaeology of Israelite Religion
Erin Darby (University of Tennessee) | October 7, 2021

David, Solomon, and Rehoboam’s Kingdom—The Archaeological Evidence
Yosef Garfinkel (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) | September 19, 2021

From Standing Stones to Sacred Emptiness: Textual and Visual Portrayals of Israel’s God
Theodore Lewis (Johns Hopkins University) | August 29, 2021

2020-2021 Season

Making May Matter: Webinarathon to Endow Diversity
Multiple Speakers | May 21-23, 2021

Archaeogaming: Why Video Games Deserve Their Own Archaeology
Tine Rassalle (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Shannon Martino (Morton College), Matthew Winter (University of Arizona), Michael Zimmerman (Rhode Island) | April 18, 2021

How the Bible Became a Book
William Schniedewind (UCLA) | March 21, 2021

The Mysteries of Mithras in Caesarea: Exploring the Cult’s Rites and Remains
Jane DeRose Evans (Temple University), Alexandra Ratzlaff (Brandeis University) | March 11, 2021

Archaeology and the Hidden Religious Culture of Israelite Women
Carol Meyers (Duke University) | February 21, 2021

Meet the Directors—Fundraiser to Support ASOR’s Affiliated Overseas Research Centers
Matthew J. Adams (AIAR), Pearce Paul Creasman (ACOR), Lindy Crewe (CAARI) | February 11, 2021

Early Synagogues, Jesus, and Galilee—A Jewish Perspective
Eric Meyers (Duke University) | December 13, 2020

Home Sweet Home: Ancient Israelite Households in Context
Cynthia Shafer-Elliott (William Jessup University) | October 18, 2020

Priestesses in the Days of Solomon and Ahab
Susan Ackerman (Dartmouth College) | September 13, 2020

Digging Deeper: How Archaeology Works
Eric H. Cline (The George Washington University) | August 9, 2020

FOA Webinar: Elizabeth Macaulay on August 28

FRIENDS OF ASOR WEBINARS

Columns as Cultural Capital: The Jordanian Practice of Gifting Archaeological Objects


Jerash – Temple of Artemis جرش – معبد ارتميس

Friends of ASOR present the next webinar in our monthly series on , August 28, 2022, at 6:00 pm EDT, featuring Prof. Elizabeth R. Macaulay and moderated by Prof. Morag Kersel. At the New York 1964/65 World’s Fair, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan sponsored a pavilion. Archaeology and the nation’s cultural patrimony were central to several of the displays in the pavilion and were essential to one of the key aims of the pavilion: promoting American tourism to Jordan. A particular vision of archaeology and antiquity, which connected Jordan to the Greco-Roman and Christian pasts was emphasized. The pavilion also aimed to shape American public opinion about the larger geopolitics of the region through a politicized mural about refugees and water rights in the region. As part of the pavilion, a column from Jerash was presented to the city of New York as a lasting token of friendship between Jordan and the United States. In this lecture, the gift of the column will be contextualized in the larger Jordanian practice of gifting columns and capitals to major American cities or various universities with a history of excavations in Jordan. Gifting of columns and capitals is also compared to the Jordanian gifting of a Dead Sea Scroll jar to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (also connected to the World’s Fair) and the Jordanian practice of selling duplicate “Dead Sea Scroll jars” in the 1950s and 1960s.

This talk will examine the public presentation of Jordan’s ancient cultural heritage at the fair and the effectiveness of columns and capitals as diplomatic gifts. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A session moderated by Prof. Morag Kersel (DePaul University).

Dr. Elizabeth R. Macaulay is an Associate Professor in the Liberal Studies, Middle Eastern and Digital Humanities Programs at the Graduate Center, CUNY, where she also serves as the Executive Officer in M.A. in Liberal Studies. She is a past Trustee of ASOR and a current Trustee of the Archaeological Institute of America and is the Museum Reviews Editor at the American Journal of Archaeology. She is the author or editor of six books, including Bayt Farhi and the Sephardic Palaces of Ottoman Damascus in the Late 18th and 19th Centuries (AASOR/ Manar al-Athar, 2018) and Antiquity in Gotham: The Ancient Architecture of New York City (Fordham, 2021).

If you register, you can now get the link to purchase Dr. Macaulay’s book, Bayt Farhi and the Sephardic Palaces of Ottoman Damascus in the ASOR store. The volume is $25.00 for ASOR Members and $35.00 for the public for those with shipping addresses in the US. Unfortunately, this offer is not available for those outside of the US.

This webinar will be recorded and all paid registrants will be sent a link to view the recording.

ASOR Sustaining Members: $0 | ASOR Members: $6 | Public: $12
Season Pass: ASOR Sustaining Members: $0 | ASOR Members: $75 | Public: $150
Buy one here!

To receive your ASOR member discount, log into the online store. If you are new to ASOR, please click on the “New Visitor Registration” link to register your e-mail address and choose a password for our online store. Once logged in, navigate to “Meeting and Event Registration” to register for the webinar and pay the fee. Each paid registrant will receive a confirmation e-mail when you pay for the webinar. If you do not receive this e-mail, then you are not registered. Please e-mail membership@asor.org with any questions or issues with registering.

You will be e-mailed the Zoom Webinar link in the week prior to the lecture on August 28, 2022. If you do not receive the link by the close of business on the Thursday before the webinar, please e-mail membership@asor.org immediately. This webinar will be recorded and all paid registrants will be sent a link to view the recording.

All proceeds from this lecture are used to fund scholarships for members as well as increasing ASOR’s online resources, which are free to the public.

 

READY FOR A WEBINAR SEASON PASS?

Buy a season pass for all the webinars* of the 2022-2023 FOA Webinar Season! 1) You will automatically receive the Zoom link for each webinar so no need to register each time. 2) You will also receive the recording of each webinar automatically after the event.

If you have missed webinars earlier in the season and still want to buy the pass, you will receive the links to the recordings of the webinars you missed in your automatic confirmation email after you buy the pass.

*Special symposiums may be excluded from the season pass price.

No more registering for a year if you buy your pass today!

Pricing:

Members: $75.00
Non-Members: $150.00
ASOR Sustaining Members: $0 (automatic registration for each webinar)
Not a member yet? Click here to join as a member and receive the 50% off a season pass!

 

Log into our online store to purchase the season pass for 2022-2023. If you are new to ASOR and do not have a record in our store yet, click here to register. After you login, navigate to the left to “Meeting and Event Registration.” Please e-mail membership@asor.org if you have any questions or issues.

 

WHY SPONSOR A WEBINAR?

Several levels of support from $50-$1,000 are available. Proceeds go towards membership scholarships and towards increasing ASOR’s virtual resources. Each sponsorship is tax-deductible and you can give your friends free registrations to a webinar!

Bronze Level ($50): up to 2 guest registrations
Silver Level ($100): up to 5 guest registrations
Gold Level ($500): up to 20 guest registrations
Platinum Level ($1,000): up to 50 guest registrations

After you sign up for a sponsorship online or over the phone, email the names and email addresses of your guests to Felice Herman at membership@asor.org, who will send your guests a confirmation and the Zoom link before the webinar.

WANT TO SAVE $6.00 ON THE NEXT WEBINAR?

Join ASOR as a member! Click here for more details about discounts for events and other benefits of membership. Memberships start at $40 for the year as an Associate Member.

Not ready to join yet? Become a Friend of ASOR for FREE!

Click here for more details about our online resources.

PAST WEBINARS

You can now purchase the link to the recording of any webinar. You can also purchase the bundle packages of all webinars from the 2020-2022 seasons. Please e-mail membership@asor.org for purchase details.

To see a printable pdf of the webinar titles from the 2020-2021 season, please click here. To see a printable pdf of the webinar titles from the 2021-2022 season, please click here.

Pricing:

Members: $6.00 per recording
Non-Members: $12.00 per recording
Bundle of 2020-2021 Webinars: $75.00
Bundle of 2021-2022 Webinars: $75.00
Bundle of 2020-2022 Webinars: $125.00

2021-2022 Season

A World at War: Protecting Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict
Patty Gerstenblith (DePaul University), Lisa Ackerman (Columbus Citizens Foundation), Andrew Cohen (Government Professional and Cultural Heritage Expert) | May 12, 2022

Preserving Cultural Heritage in Hisban and Umm al-Jimal, Jordan
Øystein LaBianca (Andrews University), Elizabeth Osinga (Umm al-Jimal Archaeological Project), Darrell Rohl (Calvin University) | April 24, 2022

Back to the Field: Recent Discoveries & Summer Plans 2022
Lorenzo d’Alfonso (ISAW), Kathryn Grossman (NC State University), James R. Strange (Samford University) | April 3, 2022

Uncovering What is Nubian Beneath the Veneer of Egyptianness: Excavating the Archives
Debora Heard (University of Chicago) | March 20, 2022

Where Are They Now?: A Preview of 2022 ASOR-Affiliated Fieldwork Projects
Michael Given (University of Glasgow), Xenia-Paula Kyriakou (Florida Gulf Coast University), Stephen Batiuk (University of Toronto), Monique Roddy (Walla Walla University), Kent Bramlett (La Sierra University), Friedbert Ninow (La Sierra University), and Michael Hoff (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) | March 8, 2022

Excavations at Tel Gezer: A Personal Story
Sam Wolff (Tel Gezer Laboratory) | February 20, 2022

Tel Rehov: A Major Bronze and Iron Age City in the Jordan Valley
Amihai Mazar (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Nava Panitz-Cohen ( Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Nota Kourou (Athens University), Naama Yahalom-Mack (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Robert Mullins (Azusa Pacific University) | February 10, 2022

The Not-So-Innocents Abroad: The Beginnings of American Biblical Archaeology
Rachel Hallote (Samford University) | January 20, 2022

Synagogues as Jesus Knew Them
James R. Strange (Samford University) | December 2, 2021

Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City
Andrew Lawler | November 4, 2021

Jesus and Jerusalem on TV: How Do Bible Documentaries Get Made?
Robert Cargill (University of Iowa) | October 17, 2021

Digging the Divine?: Judahite Pillar Figurines and the Archaeology of Israelite Religion
Erin Darby (University of Tennessee) | October 7, 2021

David, Solomon, and Rehoboam’s Kingdom—The Archaeological Evidence
Yosef Garfinkel (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) | September 19, 2021

From Standing Stones to Sacred Emptiness: Textual and Visual Portrayals of Israel’s God
Theodore Lewis (Johns Hopkins University) | August 29, 2021

2020-2021 Season

Making May Matter: Webinarathon to Endow Diversity
Multiple Speakers | May 21-23, 2021

Archaeogaming: Why Video Games Deserve Their Own Archaeology
Tine Rassalle (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Shannon Martino (Morton College), Matthew Winter (University of Arizona), Michael Zimmerman (Rhode Island) | April 18, 2021

How the Bible Became a Book
William Schniedewind (UCLA) | March 21, 2021

The Mysteries of Mithras in Caesarea: Exploring the Cult’s Rites and Remains
Jane DeRose Evans (Temple University), Alexandra Ratzlaff (Brandeis University) | March 11, 2021

Archaeology and the Hidden Religious Culture of Israelite Women
Carol Meyers (Duke University) | February 21, 2021

Meet the Directors—Fundraiser to Support ASOR’s Affiliated Overseas Research Centers
Matthew J. Adams (AIAR), Pearce Paul Creasman (ACOR), Lindy Crewe (CAARI) | February 11, 2021

Early Synagogues, Jesus, and Galilee—A Jewish Perspective
Eric Meyers (Duke University) | December 13, 2020

Home Sweet Home: Ancient Israelite Households in Context
Cynthia Shafer-Elliott (William Jessup University) | October 18, 2020

Priestesses in the Days of Solomon and Ahab
Susan Ackerman (Dartmouth College) | September 13, 2020

Digging Deeper: How Archaeology Works
Eric H. Cline (The George Washington University) | August 9, 2020

ASOR CHI Tutorials

UPDATE: Tutorials for Cultural Heritage Survey

Over the past months, ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives (CHI) and its partners have developed a series of tutorials and training modules aimed to help cultural heritage specialists perform surveys and condition assessments through open source tools and software, including QGIS, KoboToolbox, LibreCAD, and MetaShape. These tutorials are now available on the ASOR website in English, French, and Arabic. Work on these resources has been made possible by a grant from an anonymous donor. While the goal of this project is to assist heritage professionals in documenting and mapping sites, these tutorials are also an excellent resource for anyone in the ASOR community who is looking to learn new skills and take advantage of open source software. ASOR remains committed to providing open-access online resources such as these for the benefit of the entire ASOR community.

The ASOR CHI Tutorials cover:

  • Site Documentation
    • KoBoToolbox and KoBoCollect Application: open source software package for location and descriptive data collection in the field can then be synched up with GIS software
  • Mapping Activities
    • QGIS: free and open source Geographic Information System (GIS)
    • LibreCAD: free open source computer-aided design (CAD) application for 2D design
    • Photogrammetry using Agisoft Metashape: software that performs photogrammetric processing of digital images and generates 3D spatial data
ASOR Director for North African Cultural Heritage Projects Dr. Hanan Charaf conducting KoboToolbox training with members of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) in Morocco.
Dr. Charaf leading on-site training with the HAF team at a synagogue in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Check out the full list of CHI Tutorials here. 

Stay tuned for tutorial videos for KoBoToolbox, QGIS, LibreCAD, and Photogrammetry on ASORTV in the upcoming weeks. 

A detailed list of the tutorials available is below.

Tunisian scouts practicing photogrammetry image collection at the site of Oudna, Tunisia.
Creating a photogrammetry model

Table of Contents for JCS 74 (2022)

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 SHARE

[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-fb-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.facebook.com/ASOResearch/” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-tw-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://twitter.com/ASOResearch?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-in-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-schools-of-oriental-research” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-ml-icon_7.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”mailto:asor@bu.edu” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/blog-icon3.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”http://asorblog.org/” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683923840{margin-right: 20px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;border-left-color: #99422f !important;}”][mk_divider divider_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” thickness=”1″ margin_top=”3″ margin_bottom=”3″][vc_column_text]

NEWS@ASOR

PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

WAYS TO DONATE TO ASOR

FY20 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS (DRAFT)

ASOR LEGACY CIRCLE MEMBERS

DONATE NOW

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Table of Contents for Journal of Cuneiform Studies 74 (2022)

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You can receive JCS (and other ASOR publications) through an ASOR Membership.
Please e-mail the Membership office if you have any questions.

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Pp. 3–16: “Eduba R: The Customs of the Eduba,” by Niek Veldhuis

Building on the first edition by Alhena Gadotti and Alexandra Kleinerman (), this article provides a fresh look at the Old Babylonian Sumerian literary text commonly referred to as Eduba R, with translation and commentary. In this composition a pupil describes in some detail how a regular day at the scribal school evolves. The text employs many unusual words and phrases and quite a few passages still remain unclear. Some of the unplaced fragments, edited separately by Gadotti and Kleinerman in their edition, may now be placed securely in the reconstructed text.

ASOR Members with online access: log into ASOR’s Online Portal here. Once logged in, click the JOURNALS tab in the top navigation bar. From here you may select which journal you would like to read. If you have online access, you will see your selected journal’s current issue Table of Contents. Click on the “Current Issue” button and you will then be redirected to the University of Chicago Press’s (UCP) platform to immediately start reading any issue of your choice. Tutorials for how to log in to the Online Portal as well as how to navigate to the Portal Journals page can be found here. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_divider thickness=”1″ margin_top=”10″ margin_bottom=”30″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner css=”.vc_custom_1651156050549{padding-right: 10px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”84241″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/719861″][mk_padding_divider size=”10″][vc_column_text]

Pp. 17-33: “Les Métiers Féminins Dans Les Palais et Grands Domaines De Syrie et Haute-Mésopotamie au Début Du IIE Millénaire av. J.-C.,” by Brigitte Lion

The archives discovered in the palaces of Syria and upper Mesopotamia, dating to the Middle Bronze Age, show that many women worked in these buildings. This article brings together data from the sites of Mari (Tell Hariri), Qaṭṭarā (Tell Rimah), Ašnakkum (Chagar Bazar), Tuttul (Tell Bi’a), and Alalah (Tell Açana) to compile an inventory of the female occupations that were carried out there. The fields represented are housekeeping, kitchen work (including food accounting), gatekeeping, and childcare. Except for nannies, most of these occupations have a male counterpart. Among the different types of sources, the ration lists provide a hierarchy of occupations and within occupations.

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Pp. 35-61: “Un Balag Du Dieu Soleil Utu (MAH 16066),” by Antoine Cavigneaux

This article consists of an edition of the unique, hitherto unpublished balag MAH 16066. Three “narrative” kirugu sections originally totaling 70 lines are followed by an originally 110-line litany that, as shown in a synoptic table, is parallel at several points to at least nine other Old Babylonian second millennium BCE liturgical texts. The composition appears to be associated with a concrete ceremony. As interesting as the core text is the closing line, found also in other balags, with its benediction built on the construction šùd(u)-bi … gi4-gi4 to invoke the blessing deities named in the litany.

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Pp. 63-74: “The Sages and the Sons of Nippur: An Edition of LKA 76 (VAT 13839) From Assur,” by Zachary Rubin

The Late Assyrian tablet LKA 76 (VAT 13839) from Assur is inscribed with two bilingual Sumerian-Akkadian texts, possibly incantations for rituals, that are concerned with prominent cities in southern Mesopotamia. The obverse is inscribed with a unique composition in which entities calling themselves the “Sons of Nippur” declare their affiliation with the city of Nippur and its deities. The composition inscribed on the reverse, known to have been incorporated into the apotropaic series bīt mēseri, consists of anecdotes in the lives of four apkallu-sages of human descent. The two compositions bridge the purported origins of Mesopotamian scholarly wisdom in the divine realm with its contemporary utilization among ritual experts.

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Pp. 75-87: “Crime and Punishment in Hittite Anatolia: A New Interpretation of the Verb Šaku(u̯a)-/Šakuu̯ai- (with an etymological contribution by Alwin Kloekhorst),” by Willemijn Waal

In Hittite, various verbs with a stem šaku(u̯a)-/šakuu̯ai- have been identified. These include the verb šakuu̯ai- “to see,” as well as three verbs of which the meaning is less evident: one (CHD šaku(u̯a)-/šakuu̯ai- A) referring to a type of penalty, one (CHD šaku(u̯a)-/šakuu̯ai- B) which is usually taken to mean “to moisten (?)” or “to soak(?),” and one (CHD šakuu̯ai- D) of which the meaning is unknown. In this article, it will be argued that the verbs šaku(u̯a)-/šakuu̯ai- A and B are actually one and the same verb with the meaning “to plant,” “to stab,” or “to impale.” This new interpretation not only elucidates some thus far opaque attestations of the verb šaku(u̯a)-/šakuu̯ai-, but also improves our understanding of Hittite corporal punishments.

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Pp. 89-108: “Women and the Interpretation of Dreams In Sumerian and Akkadian Literature,” by Gina Konstantopoulos

This article is a study of the place of dream interpretation in key Mesopotamian texts, principally in the Sumerian Cylinders of Gudea, Curse of Agade, Dumuzi’s Dream, and the Akkadian Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. In these texts, when the protagonist receives prophetic dreams, he then seeks out a dream-interpreter, usually a woman related to or close to the dreamer. Within the Epic of Gilgamesh, this position is also filled by Enkidu, who interprets Gilgamesh’s dreams as well as his own. Enkidu’s interpretation of his own dream is unusual but not unique, as Narām-Sîn showcases a similar ability in the Curse of Agade. This discussion is set alongside a consideration of the female dream interpreter (munusensi or šāʾiltu) as attested outside of the literary sphere. Though attestations to the female dream interpreter are limited, they still far outnumber any references to the women within more technical divinatory contexts, such as the proposed female equivalent to the diviner (bārû), the bārītu.

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Pp. 109-129: “The Assyrian King of the Broken Obelisk, the Date of the Archive from Giricano, and the Timing of the Assyrian Calendar Reform,” by Daisuke Shibata

Following the recent debate on the dating of the Broken Obelisk, which is commonly believed to have been composed in the reign of Aššur-bēl-kala, the present article provides a comprehensive review of the issues pertinent to the dating of this Assyrian inscription, as well as related topics such as the date of the Assyrian calendar reform and the Giricano archive. The results reveal that the Broken Obelisk should be attributed to Tiglath-pileser I rather than Aššur-bēl-kala. The Assyrian calendar reform occurred probably sometime between the thirty-first year (possibly the thirty-third year) to the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Tiglath-pileser I. The Broken Obelisk was composed sometime in the fourth decade of Tiglath-pileser’s reign after this calendar reform, representing the latest version of his annals known to date. The Giricano archive also dates from late in his reign. Many of the events that have been dated to the early years of Aššur-bēl-kala’s reign, such as the payment of tribute to Assyria by an Egyptian king, took place during the reign of Tiglath-pileser I.

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Pp. 131-137: “The 1975 Kouyunjik Colophon Project and its Consequences for the Collection,” by Julian Edgeworth Reade

This paper relates how in 1975 the writer initiated a project to classify the scholarly tablets of the Kouyunjik Collection by their colophons, which led to the discovery and publication of additional fragments of the collection.

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Pp. 139-184: “Grain Deliveries to the Royal Palace in Babylon during the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar II,” by Greta Van Buylaere

The present contribution is the editio princeps of six large, single-column tablets, found in the N1 administrative archive of Babylon and presently located in the İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri. They document substantial barley and emmer wheat deliveries to the Babylonian capital in the tenth and twentieth years of Nebuchadnezzar II’s reign and reveal an efficient administrative apparatus with a multitude of palace officials, scribes, accountants, and measurers.

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Pp. 185-204: “Minor Archives from First-Millennium BCE Babylonia: The Rēˀi-sisê Archive from Sippar (The Archive of Šamaš-Iddin Son of Niqūdu Descendant of Rēˀi-sisê),” by Yuval Levavi

This contribution provides editions of all known texts belonging to the archive of the Rēˀi-sisê family from Sippar. It further includes a discussion of the (relatively modest scale) business profile of its main protagonist, Šamaš-iddin/Niqūdu//Rēˀi-sisê, who was active during the second half of the sixth century BCE (546/530–518 BCE). The present study is the third installation of a larger collaborative effort to make available the Minor Archives from First Millennium BCE Babylonia, the results of which are to be published in volumes of this journal. A companion volume containing copies of all tablets published in this series as well as a comprehensive prosopography is in preparation for the Journal of Cuneiform Studies Supplemental Series.

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Pp. 205-222: “Eine Spätbabylonische Synkretistische Hymne an Nabû,” by Hannelore Agnethler, Ekaterine Gogokhia, Enrique Jiménez, Alessia Pilloni, and Albert Setälä

The article contains the first edition of a hymn to Nabû probably from Neo-Babylonian or Achaemenid Borsippa. The text, written in a fixed ABA′B structure, extols Nabû by attributing to him some feats traditionally ascribed to other gods, such as killing Anzû or defeating the Sea. Nabû is presented as the highest of all gods, which gives occasion to discuss the so-called “Exaltation of Nabû” in other first-millennium texts.

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Table of Contents for NEA 85.2 (2022)

Table of Contents for Near Eastern Archaeology 85.2 (June 2022)

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Please e-mail the Membership office if you have any questions.

Pp. 84–89: “Tel Reḥov: The Site and Its Excavation,” by Amihai Mazar

The author offers a brief introduction to the excavations at Tel Reḥov, beginning with a description of the mound. This is followed by a summary of the appearance of the toponym Reḥob in written sources; the identification of the site; and a brief survey of the excavation project, including its goals, the core staff, the excavation areas and the methods used. Finally, it presents the stratigraphic sequence and the structure of the final report that appeared in 2020, as well as reference to an exhibition held on the excavations.

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Pp. 90–95: “Tectonic Activity and Site-Formation Processes at Tel Reḥov,” by Uri Davidovich and Ezra Zilberman

The site of Tel Reḥov is located on one of the most active tectonic fault zones in the Near East—the Western Marginal Fault of the Dead Sea Rift—and was prone to tectonic movements, which had a significant effect on site-formation processes. Geoseismic and geoarchaeological studies conducted as part of the Tel Reḥov excavation project suggest that the site was located on an uplifted tectonic block (horst) bounded by faults on the north, west, and south. Recurrent tectonic activity during the Late Holocene resulted in an eastward-tilting of layers and the entire mound, contributed to the shaping of mound boundaries, and constrained the extent of postdepositional erosion.

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Pp. 96–109: “The Canaanite City at Tel Reḥov: From the Early Bronze Age to the End of the Iron Age I,” by Amihai Mazar, Uri Davidovich, Nava Panitz-Cohen, Yael Rotem, and Amir Sumaka’i Fink

The article describes the development of the city throughout the Late Bronze–Iron Age I sequence. A massive Early Bronze fortification system was revealed on the slope of the upper mound. Following the end of EB III, there was an occupation gap until LB I/IIA, when a ten hectare Canaanite city was founded and became one of the largest cities in the southern Levant, identified with Reḥob, mentioned in several Late Bronze Age sources. The unusual foundation of a city in the Late Bronze Age may have been related to the Egyptian garrison town at nearby Beth-Shean. Though exposure was limited in scope, the results indicate that unlike many other sites, Reḥov maintained its Canaanite urban character throughout this period with no occupation gap.

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Pp. 110–125: “Tel Reḥov in the Tenth and Ninth Centuries BCE,” by Amihai Mazar

Tel Reḥov was the location of one of the largest Iron Age cities in northern Israel during the Iron Age IIA, the main period investigated at the site. This article summarizes the stratigraphy, main architectural features, aspects of daily life and material culture, industries, trade relations, writing, religion and iconography, as well as chronology and historical questions. The finds reflect cultural and economic processes that the city and its environs underwent during this momentous time. Canaanite traditions alongside innovations, economic prosperity, vibrant trade relations with the Phoenician coast and, indirectly, with Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece are evidenced. Notable is the exceptional and peaceful continuity between the Iron I and Iron II cities. The city may have been the hometown of the Nimshi clan, to which Jehu belonged. The city suffered a violent destruction, probably at the hands of Hazael, king of Aram-Damascus.

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Pp. 126–131: “The Apiary at Tel Reḥov: An Update,” by Amihai Mazar, Nava Panitz-Cohen, and Guy Bloch

The apiary discovered in Stratum V at Tel Reḥov in 2005–2007 remains unique in the archaeology of the ancient Near East. Here the authors briefly summarize the data previously published in this journal and add results of new studies, mainly concerning the identification of ancient charred bees trapped in burnt honeycombs found in the hives. Measurements of two wings and one leg, and statistical work based on existing database of modern subspecies, are inconsistent with the Syrian subspecies local to Israel (Apis meliferra syriaca), but were found to be similar to the Anatolian bee (Apis meliferra anatoliaca). We discuss the implications of this result, suggesting trade relations with southern Anatolia. The authors suggest that the beeswax was perhaps related to the copper-based metallurgical industry that entailed casting in the lost wax method, at a time when the copper trade based on the Arabah mines was at its peak.

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Pp. 132–145: “The Exceptional Ninth-Century BCE Northwestern Quarter at Tel Reḥov,” by Nava Panitz-Cohen and Amihai Mazar

An exceptional architectural complex at Tel Reḥov dating to the last phase of the Iron IIA occupation in the ninth century BCE (Stratum IV) was uncovered in Area C, located on the northwestern and highest part of the lower mound. Each of the buildings belonging to this quarter, built exclusively of mud brick, had an exceptional architectural layout, while at the same time, they were interrelated and organized according to a preplanned agenda. All the buildings were completely destroyed by the severe fire that resulted in the abandonment of the lower city at the end of Stratum IV. The abundance of rich remains found in the destruction debris just below topsoil, many of them of a unique nature and reflecting quotidian, cultic, and industrial activities, as well as three inscriptions with personal names, indicate the special role played by this complex, particularly the largest and most exceptional: Building CP.

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Pp. 146–151: “Facing Assyria: Tel Reḥov in the Late Ninth and the Eighth Centuries BCE,” by Amihai Mazar and Robert A. Mullins

Following the violent destruction of Stratum IV the city at Tel Reḥov was rebuilt, yet limited to the upper mound, an area of about three hectares. Two main strata can be attributed to the Iron IIB. A fortification system found in Area B had an earlier phase consisting of a casemate wall with a tower and a later phase with a wide city wall. Dwellings and courtyards were excavated in Areas A, B, and J. The Assyrian destruction was severe, evidenced by the slaughter of people in their homes in Area A. Scanty squatter activity was discovered following the destruction, as were seven burials, some with Assyrian-type pottery bottles, perhaps evidence of Assyrian presence on the summit. One of the burials is especially rich in finds and perhaps belonged to a high-ranking person. (Please note: This article contains images of human skeletal remains.)

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Pp. 152–158: “The Iron Age II Figurines and Zoomorphic Vessels of Tel Reḥov,” by Raz Kletter and Katri Saarelainen

Forty-nine Iron Age II anthropomorphic and zoomorphic clay figurines and vessels were found at Tel Reḥov. Clay was an inexpensive material and small figurines were a common item; yet, this small assemblage still holds surprises. All the figurines were published in Saarelainen and Kletter. Here we present a selection of the figurines in order to illustrate their variety and aesthetic appeal, and also to demonstrate the difficulties in studying and interpreting them. What do we see in them? Images of powerful, but nearly forgotten deities? The faces of bygone generations (and of their animals too)? Or, perhaps, portrayals of important priestesses and warriors?

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Pp. 159–163: “Metalworking at Tel Reḥov,” by Naama Yahalom-Mack

The excavations at Tel Reḥov yielded hundreds of metal objects and numerous metallurgical remains that attest to on-site metalworking. The study of such remains and their distribution sheds light on metalworking practices at the site, indicating a considerable change between the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, which comprised both the choice of raw materials (bronze vs. iron), their origin, and metalworking traditions. Particularly significant is the evidence for an Egyptian metalworking tradition during the Late Bronze Age, indicating that the metal industry at Reḥov may have been tightly controlled by the neighboring Egyptian stronghold at Beth-Shean. Iron Age I metallurgical remains suggest that the smiths reverted to Canaanite metalworking practices after the Egyptians’ departure. Iron was introduced into common use during the Iron Age IIA, the tenth and ninth centuries BCE.

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you (search for “token link” in inbox) before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

Pp. 164–169: “Animal Remains from Tel Reḥov: Economy and Culture in the Iron Age Settlement,” by Nimrod Marom, Karin Tamar, and Sierra Harding

The Iron Age settlement at Tel Reḥov has yielded a large and well-preserved faunal assemblage. Zooarchaeological analysis of these animal remains from the Iron Age is used to discuss aspects of settlement economy, examining both development through time and similarity with contemporaneous assemblages. The results show that the animal economy at the site was not very different from contemporary valley sites in the Southern Levant, but suggest a certain development of the pastoral economy between the Iron Age I and II. In addition, some insights pertaining to the symbolic use of animals can be gleaned from the faunal remains, specifically in respect to side preferences.

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you (search for “token link” in inbox) before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

Pp. 170–171: “Fish Imported from a Distance and Consumed at Tel Reḥov,” by Omri Lernau

Excavations at Tel Reḥov brought to light an assemblage of fish remains, dated to different periods covering almost the entire era of occupation of the site. Most kinds of fish were probably purchased in markets along the Mediterranean coast, including local marine and freshwater fish and also several kinds of fish imported from the Nile and from the hypersaline lagoon of Bardawil. Few fish were imported to Reḥov from the Red Sea. The long-lasting supply of many kinds of fish to Reḥov, together with similar findings in the adjacent Tel Beth-Shean, suggest an organized enterprise of commerce between the Mediterranean coast and the Jordan Valley.

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you (search for “token link” in inbox) before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

ASOR Grant & Fellowship Awardees

2022 PROJECT GRANT AND RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AWARDEES

Grants for Archaeological Projects

Stevan B. Dana Project Grant
  • Sergio Alarcón Robledo, Harvard University: North Saqqara Archaeological Survey (Egypt)
Lawrence T. Geraty Community Archaeology Grant
  • Abdullah Abdulazeese Al-masha’lah, AlRaqeem for Logistic Services and Training: Tall Hisban (Jordan)
Denise L. Gold Project Grant
  • Lindy Crewe, CAARI: Kissonerga-Skalia Bronze Age Settlement Excavation (Cyprus)
Charles Harris Project Grant
  • Ian W. N. Jones, University of California-San Diego: Balu’a Regional Archaeology Project (Jordan)
  • Rocco Palermo, University of Pisa: Gird-i Matrab Archaeological Project (Iraqi Kurdistan)
Joe D. Seger Project Grant
  • Shawn Bubel, University of Lethbridge: Final Analysis of the Chipped Stone Tools Excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh (Israel)
  • Darrell J. Rohl, Calvin University: Religion and Society at Umm al-Jimal (Jordan)
Shepard Urgent Action Grant
  • Maria Elena Ronza, SELA for Training and Protection of Heritage: Emergency Conservation of the Roman Bathhouse in Petra (Jordan)

Research Fellowships

Study of Collections Fellowships
  • Joseph A. Greene, Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East: Kelsey Museum Archives-Michigan Excavations in the Carthage Sanctuary of Tanit (US)
  • James D. Moore, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin: Cabinet du Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum in the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres-Semitic Artifacts Database (France)
  • Michael Press, University of Agder: The Antiquities Market in Late Ottoman Palestine (London, Paris, and Jerusalem)
  • Matthew J. Suriano, University of Maryland: Cabinet du Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum in the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres-Clermont-Ganneau Collection (France)
William G. Dever Fellowship
  • Krysta Fauria, University of Southern California: Legio (Israel)
Herbert Warren Mason Fellowship
  • Maria Rita Corticelli: The Kakais of Iraq: Culture, Religion and Society (Iraq)
Mesopotamian Fellowship
  •  A Khaled Abu Jayyab, University of Toronto: The Tepe Gawra Lower Town Survey, Ninawa (Iraq)
  • Petra M. Creamer, Dartmouth College: Rural Landscapes of Imperial Iron Age Mesopotamia (Iraqi Kurdistan)

Support ASOR’s Fellowships, Scholarships, and Grants!

ASOR is fortunate to have a growing number of named endowments that support membership research, excavation grants, and scholarships for fieldwork participation and scholarships for Membership and the Annual Meeting. However, we also need support from individual donors who make annual gifts or consider establishing endowments to support these programs in perpetuity. Support of ASOR’s Annual (Unrestricted) Fund enables us to support the operations of the ever-growing scholarship and grant programs. Please contact ASOR’s executive director, Andy Vaughn, for more information about ASOR’s grants, scholarship, and fellowship programs. Gifts of all amounts are needed and greatly appreciated.

Study of Collections Fellowship Report: Joseph A. Greene

2022 Study of Collections Fellowship Report: Kelsey Museum Archives

Joseph A. Greene, Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

An ASOR Study of Collections Fellowship funded my travel to the University of Michigan to complete work in archives related the 1925 Michigan excavations in the Carthage Sanctuary of Tanit (tophet). The excavator, Professor Francis Kelsey, died before completing a final report, but he left behind an extensive archives, held both at the Kelsey Museum and at the Bentley Historical Library.

The 1925 expedition directed by Kelsey was the forerunner to the 1975–1979 ASOR Punic Project, directed by the late Professor L.E. Stager (1943–2017). Dr. Brien Garnand and I have now taken responsibility for publication of the Punic Project, and we are using the opportunity to include Kelsey’s unpublished results with those of the ASOR Punic Project.

Francis Kelsey with his very smartly dressed Carthage excavation team. Kelsey is on the far right in dark three-piece suit holding white pith helmet. (University of Michigan, Kelsey Museum Archives)
Carthage Tophet under excavation in 1925 with stelae and cippi exposed in situ, view northwest. The flat, vertical wall on righthand side is an intrusive 4th c. A.D. Roman vault (see also plan, Fig. 3). (University of Michigan, Kelsey Museum Archives)

Dr. Garnand completed much work in the Michigan archive before 2022. For example, Kelsey’s 1925 site plan had already been integrated into the ASOR 1979 site plan. Field notes and excavation diaries from 1925 have been scanned and edited, along with plans, sections, drawings, field photos and other documentation. The drawings and photographs have been edited and annotated so their format corresponds to that of the ASOR Punic Project records. All of the annotated 1925 field photos and plans will be included in the digital publication, while a selection will appear in the printed version of the final report.

Certain other tasks planned for 2022 have also already been completed. Photography of 78 paper squeezes of Tophet stele excavated by Kelsey was undertaken by the University of Michigan Imaging Services. Likewise prints of the 1925 expedition photographs (the negatives are lost) have also been digitized. Thus, we now have a detailed inventory of squeezes and photographs.

With help of Kelsey Museum Registrar Michelle Fontenot, I was able to identify and organize a residue of ASOR Punic Project large-format plans unaccountably co-mingled in the archives with those from Kelsey’s 1925 expedition and the 1975–1979 Carthage-Dermech Michigan excavations. The physical plans remain at Michigan, but digital copies will be deposited in the ASOR Punic Project archives at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East (HMANE). Also digitized were 15 large-format plans and drawings from the 1925 and 1975–1979 Carthage Tophet and Harbor excavations. This was completed with assistance from Kelsey Museum Collections Manager Sebastian Encina and undergraduate intern, Isabella Blanton, who accompanied me to the Clark Library where we scanned the material using a large-format scanner under the guidance of map librarian Karl Longstreth.

Plan of 1925 Carthage Tophet excavation area. The “Vault” in upper lefthand side is an intrusive 4th c. A.D. Roman feature (also visible in the photo, Fig. 2). (University of Michigan, Kelsey Museum Archives)

Another unanticipated but helpful discovery was the archive of 1978 exhibit “Carthage Then and Now,” originated at the Kelsey Museum, which then traveled to the Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago and to the Semitic Museum at Harvard (now HMANE).

Finally, in the Bentley Library I completed the review of the relevant Francis Kelsey papers held there. Garnand had begun review 165 boxes of Kelsey papers on a previous visit, and it was necessary only for me to verify the box numbers which contained the relevant documents previously scanned.

Stipend Report: Kacey Garcia

Khirbet al-Balu’a 2021 Study Season: Pottery and Figurines

Kacey Garcia, 2021 Shirlee Meyers-G. Ernest Wright Summer Stipend Recipient

I would like to thank the Shirlee Meyers-G. Ernest Wright Scholarship donors and ASOR for providing me with an amazing opportunity to participate in the 2021 study season at La Sierra University. I assisted in processing loaned, diagnostic ceramic samples for publication of 2012-2019 excavation seasons at Khirbet al-Balu’a. I organized and sorted these samples according to occupational phases utilizing the data collected from the loci. Relying on my skills with Next Engine’s software ScanStudio and Meshlab, I was able to create plates for all of these diagnostic samples to prepare them for the Khirbet al-Balu’a publication. The next step will be creating a ceramic seriation for Central Jordan by applying C14 data.

Meshlab of an aligned diagnostic sample from 2017.

Scanning set up at La Sierra University.

I was also able to conduct research on the figurines found in the main occupational strata at Khirbet al Balu’a as part of a class on household archaeology. I discussed the figurines’ purposes while providing contextual evidence from Iron Age Khirbet al-Balu’a. I read articles in household archaeology methodology and theory and applied what I’ve learned to the archaeological dataset from Khirbet al-Balu’a. A total of 19 figurines were found at Khirbet al-Balu’a during the 2012 to 2019 excavations. While both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines were found, the majority were zoomorphic (13 figurines). This assumes that the demonstrated figures are animals since many are difficult to interpret due to their poor condition.

When analyzing figurines there are 3 main categories: zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and theriomorphic. Zoomorphic figurines resemble an animal, anthropomorphic figurines resemble humans, and theriomorphic figurines are thought to have depicted gods in animal form. In the ancient near east, theriomorphic figurine can be either an animal with humanistic traits that identify with gods or as part animal and human. Phase 2 at Balu’a did not have any female depictions, despite female figurines being the most common anthropomorphic archetype. Female figurines are often correlated to fertility, and were possibly used to enhance the chances of bearing children or giving birth safely. Most of Balu’a figurines are zoomorphic, and the ones from the Iron Age II house are identified as bovine, birds, and horses. Two of the figurines were ceramic and another two were made of plaster and clay. For example, B190010 was a plaster, conical-shaped zoomorphic figurine with incised eyes, beak, feathers and wings. There is a line design originating from the center of the figure. It is thought to be a bird of some sort owl or a hawk. This figurine was a part of the Phase 2 post-collapse rubble layer located in room A4. While learning about these figurines I couldn’t help but feel connected to the occupants of the Iron Age II house. I wondered what I would leave behind in my home long after I am gone for others to find. Figurines are initially interpreted as cultic objects. This is my favorite theory because it shows that ancient peoples needed something to believe in when life got too unpredictable and difficult. There is an unspoken beauty and a sense of humanity to the concept of hope thriving through these figurines during what may have been a desperate time.

Zoomorphic figurine of a bird from Balu'a Iron II house. Artifact #B190010 (Used with permission of Balu'a Regional Archaeological Project, BRAP)

Kacey Garcia is a senior undergraduate at La Sierra University majoring in archaeology. She first encountered archaeology while studying classics in Italy and has since fallen in love with it. Kacey knew right away this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. For the past two years, Kacey has been working as a student research assistant at the Center for Near Eastern Archaeology on projects pertaining to Khirbet al-Balu’a and Tell al-Umayri.

Balu’a Regional Archaeological Project (BRAP)

Center for Near Eastern Archaeology, La Sierra University

During the summer of 2021, ASOR supported 27 undergraduate and graduate students through the Summer Stipend Program. These students undertook non-fieldwork archaeological research projects led by ASOR-affiliated project directors. They also took part in monthly cohort group meetings hosted via zoom. Read a summary of these cohort meetings here.

Stay tuned for more updates from the 2021 Summer Stipend recipients!

New ASOR-Affiliated Projects

NEW ASOR-AFFILIATED PROJECTS: MAY 2022

ASOR-affiliated projects adhere to ASOR policies, most notably the Non-Discrimination Policy, Policy on Professional Conduct, and Code of Conduct for the ASOR Annual Meeting and Other ASOR Sponsored Events. These policies affirm ASOR’s commitment to high standards for research integrity, academic mentoring and ethical professional behavior. Project Principal Investigators may apply for ASOR affiliation for their projects through the Committee for Archaeological Research and Policy (CAP).  Principal Investigators of ASOR-affiliated projects are eligible to apply for ASOR Project Grants and Shepard Urgent Action Grants. Students working on ASOR-affiliated projects are eligible to apply for Scholarships for Fieldwork Participation.

Currently, 98 projects are affiliated with ASOR. This includes 71 field projects and 27 publication projects. Nine field projects (seven new projects and two project renewals) have received ASOR affiliation so far in 2022. Read more about these new ASOR-affiliated projects below!

New ASOR-Affiliated Projects

Birsama Exploration Project, Israel (Alexandra Ratzlaff and Tali Erickson-Gini)

Birsama (Be’er Shema) is situated in the northwest quadrant of the northern Negev, approximately 21 km southeast of Gaza and 25 km northwest of Be’er Sheva. Interest in the site focuses on the presence of a Late Roman fort and associated structures, including the Byzantine church of St. Stephen, a Roman road, pottery kilns and a potential vicus (civilian camp adjacent to the fort). The site appears in the Notitia Dignitatum, distinguished as ‘Birsama’, a provincial military base for the garrison of the Equites Thamudeni Illyriciani. The aim of this project is two-fold 1.) Exploration of the fort and its environs to elucidate new information on this important military and administrative site in relation to the larger late Roman army network in the Negev, 2.) test new digital imaging and modeling methodologies and equipment at the site. The initial 2022 summer season will be an intensive terrestrial and aerial survey of the site to provide key information on the topography and extent of the site. A minimum of five successive excavation field seasons will be carried out beginning in the summer of 2023, followed but a study season for publication preparation. Technological testing of new equipment and methodologies in digital imaging will also form a core component to the recording and exploration of the site. The Brandeis Techne Group, a research team based out of the Autodesk Boston Technology Center, plans to test applications such as multi-drone imaging and use of the Boston Dynamics “Spot the Robot Dog” at the site for terrestrial survey imaging.

Gird-I Matrab Archaeological Project (gMAP), Iraq (Rocco Palermo)


Gird-I Matrab: picture of the main mound

The Gird-I Matrab Archaeological Project (gMAP) investigates the daily life of a small rural settlement in Northern Iraq, its economy, and the impact of climate transformation on the site and its inhabitants from the age of Assyrians to the heirs of Alexander the Great. Gird-I Matrab (“the dusty mound” in Kurdish) is located in the plain of Erbil, in North Iraq. It was already known by Iraqi archaeologists in the 1970s, but only systematically surveyed by the Erbil Plain Archaeological Survey team in 2012 and 2020. The site consists of a group of five low mounds orbiting around a central – slightly higher – one. Geophysical survey carried out in October 2020 have revealed a large and architecturally complex building, whose spatial extent and architectural features indicate a potential administrative function, most likely dated to the last centuries of the 1st millennium BC.


Visit of local representetives with Project Director Dr. Rocco Palermo

While the buried remains have not been physically uncovered yet, the presence of such an articulated building on a relatively small site in North Mesopotamia, might directly provide new dimensions to our understanding of the rural communities of the region in the Hellenistic and following periods.

gMAP plans to investigate the site through and integrated, multi-scalar approach that combines traditional techniques with the use of state-of-the-art technology and scientific analyses.

Hippos Excavations Project, Israel (Michael Eisenberg and Arleta Kowalewska)

Hippos Excavations Project is one of the main continuously running Classical archaeology research expeditions in Israel. Since the year 2000 our international team has excavated the site of Hippos (Sussita) and its environs. Hippos is located upon Mt. Sussita just east of the Sea of Galilee, overlooking the lake and Eastern Galilee.

Hippos’ remains present a continuous sequence from its foundation as Antiochia Hippos in the Hellenistic period (2nd cent. BCE) until the devastating earthquake at 749 CE at the end of the Umayyad rule. As the regional polis and one of the Decapolis it reached its peak during the Roman period. At least seven churches were built in the city during the Byzantine period when it was the see of a bishop.

The Kites in Context Project, Jordan (Chad Hill and Yorke Rowan)


Chad Hill and Yorke Rowan.

This project investigates the social and economic role of ancient animal hunting traps known as “desert kites” during a time of dramatic changing land use, human migrations, and shifting economies. Located in a hyper-arid, basaltic desert, these structures were built as mass-kill traps for ungulates in the later prehistory of the region.


Aerial view of a kite taken by a drone. Photo credit: Chad Hill.

Each chain includes dozens to hundreds of individual traps, spanning tens of kilometers, linked by intricate wall networks that functioned to create one enormous system. These represent a remarkable ancient infrastructural investment in labor, significant social organization, and the ability to generate subsistence surpluses in a marginal environment. This new study of desert kites, in context, focuses on the economy of this desert infrastructure and the social organization of largescale prey-manipulation strategies, to offer new insight into subsistence adaptations in marginal environments. The results from this research have the potential to transform knowledge of human responses and adaptations to arid environments in prehistory.

Menorca Archaeological Project, Torre d’en Galmés, Spain (Alexander Smith, Amalia Pérez-Juez, and Paul Goldberg)


MAP team.

The Menorca Archaeological Project (MAP) is an interdisciplinary group of Spanish and American collaborators that currently focuses on the diachronic investigation of the site of Torre d’en Galmés on the Balearic Island of Menorca. Torre d’en Galmés is one of the largest prehistoric sites on the Balearic Islands, having received international attention from archaeologists for decades. The site’s importance is due both its size and temporal scope. Within the remains of Torre d’en Galmés, one can see on display the early indigenous inhabitants of the island, the impressive remains of the Talayotic culture from the island’s Iron Age, and evidence of Carthaginian and Roman interactions well into the first centuries C.E.


 

Torre d’en Galmes, aerial view of SpU 9. Photo credit: Alexander Smith.

Long after the site was abandoned during the third or fourth centuries C.E., Torre d’en Galmés was settled once more by Islamic communities that made the island their home during the medieval period. In 1287 C.E., the Islamic settlers were forced to leave the island by King Alfonso III of Aragon, and the rapid depopulation saw the abandonment of sites across the island. Torre d’en Galmés never again saw significant occupation. What remains then is an incredible window into medieval Islamic life in this rural part of Menorca, with dozens of structures preserved, exhibiting the daily life of this group. MAP is dedicated to the archaeological study of the complex history of Torre d’en Galmés, in particular the Islamic medieval remains that have been largely overlooked on the site.

MiSAK, Missione Storico-Archeologica Italiana nel Kurdistan, Sarqala, Iraq (Luca Colliva, Serenella Mancini, Fabrizio Sinisi, Domenico Andreucci, Veronica Castignani, Mehrnaz Partow, and Paolo Severi)


https://misak.it/en/home-english/

MiSAK, the Italian Historical-Archaeological Mission in Kurdistan, was established in 2021 due to the common interest of ISMEO – the International Association for Mediterranean and Eastern Studies, and the International Institute of Kurdish Culture in Rome to contribute directly and effectively to the study, preservation, and enhancement of the Kurdish historical, archaeological and cultural heritage. MiSAK signed in December 2021 a three-year renewable agreement with the KRG General Directorate of Antiquities for the implementation of an archaeological project concerning the historical-archaeological study, protection and enhancement of the Sarqala site, which includes both the Parthian necropolis and the Qalla Kon tell, a multi-phase site probably part of the settlement connected to the nearby necropolis.

Seeking Sultan Abad-e Chamchamal: Archaeological Excavation at the Site of Tepe Hala Bag, Iran (Mohammad Eghbal Chehri)

According to historical texts, Sultanabad Chamchamal (Solṭānābād) is the most important settlement of the Ilkhanid period in the Bisotun region, which is mentioned in various contemporary historical books with the Ilkhanids due to its great importance. Historical texts show that Sultanabad Chamchamal was built at the foot of Bisotun Mountain and in the western part of Chamchamal plain. The construction of Sultanabad Chamchamal was on the side of the main Khorasan-Baghdad road and in the same area of Bisotun. In fact, despite the efforts of various researchers, the problem of locating and determining the exact location of Sultanabad Chamchamal has not been solved and can be considered as one of the problems in archaeology of the region, and this issue clearly justifies the need for excavation. Based on preliminary studies and archaeological survey, the location of Sultanabad Chamchamal can be considered the same as Halah Bag Tepe. The certainty of this issue, the ability to adapt Tepe Hala Bag with Sultanabad Chamchamal can be understood only by archeological excavation.

ASOR-Affiliated Project Renewals

Jezreel Valley Regional Project, Legio, Israel (Mark Letteney, Matthew J. Adams, Yotam Tepper, and Susan Cohen)

Legio is the site of the sprawling base of the Roman VIth Ferrata Legion. Established during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian (117–138 A.D.), the base controlled imperial roads, with direct access to the Galilee and inland valleys of northern Palestine—important centers of the local, occasionally uproarious, Jewish population. Excavations so far have demonstrated clear ties to major political and cultural events in the formative years of Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity and have provided an incredible new window into the Roman military occupation of the eastern provinces.

Tayinat Archaeological Project, Turkey (Tim Harrison and Elif Denel)


Tell Tayinat from above: Photo by Murat Akar, courtesy of the Tayinat Archaeological Project.

The Tayinat Archaeological Project (TAP) is investigating the archaeological history of the Bronze and Iron Age site of Tell Tayinat, which served as the capital of a succession of small territorial states centered in the Amuq Plain in the North Orontes Valley, Turkey. During the Iron Age, Tayinat was called Kunulua, royal city of the Neo-Hittite Kingdom of Palistin/Patina/Unqi, and Kinalia during the Neo-Assyrian imperial period.

Table of Contents for BASOR 387 (May 2022)

Table of Contents for Bulletin of ASOR 387 (May 2022)

You can receive BASOR (and other ASOR publications) through an ASOR Membership.
Please e-mail the Membership office if you have any questions.

Pp. 1–30: “The Date of Appearance of Philistine Pottery at Megiddo: A Computational Approach” by Eythan Levy, Israel Finkelstein, Mario A. S. Martin, and Eli Piasetzky

This paper addresses the question of the date of appearance of Philistine Bichrome pottery at Megiddo through a new computational approach, using recently developed chronology software. Based on historical dates, we obtain a terminus post quem of 1183 b.c.e. for the start of Philistine Bichrome at Megiddo using a broad model, and a terminus post quem of 1124 b.c.e. under stronger chronological hypotheses. Adding radiocarbon results at 68.2% confidence level to the model yields a narrow range of 1111–1086 b.c.e. for the appearance of Bichrome (1128—1079 b.c.e. for 95.4%). The paper also presents results suggesting that Stratum VIIB ended during, or only slightly before, the reign of Ramesses III (1184–1153 b.c.e.).

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

Pp. 31–53: “The Southern Levantine Roots of the Phoenician Mercantile Phenomenon,” by Ayelet Gilboa

I propose here a new way to look at the process through which, following the Bronze Age collapse and culminating in the second half of the 9th century b.c.e., polities in south Lebanon became the most important Levantine commercial hubs in the Mediterranean and the main patrons of the so-called Phoenician expansion. My approach differs from others dealing with the Phoenician question in that its definitions are not projected from a yet-to-happen “Phoenician” phenomenon in the West. It is an archaeological bottom-up diachronic approach and considers the entire Levantine coast and not Lebanon only, which is traditionally considered the Phoenician homeland. I argue that what may be termed the earliest Phoenician mercantile maritime ventures, in the early Iron Age, were launched mainly from the Carmel Coast and were directed mainly toward Egypt. Gradually this phenomenon expanded geographically, a process that can be followed closely. It was stimulated and conditioned mainly by the effects of Egypt’s withdrawal from Canaan, by the Late Cypriot IIIA collapse, by the slow recovery of the Syrian coast in the early Iron Age, and by environmental factors. The paper synthesizes several decades of research on Mediterranean issues, mainly in connection to Tel Dor on Israel’s Carmel Coast.

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

Pp. 55–85: “Ḥorvat Tefen: A Hasmonean Fortress in the Hinterland of ʿAkko-Ptolemais,” by Roi Sabar

Ḥorvat Tefen is located on a prominent hilltop in the Western Galilee, overlooking ʿAkko-Ptolemais and its vicinity. The remains of several rectangular towers, curtain walls, a single gate, and reservoirs are well discernible and suggest it was a military post. This article describes the results of the first excavation undertaken at the site, conducted in 2019 on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The excavations in four of the towers uncovered accumulations above floors as well as the foundations of the walls. The finds indicate this was a short-lived military site that was apparently founded by Alexander Jannaeus in the last years of his reign and abandoned shortly thereafter. The finds are unique in their well-defined chronological range and shed important light on the material culture of the early 1st century b.c.e. Galilee—the heyday of the Hasmonean territorial expansion. Two appendices present the coins and the amphorae finds, both crucial for dating the foundation of the fortress and identifying it as a Hasmonean initiative. In this context, the location of Ḥorvat Tefen suggests it was built to defend a sensitive part of the northwestern border of the Hasmonean state facing ʿAkko-Ptolemais.

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

Pp. 87–112: “A Middle Bronze Age Assemblage of Bone Inlays from Lachish: Typological, Technological, and Functional Aspects,” by Noam Silverberg, Yosef Garfinkel, Michael G. Hasel, and Naama Yahalom-Mack

Decorated bone inlays are among the fossiles directeurs of Middle Bronze (MB) Age II and early Late Bronze Age assemblages, having been documented since the beginning of archaeological research in the Levant. During the Fourth Expedition to Lachish, an assemblage of 49 decorated bone inlays restored from ca. 200 fragments was found in the rooms of a late MB II monumental building. The inlays were apparently used to decorate wooden boxes. Although such inlays are usually recovered from mortuary contexts, here they were found among daily objects, indicating that the building played an administrative role. In this paper the typological, technological, and functional aspects of the inlays are examined. We reconstruct the use of these objects and discuss the social context in which they were produced and used, providing an additional perspective on such objects and their role in both life and death during the late MB II. Our technological approach included microscopic examination of the inlays, which provided new information on the variability of craft traditions, suggestive of a decentralized production mode.

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

Pp. 113–138: “Ambiguity of Divine and Royal Portraiture and the Hiyawan Image of Kingship: Political Identity through the Monuments of ÇİNEKÖY and KARATEPE,” by Nathan Lovejoy

This paper examines the content of the ÇİNEKÖY and KARATEPE Inscriptions, the selection of scripts on the monuments, and the choices of iconography on the two statues of the Storm God. These monuments represent a regionally and temporally specific practice of representation that ambiguously blends elements of divine and royal imagery into a new form, while taking a similar approach to the semiotics of rulership as the Neo-Assyrian kings. The combined elements of the monuments suggest a unique cultural strategy in which the agency of the ruler is blended with that of the Storm God, exemplifying the specific worldview of Iron Age Cilicia that informed their composition. The rulers who created these monuments sought to assert their political identity through the combination of the figural representations, the visuality of the scripts, and the content of the inscriptions; the two monuments illustrate a drastic change in the political agenda of the kingdom of Hiyawa, reflecting a shift in power among opposing political factions. These identities also contain a sense of intentional ambiguity, as the various elements do not immediately support the same message, but rather work together to propagate a multifaceted message of military prowess, commercial interconnectedness, and royal legitimacy and kingship.

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

Pp. 139–169: “Early Islamic Copper Coins from Excavations in the Central Levant: An Indicator for Ancient Economy,” by Hagit Nol

Legible copper coins from excavations of Early Islamic sites are scarcer than in other periods. They contain, however, valuable information for understanding economic operations. The focus of this paper is the mint-toponyms inscribed on coins that point to their production place. This identification enables network inquiries and economic interpretations on a level that is rarely possible with archaeological finds. The following study utilizes coins of the 7th–9th centuries from excavations in one area in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. It looks at mint names and the exact location of the coin’s discovery, maps these data with GIS, cross-references characteristics in the data, and detects possible correlations. The paper emphasizes two results. The first is a calculation of the distance that copper coins traveled—locally, regionally, or farther. This result challenges the view that copper coins were only circulated locally. The second result is the identification of sites with coins from four or more mints as marketplaces. Some of these sites are located at the center of large sites, such as Ramla or Beth Shean, but others are their neighboring small sites that acted in parallel. This result disputes Central Place Theory and similar paradigms.

ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.

Pp. 171–180: Three Women from Elam: A Revision of the Haft Tappeh Metal Plaque,” by Babak Rafiei-Alavi, Faranak Bahrololoumi, and Sabine Klein

The metal plaque of Haft Tappeh was found more than 60 years ago, and except for a few scenes on terracotta plaques and cylinder seals from both Elam and Mesopotamia with similar but not identical settings, it still has no known parallels in metal and remains a unique example of Elamite art. The present article is a study of this object from the heartland of the Elamite kingdom in the Khuzestan Plain. It revisits the scenic plaque and attempts to correct some of the misunderstandings regarding the identification of its iconography and symbology based on new photos, X-ray images, and lab analysis. The article also tries to place the plaque in its proper spatial and temporal context, using comparative methods and chemical and isotope analysis.

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Pp. 181–205: “Moving in Together? Synoikismos and Polis Formation at Sagalassos and in Southwest Anatolia,” by Dries Daems and Peter Talloen

Topics such as polis formation and synoikismos have a rich background in classical studies, history, and archaeology. Such studies have mainly focused on the attestations of synoikismos events in literary sources and inscriptions. The archaeological side of such processes has not always been given equal weight. This paper presents a more encompassing view on patterns of synoikismos and polis formation by incorporating and assessing archaeological evidence in a model of push-pull interactions between local communities and the Hellenistic kingdoms in southwest Anatolia. This model will be applied on a case study of the origin of polis at Sagalassos and its relation with the nearby settlement at Düzen Tepe during its formative years in the Early to Middle Hellenistic period (3rd–2nd centuries b.c.). It will then situate this case in its wider context of settlement patterns and community formation in southwest Anatolia, focusing on the ancient regions of Pisidia, Lycia, and Pamphylia. The paper suggests that interactions between local communities and overarching central administrations offered suitable stimuli that resulted in local communities starting to participate in wider dynamics of economic and political importance. This ultimately resulted in observed patterns of polis formation and a potential synoikismos.

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Pp. 207–220: “The Temple and the Town at Early Bronze Age I Megiddo: Faunal Evidence for the Emergence of Complexity,” by Lidar Sapir-Hen, Deirdre N. Fulton, Matthew J. Adams, and Israel Finkelstein

The Early Bronze Age is considered to be the period when complex and hierarchical societies first developed in the southern Levant. The appearance of specialization and social complexity is manifested through different aspects of the production stages of animal economy. In this paper, we examine faunal assemblages from two interconnected contemporaneous neighboring sites of differing characters in the Jezreel Valley, Israel: Megiddo, a cult site, and Tel Megiddo East, a town site. Both assemblages are dated to the Early Bronze Age IB (EB IB; 3090–2950 b.c.e.), at the dawn of urbanization in the Near East. The connection between sites, revealed in previous studies of other aspects, is supported by the analysis of faunal remains that reveals intriguing overlaps and divergences. The results of the current study show that the control of resources by the Great Temple in Megiddo also included access to animals and their products, and that it impacted the animal economy in settlements in its hinterland. The impact of this system demonstrates the Great Temple at the center of a larger regional economic organization in the late EB IB that would presage the urban developments of the EB II–III.

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