Author Archives: Marta Ostovich

Seger Grant Report: Kalavasos-Laroumena, Cyprus

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2023 Seger Grant Report: The Middle Cypriot Hilltop Site at Kalavasos-Laroumena, Cyprus

Dr. Mara T. Horowitz, Director, Kalavasos-Laroumena and Arkhangelos Archaeological Research Project

With the assistance of the Joe D. Seger Grant, the first season of excavations took place at Laroumena as part of the Kalavasos-Laroumena and Arkhangelos Archaeological Research Project (K-LAARP).  The excavation was sponsored by Purchase College SUNY, and further supported by the Rust Family Foundation, the Curtiss T. & Mary G. Brennan Foundation, and the University of Western Washington.  Crucial support and logistics were provided by the Cyprus-American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI).

Drone photo of Laroumena from the northwest, Kalavasos village in the background (K-LAARP archive)

The Kalavasos area is famous for its rich archaeological record and history of excavation. The K-LAARP project targets the poorly known Middle Cypriot (MC, c.2000-1650BC) period in the valley.  Our goal is to study the transition from simple to complex societies on Cyprus that may have originated with prestige competition and communal surplus storage among local families. Laroumena is a clifftop promontory adjacent to a 60-hectare terrace complex above the Vasilikos River with many MC surface finds indicating a large settlement.  Abundant surface finds of exceptionally large Red Polished storage jar fragments on Laroumena, also seen in our excavations, indicate significant storage capacity.

We placed two 4x4m squares on a terrace above a bulldozed road cut where multiple large drystone walls were visible in a section originally cleaned by Ian Todd of the Vasilikos Valley Project survey in 1993.  Both squares yielded secure deposits.  Items of domestic character, probably related to food production and stone tool-making, were recovered alongside shell beads and a stone pendant.  Square 4N-4b quickly revealed multiple walls and a small room filled with burn deposits.  Square 4M-25b passed through a deep deposit of slopewash and reached a dense, unstable layer of gravel and pebbles rich in MC artifacts, likely indicating more MC activity on the adjacent uphill terrace.  Below the stone later was revealed a single large wall of unusual thickness (up to 0.9m) and associated floors.  An exciting find is a small black stone ground into a trapezoid, possibly a balance pan weight.  A single piece of bronze was also recovered.  Ceramic finds date these deposits to the MC.

In future seasons we will work to determine the character and function of these features and how they may relate to the adjacent settlement’s social organization and economic basis. We are particularly interested in the possibility of public architecture and boundary walls of the type that mark the late MC at other sites. The 2023 season’s assistant director was Christine Johnston and the field director was Enrico de Benedictis.

Learn more about the K-LAARP project here.

ASOR plans to award two Seger Project Grants of $2,500 each during 2024. Apply by February 26, 2024 for consideration.

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Fieldwork Report: Syeda Sukena Zehra

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Unraveling the Pollination of Kura-Araxes Culture of Georgia

Syeda Sukena Zehra, 2023 Katherine Barton Platt Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient

The Gadachrili Gora Regional Archaeological Project Expedition (GRAPE) aims to trace Georgian cultural roots back to their Neolithic ancestors by examining cultural markers on the land. The 2023 excavation season was divided into periods and culture groups to further unravel the region’s complex history.

Initially, I began work with a team of 5 at the site of Khait-Maze, which dates to the Early Bronze III. Evidence from the site points to a melding of cultures at the crossing of the rivers Kura and Araxes. Cultures of Mesopotamia and the Caucuses acted as reciprocal partners, building a material and cultural kinship. The idea of grasping history literally within one’s palms is transcendent. This year, the team expected to find funerary features because of burial pits which had been revealed during prior excavations north of the site. After preliminary topsoil removal within the 5x5m trench, 5 potential feature outlines were identified, and these were inferred to be burials, similar to the previous excavation. Archaeological context was reached at about 2m depth in a 2x5m probe started in the north in the trench. The team excavated a plaster-like floor, possibly within a building, which was an exciting find. This plaster lays on top of a caramel-y clay surface and can be seen throughout the loci.

Current interpretation suggests the excavation square is on top of a building surface rather than a burial site. This is further supported by a post hole made of wood excavated within the probe, which may indicate that the team has reached the bottom surface of the Early Bronze III architecture. Ceramic evidence also points to an Early Bronze age context with the excavation of black and red ceramics that are smooth and burnished on both sides. The team encountered very dense Roman and Late Antique ceramic deposits above the archeological horizon. These deposits were very informative in cementing the continued use of the large site as both a burial ground to the far north and as a a potential domestic area, located along a transit route throughout its history. Larger ceramic finds within the possible architectural feature showcase the Khirbet Kerak cultural influence of incised patterns and motifs on black burnished ware. Overall, the finds reveal great Levantine coastal influence on the society within this region.

In the final two weeks, I began supervising excavations of a new site estimated to date to the Neolithic along with the project’s Georgian co-director. This site, newly-named Imirchala, is located on a mound about a 10-minute drive to the west of Khait-Maze at relatively higher elevation. Initial surface survey showed a high density of obsidian micro artifacts and refuse dating to the Neolithic, but excavations did not reveal any archaeological features. The team then focused on a 4x4m trench where multiple mudbrick features, possibly storage units, were revealed. This trench also contained a fire feature in the northwest corner along the wall of the trench, which was very interesting. Although we could not confirm a Neolithic archaeological context at Imirchala during the short excavation period, the ceramic finds do point to a Bronze Age domestic setting.

Evidence from these two sites could serve to indicate the social composition of Kura-Araxes societies and the layout of mortuary and domestic areas. This is only a preliminary interpretation, but as I continue to research, we can find the changes in cultural practices that emerge when these Mesopotamian and Caucasian-Levantine cultures cross-pollinate. At both sites, ceramic bases are essential in testing for wine making or preserving activities during the Bronze Age III. These finds could greatly inform Georgian cultural roots, pointing to an amalgamation of cultures which influences modern practices. Testing these ceramics can reveal not only the possible importance of wine culture, but also how dietary practices and material culture are influenced by the interaction of multiple groups.

 
 
 

Syeda Sukena Zehra is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto specializing in archaeology with a keen interest in South-Asian and Near and Middle Eastern civilizations. Sukena aims to explore the transnational interrelationships which build culture and politics.

Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Student Support” as your gift purpose!

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2023 Geraty Grant Report

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Cultural Heritage Education and Site Conservation in Madaba, Jordan (2023): An Update on the Lawrence T. Geraty Community Archaeology Endowment

 

By Douglas R. Clark, Suzanne Richard, Andrea Polcaro, Marta D’Andrea, and Basem Mahamid

As part of a two-year distribution (2023 and 2024) from the ASOR/Lawrence T. Geraty Community Archaeology Endowment, the Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum Project (MRAMP–an American, Italian, and Jordanian collaboration co-directed by Doug Clark of La Sierra University in Riverside, CA; Suzanne Richard of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania; Andrea Polcaro of Perugia University in Perugia, Italy; and Marta D’Andrea of Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; along with in-country coordinator Mr. Basem Mahamid of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan in Amman) set out to accomplish two objectives. These included: 1) continued maintenance of the archaeological/architectural remains in the Madaba Archaeological Park West (II) where the proposed new museum will be constructed and 2) a unique and exciting new partnership focused on the education of children about their cultural heritage and how to care for it.

Fig 1: Architectural Concept Design
Fig 1: Architectural Concept Design

1) Nestled in the center of a city block which is adjacent to the King Hussein Mosque, Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church, shops and businesses tied to daily life and tourism, and accessed directly from the Madaba Heritage Trail which brings hundreds of thousands of tourists annually (300,000+ in 2022) from the Visitors Center to St. George’s Church, the Madaba Archaeological Park West (II) is extremely well located to help locals and tourists learn about the preservation of cultural heritage (Fig. 1). The Park itself contains architectural remains from the 2nd century (large paved Roman street), the 6th century (the Martyrs Church and the Burnt Palace), the early Islamic Period, and the late Ottoman Period (settlement of several buildings constructed by three tribal, Christian migrant groups arriving from Karak in the 1880s).

Since the first excavation season at the site in 2016 (focused less on vertical digging and more on horizontal clearing and cleaning down to the most recent excavations 20 years earlier), a season funded in part by a Charles Harris grant managed through ASOR, MRAMP excavated again in 2017, 2018, and 2022. The project also maintained a year-round presence from 2016 to the present to facilitate various technical investigations, training workshops, and ongoing maintenance of the site; this was possible, beginning in 2017, through collaboration with SCHEP (Sustainable Cultural Heritage Engagement through Local Communities Project), implemented by ACOR, and the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Heritage Preservation (AFCP) and the Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF), components of the US Department of State, in addition to private funding.

Fig 2: Albara

Fig 2: Albara

One of the first hires of the MRAMP team in 2017 (and also a laborer onsite in 2016) was Mr. Albara, whose work to maintain the site continues to this day, partially subsidized by MRAMP (Figs. 2, 3, 4). This partial support (a supplement to the limited wages he earns from the Department of Antiquities) to keep the site protected and pre

sentable to the thousands of annual visitors who see the spectacular and recently restored mosaics of the Burnt Palace and the Martyr’s Church was funded by the ASOR/Geraty grant in 2023.

 
 
Fig 3: Albara at work
Fig 3: Albara at work
Fig 4: Albara at work
Fig 4: Albara at work

2) From the early planning stages of the proposed new Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum, MRAMP initiated a collaboration with the Italian architectural firm of Studio Strati in Rome in order to create a concept design of the structure (Fig. 5). We have consistently envisioned a children’s education lab as part of the building; this has always been an integral component to the museum design and mission. In 2022 we were in conversation with the Petra National Trust (PNT) which operates under the auspices of Her Royal Highness Princess Dana and is run by a small group of highly qualified staff. The mission of PNT is primarily an educational one, education of children in treasuring, preserving, protecting, and promoting the cultural heritage of Jordan, so the resulting MOU between MRAMP and PNT was an ideal outcome. Because of this new and exciting collaboration, MRAMP and Studio Strati doubled the physical space allocated to children’s education in cultural heritage to two floors instead of one in the northern extension of the new museum.

Fig 5: Aerial photo of historic downtown Madaba, courtesy APAAME
Fig 5: Aerial photo of historic downtown Madaba, courtesy APAAME

While incredibly exciting and innovative, implementing this new development is a few years away, when the new museum will hopefully be completed. In the meantime, all partners agreed to set up a pilot program to test curricula, trainers, supplies and equipment, and organizational structure, in a space created in the current museum. In preparation for this pilot program, MRAMP had already purchased the necessary tables and chairs for 15 students, as well as a wall-mounted, 60-inch smart TV, now in place in one of the recently renovated display rooms (folklore) of the current Madaba museum.

The year of 2023 witnessed four separate age-specific classes—(7-9), (10-12), (13-15), and (16-18)—each tailored to age skill sets and interests. Topics covered interactively include the following: for 7-9 year-olds—My Timeline, Once upon a Time in the Stone Age, Clay Shaping our Ancient Heritage; for 10-12 year-olds—Habitat Components, Water Management, Reflection Session; for 13-15 year-olds—Archaeology as an Avenue for Employment in Jordan, The Role of an Archaeologist in Heritage Preservation, Reflection Session; for 16-18 year-olds—Collaborative Research on Cultural Heritage, Introduction to World Heritage Sites: Children Engage in Collaborative Learning, World Heritage Sites (Diorama).

Fig 6: Class photo with, from right, Suzanne Richard, second from right; Huda Amarin, center kneeling; Doug Clark, fifth from left

Fig 6: Class photo with, from right, Suzanne Richard, second from right; Huda Amarin, center kneeling; Doug Clark, fifth from left

Having attended three of the four classes in person (Fig. 6), we found them engaging, exciting, high-energy, incredibly interactive, rewarding, and, in the end, entirely successful (see below). The teacher, Ms. Huda Amarin, exhibited best-practices teaching techniques across all of these age groups (Fig. 7). The program came off so well due in large part to Ms. Huda’s role, the vision of PNT for training students in cultural heritage preservation, and the envisioning, logistical, and cheerleading functions of MRAMP, all of this funded by the ASOR/Geraty grant.

Fig 7: Huda Amarin, teacher par excellence for PNT classes
Fig 7: Huda Amarin, teacher par excellence for PNT classes

What follows are italicized direct quotes (except for figure numbers) from various parts of the official PNT narrative report of the program in 2023, accompanied by illustrative charts and photos. With plans to continue the classes into the future, we are off to a grand start.

MRAM Workshops Narrative Report

Executed by: Petra National Trust

MRAM- Madaba

25 February—4 May 2023

PNT advocates and executes sustainable management approaches for heritage sites, multifaceted projects that enhance heritage sites preservation, and implements a pioneering children education program based on cultural heritage values. PNT aims to fulfil the urgent need to protect, preserve, and conserve cultural heritage sites while promoting sustainable community benefits, including job creation and specialized capacity building programs.

The multifaceted approach of PNT and its team included involvement in projects related to archaeological conservation, ecotourism development, socio-economic development, and education. Through its Education Outreach & Awareness Programs, PNT aims to build a cadre of tomorrow’s community leaders who can work towards and advocate for effective and sustainable cultural heritage management and preservation.

The Education and Engagement Program (EEP) provides a wide range of opportunities and experiences that introduce children to the rich history of different civilizations that inhabited Jordan. This approach contributes to instilling a sense of pride in their identity and heritage as the heirs of past cultures and civilizations. The EEP introduces the culture (peoples, traditions & practices) and history of Petra, specifically and Jordan. It also introduces ecology, the importance of protecting biodiversity, and tackling threats facing cultural heritage. The program is engaging and pleasurable, and employs a student-centered and hands-on learning approach for children. It guides them to realize how to contribute to and value cultural heritage preservation.

The vision for the new museum is aligned with the principles outlined by the International Councils for Museums (ICOM) that museums must play a role in the development of contemporary society and with ICOM’s definition of the museum:

“The museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.”

To that end, the whole project in terms of community archaeology; that is, as a collaborative endeavor between MRAMP (the Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum Project) and the community, with the ultimate goal of promoting local stewardship of cultural heritage, as well as providing economic benefits.

PNT Successfully implemented four half day workshops, targeting 4 different age groups (7-9), (10-12) (13-15 and (16-18) with 15 participants in each group, with a total number of 53 female and male children from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Schools Girls (Fig. 8).

The workshops also focused on instilling positive characteristics and embed specified skillsets within the students, with a focus on

  • Identity
  • Good citizenship
  • Civic-mindedness and social responsibility
  • Commitment
  • Critical thinking and learning skills
  • Team work
  • Problem solving skills
  • Communication skills
 
Fig 8: School kids lined up to enter class
Fig 8: School kids lined up to enter class.
Workshops Highlights
  • All participants were active and attentive during the workshops and had a great time participating in the activities (Figs. 9 and 10). Based on the positive responses made by participants’ post evaluation responses compared to the pre-evaluation of the workshops as indicated in the graphs below (Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14).
  • The headmistress and teachers of the (Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Schools Girls —Madaba) were very cooperative.
  • The museum staff and their cooperation contributed to the success of the workshops.
  • The hands-on activities created an interactive learning environment among children.
  • The presence of Professor Douglas as an archaeologist had a positive impact and provided the participants’ depth understanding about cultural heritage and the importance of museums.
  • The venue as a museum serve as an educational tool for the participants, they learnt about the heritage that all
Projects being completed for class in museum
Fig. 9: Projects being completed for class in museum.
Fig 10: School kids working with clay in class
Fig 10: School kids working with clay in class.
Fig 11: PNT Report Teacher Eval
Fig 11: PNT Report Teacher Eval
Fig 12: PNT course evaluation questions
Fig 12: PNT course evaluation questions
Fig 13: PNT course evaluation scores before class
Fig 13: PNT course evaluation scores before class
Fig 14: PNT course evaluation scores post class
Fig 14: PNT course evaluation scores post class
Challenges
  • No male students in the school within the age group of (16-18)
  • The Venue capacity was limited to 15 participants only
 
Recommendations
  • PNT and MRAM will expand their outreach and will implement a 3-year program for all age groups
  • AS a trainer, I noticed that the educational environment in the museum stimulates students to integrate with cultural activities and encouraging them to connect with the heritage around.
  • Interactive learning spaces must be found in all museums, where the trainer can observe the direct impact on the participants.
 
Participants’ Quotes
  • Hiba Saidat: “It was great fun and the people who were there were very nice”
  • Tia Kildani: “I liked the place, had fun and learnt a lot of information.”
  • Noor Alfayez: “I liked the museum very much, and I enjoyed Dr. Douglas and Ms. Huda Al-Amarin”
15 First of four classes with (in the back row from the right) Huda Amarin (teacher) Khaled Hawawreh (DoA district director) and Doug Clark.
Fig. 15: First of four classes with (in the back row from the right) Huda Amarin (teacher) Khaled Hawawreh (DoA district director) and Doug Clark.
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ASOR Office Coordinator Opening

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ASOR OFFICE COORDINATOR OPENING

The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) seeks candidates for a full-time Office Coordinator. This in-person position is located at The James F. Strange Center—headquarters of ASOR, 209 Commerce St., in historic Old Town Alexandria, VA.

Founded in 1900, the ASOR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to initiate, encourage, and support research into, and public understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world, from the earliest times. Please visit www.asor.org for more information.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Maintain high-quality customer service for our 2,200 members and 16,500 Friends
  • Answer the general ASOR telephone and information e-mail account
  • Assist with ASOR’s off-site Annual Meeting (in November of each year) by providing general administrative support including but not limited to, processing payments, answering questions, and making all attendees feel welcome. Travel to the meeting may be required (once per year)
  • Provide general office support (e.g., scanning, copying, ordering supplies, and processing mail, orders, and bills)
  • Process membership dues, donations, and event registrations in organizational database (Rhythm)
  • Assist with membership and donation mailings
  • Perform other office duties as assigned; direct report to ASOR’s Director of Programs (Marta Ostovich)

Qualifications / Skills Needed:

  • Associate Degree or equivalent work experience; Bachelor’s Degree preferred
  • 2 years of office experience preferred
  • Experience with databases, Microsoft Office, WordPress (or similar), and general office management software required. Experience with social media platforms and website management (using WordPress or similar) strongly preferred
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Attention to detail; ability to multitask and to prioritize

Compensation and Benefits: Hourly pay between $20–24/hr based on experience and qualifications. Benefits include paid vacation, holidays, and sick time; employer retirement contribution after vesting period (currently 6%); and benefit dollars (currently $750 per month).

How To Apply: E-mail letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to Marta Ostovich at programs@asor.org. The letter of interest should discuss how ASOR as an organization fits into the applicant’s training and career goals. Please include your name and “ASOR Coordinator” in the subject line.

Review of applications will begin January 11, 2024, and continue until the position is filled.

ASOR is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other class protected by federal or state law (EEO/AA).

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Fieldwork Report: Marta Doglio

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A Hot and Dusty Field Season at Gird-I Matrab

Marta Doglio, 2023 P.E. MacAllister Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient
 

In 2023 I was awarded a P.E. MacAllister Scholarship that allowed me to join the Gird-I Matrab Archaeological Project (GMAP). I would like to thank the ASOR selection committee and the donors who provided this scholarship, and the director of the Gird-I Matrab project, Prof. Rocco Palermo (Bryn Mawr College), who gave me the opportunity to be part of team.

Gird-I Matrab (“the dusty mound” in Kurdish) is a multi-mound archaeological site located in the plain of Erbil, in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. This year excavations were carried out between July and August. Iraq welcomed us with its very hot, windy and dusty weather!

At Matrab, I worked as trench supervisor of Area B, a step-trench located on the main mound (Mound 1), as well as a pottery specialist. One of the goals of the 2023 season was indeed to explore the long-lasting occupation at the site, and particularly through the excavation of Mound 1.

Fig.1. 3D model of the step-trench in Area B at the end of the season (©GMAP).
Fig.1. 3D model of the step-trench in Area B at the end of the season (©GMAP).

After the initial surface scraping, our excavation immediately showed that Mound 1 featured a massive presence of Chalcolithic structures. We found numerous pits of various sizes but also clear evidence of mudbrick domestic architectures. In the best-preserved domestic unit, I excavated a fireplace, which was located in one of its corners. Two mudbricks, placed vertically in the hearth, might have served as supports for pots and jars while on the fire. The filling of the fireplace consisted of burnt, ashy soil, in which a cluster of burnt cretulae was retrieved.

Fig.2. Marta Doglio while digging the fireplace inside one of the rooms dated to the LC 2-3 (©Federico Dalla Battista).
Fig.2. Marta Doglio while digging the fireplace inside one of the rooms dated to the LC 2-3 (©Federico Dalla Battista).

The excavation in Area B confirmed that the Late Chalcolithic occupation of Gird-I Matrab spanned on a very long time. Based on the preliminary pottery analyses, Area B shows a coherent and homogeneous chronology, almost completely dating to the Chalcolithic Period, specifically Late Chalcolithic  1-2 (LC 1-2, ca. 4500–3900/3850 BCE) and Late Chalcolithic 3-5 (LC 3-5, ca. 3900/3850–3100 BCE).

Fig.3. Pottery analyses carried out during the afternoon (©Federico Dalla Battista).
Fig.3. Pottery analyses carried out during the afternoon (©Federico Dalla Battista).

During this field season at Gird-I Matrab we did not just work hard, fun was also an integral part of the campaign. During our weekends on Thursday and Friday, we took the opportunity to visit some archeological sites and cities around Erbil and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

First, we visited the city of Slemani with its wonderful archaeological museum. The week after that, we travelled to Duhok where we had the opportunity to visit two of the most important archaeological sites in the region. We first visited the Assyrian period aqueduct of Jerwan built by king Sennacherib in the 7th century BCE. Then, we had a tour of the archaeological complex of Faida, where we admired the reliefs that portray a procession of statues of seven of the main Assyrian deities, standing on podia in the shape of animals, and in the presence of the king.

Fig.4. Marta Doglio at Jerwan (©Federico Dalla Battista)
Fig.4. Marta Doglio at Jerwan (©Federico Dalla Battista)

My first excavation season at Gird-I Matrab was a wonderful experience, full of surprising discoveries. I had the opportunity to work with an amazing international team and to discover more about Kurdish culture. I visited places and I met people that contributed to my personal and academic growth. I really look forward to being back in Gird-I Matrab next year!

Fig.5. The Gird-I Matrab 2023 team with the Italian Consul at the site (©Federico Dalla Battista).
Fig.5. The Gird-I Matrab 2023 team with the Italian Consul at the site (©Federico Dalla Battista).

Marta Doglio graduated from University of Pisa (Italy) and she is currently working on graduate school applications. She is a member of several archaeological projects based in Turkey and Iraq. Her major scientific interest is in the investigation of the social and cultural phenomena that occurred during the 1st millennium BCE in South-West Asia, with a specific focus on both ceramic data and spatial analyses. You can find Marta Doglio on twitter @doglio_marta

For more information about the Gird-I Matrab Archaeological Project visit:

Website https://www.girdimatrab.com/

Twitter @gMAP_Erbil

Instagram @gmap_erbil

Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Student Support” as your gift purpose!

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ASOR Annual Year-End Appeal Letter

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Year-End Appeal Letter From ASOR’s President

December 13, 2023

Dear ASOR Members and Friends,

I am writing today to ask you to make a gift to ASOR before the end of the year. Our members’ and friends’ generosity with both money and time is what makes it possible for ASOR to accomplish its multiple missions of initiating, encouraging, supporting, and disseminating research on, and public understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world.

One of our prime methods of getting the word out about this research is our Annual Meeting, held every November. Our 2023 AM was our first hybrid meeting. There were more than 1,000 registrants, with nearly 800 attendees in-person and over 200 more participating virtually. Due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, we needed to change numerous presenters from in-person to virtual at the last minute, and I am grateful to the hard-working ASOR staff who managed that. It was not an easy meeting, but it was successful, with excellent program presenters who represented 35 countries and 6 continents.

ASOR’s work increasingly includes expanding the understanding of the importance of cultural heritage and its preservation among peoples who are often in conflict. As one of our collaborators in Niger recently put it “We have an obligation to create awareness, to teach the local political figures and religious leaders, who would hopefully teach others, to pass the message, from village, to town, to city, therefore reducing destruction to our cultural heritage, helping locals understand the utility of their heritage and its importance for our history and identity.” A big part of this process is fostering collaborations and friendships across borders and between peoples.

In this time of war, which has ripped much of the world in which we work apart and fueled growing fires of Islamophobia and Antisemitism worldwide, ASOR’s work is more important than ever. Please give to ASOR today.

With all best wishes for a better New Year,

Sharon Herbert
ASOR President

Click here for a printable donation form. 

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Shepard Urgent Action Grant Report: Post-Earthquake Action at Tell Atchana

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2023 Shepard Urgent Action Grant: Post-Earthquake Action at Tell Atchana/Hatay, Türkiye

Murat Akar, Onur Hasan Kırman, Hélène Maloigne, Müge Bulu, Tara Ingman

On February 6th, 2023, an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude hit eleven cities in southeastern Turkey and North Syria. Only 9 hours later, another earthquake of 7.6 magnitude took place, an extremely unusual natural phenomenon along the East Anatolian Fault. A third event of 6.3 magnitude, an Antakya-based earthquake, 14 days later, was followed by 30,000 aftershocks. The overall affects were on a drastic level; there is no way to comprehend the scale of destruction without physically sensing and experiencing the post-earthquake environment, particularly in Antakya, where we were witnesses to the destruction of an entire city. According to official records, over 50,000 people in Turkey and 3,000 people in Syria died, with hundreds of thousands injured. From historic buildings to modern apartments, nothing survived. In the earthquake-struck cities, over 90,000 buildings were reported to be heavily damaged and are now being demolished as unsafe.

The collapsed eastern wall of the Middle Bronze Age palace (ca. 1800-1600 BC)

Although portions of the Tell Achana site in the region were seriously damaged by the earthquakes (see below), the Tell Atchana Excavations and the Amuq Valley Research Center (AHAM), located in a village near the site of Tell Atchana, was not damaged and played a crucial role in this period of catastrophe and was turned into an operational center for humanitarian support. This showed that archaeological research centers (‘dig houses’ in conventional terms), often located outside urban areas, play a crucial role in such circumstances, and all archaeological projects should be aware and ready to respond to periods of crisis with their well-established facilities. In the weeks immediately following the earthquakes, we concentrated on developing an urgent action plan and, thanks to the response we got from our crowd funding campaign, we were able to provide containers, tents, food and medical supplies to people we were closely connected to. Since much of the humanitarian support was prioritized for people living in the city centers, we decided to help our community, the villages that we have been interacting with for more than twenty years as part of our archaeological research.

Restoration of the orthostats of the Middle Bronze Age palace
Büşra Hekimoğlu is mud plastering the courtyard walls of the Late Bronze Age palace

A second step was to establish the safety of archaeological collections by supporting our colleagues working in the same region and of the transportation of all the Amuq Valley and related excavations’ collections (Tell Tayinat, Toprakhisar Höyük and Kinet Höyük), previously stored in the city center, to our facility. Next, we undertook a damage assessment report at Tell Atchana, where the palaces exposed in the 1930s were heavily damaged during the earthquake.

Mud plastering as a collective effort to preserve the monument from further decay
Idrimi’s Palace (ca. 1500-1400 BC) after restoration efforts

The walls of the burnt mud brick palaces of the Middle and Late Bronze Ages had collapsed, stone orthostats had fallen. The modern roof construction covering the well-known palace of Idrimi (Late Bronze Age) was partially collapsed and became a potential threat to the standing remains underneath. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism conducted damage assessment report, the summer excavation plans were modified to focus on a restoration project and several grant applications were submitted to initiate the earthquake response project as quickly as possible.

Defne Bilgili and Zeynep Türker making mud bricks

The reasoning behind this was not only related to heritage preservation but also had the goal of providing a healthy and a safe environment to many of our students, who were traumatized due to the loss of their core family members, relatives, friends and their houses, their city. We took the responsibility for protecting our students through the assurance of scholarships and, most importantly, something to hold on to. This was archaeology. In a city that was lost, this created deeper bonds with the site and with a group of dedicated members. We have been onsite for more than six months now, doing fieldwork in an extremely difficult environment.

But the severity of the earthquakes was not the only factor in the scale of destruction at Tell Atchana. The site was first excavated in the 1930s and 1940s by Charles Leonard Woolley on behalf of the British Museum. His excavations exposed two extremely well-preserved palace complexes from the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, the city’s royal gate complex and a stratigraphical sequence through his deep soundings. This exposure covered roughly one third of the mound. By modern archaeological standards, this task could only be accomplished with centuries of excavations. In the first half of the twentieth century, little attention was paid to the afterlife of archaeological excavations and sustainable heritage preservation, and the site was abandoned and neglected after the termination of the excavations. Nature reclaimed the site, with teeming wildlife and deep-rooted plants that have made the architectural remains their home.

Defne Bilgili at work

The rapid decomposition of the site is partly due to the nature of building materials in the ancient Near East. Mud brick architecture is fragile, and once it is exposed, there is no way to provide long-term protection unless it is isolated from environmental stress. Of course, the millennia of building, decomposition and rebuilding have led to the familiar landscape of tell settlements in the landscapes of Anatolia, the Near East and the Levant. Since the resumption of excavation in the early 2000s, the Tell Atchana, Alalakh Excavations Team has made the preservation of the site with and for the local community one of their main foci. Over the last twenty years, Alalakh has become a publicly accessible archaeological park, with designated pathways, a viewing platform and explanatory panels. This site interpretation is particularly important for a site with a colonial-era legacy of large-scale archaeological exposure, as the different levels of the architectural remains are difficult to interpret and engage with for visitors.

Baran Kerim Ecer, Hélène Maloigne, Büşra Hekimoğlu and Defne Bilgili working at the tripartite gate
Baran Kerim Ecer lifting and stacking mud bricks

Since 2019, we have been working on removing the collapsed mud brick detritus of the walls that, to a certain extent, preserved what is left underneath. Once this was accomplished, the general layout of the building plans become understandable, and a sense of space is created. However, cleaning walls certainly means more exposure to environmental stress, and thus, a decision was made to preserve the monuments by using environmentally friendly, sustainable, and reversible methods that can be helpful in both preservation and presentation of the site. This was achieved by mud plastering. The walls, currently preserved to less than one meter high, were covered with geotextile. This helped manage the uncontrolled growth of wild plants. This layer of geotextile was then sealed by mud plaster. Such preservation and presentation methods require yearly treatment, a collective effort in which we aim to include the wider community through annual events celebrating traditional building methods and the preservation of intangible and tangible heritage. The earthquake demonstrated the effectiveness of our approaching some of the lower walls, as only the single row of bricks (20 x 20 x 40 cm) we used for capping had been destroyed, while untreated walls suffered much heavier collapse. However, the disaster has also shown that a more robust approach is needed, which requires the building of strong walls around the original walls.

Gökhan Tektaş laying mud bricks
Onur Hasan Kırman and Hikmet Eslikızı laying a course of mud bricks

The excavation season of summer 2023–partially funded by the Shepard Urgent Action Grant–was dedicated to this long-term project, and we produced and used approximately 4,500 mud bricks. We also changed the size of the bricks used to 40 x 40 x 20 cm, which required tremendous amounts of raw materials as well as physical endurance in handling mud bricks weighing up to 30kg each. Woolley’s dumps along the tell’s slopes provided the soil–which had to be first dug out from under plant growth, sifted and laid out; 3,000L of water and approximately 200 kg of straw were then added to produce a mud mixture, which was allowed to mature over night. Our bricks were made in custom-made frames, which allowed us to produce up to 200 bricks per day, which were left to dry in the sun over several days, being turned regularly to expose all sides to the air. The bricklaying itself was performed by the project director and a handful of team members trained (and strong enough) to handle the weight.

Aerial view of the tripartite gate complex, mud brick capping in progress
View of the monument in December, final consolidation efforts by Gamze Alkan

The walls were then covered by a layer of mud plaster to protect them from heavy rainfall in the winter. Despite this significant progress, a tremendous amount of work remains to be done. For example, the Middle Bronze Age palace, famous for the discovery of one of the oldest wall paintings in the Eastern Mediterranean world, was already exposed and in a fragile condition due to its destruction by an intense burning event in the past, and it is now almost completely decayed and shattered by the earthquake. In the 2024 fieldwork season, we will continue with our preservation and community outreach efforts to bring the ‘Forgotten Kingdom’ back to life.

Visit our website and follow our instagram @tellatchana to learn more.

Tell Atchana Team, 2023

Established in 2020 with annual contributions, the Shepard Urgent Action Grants program was created to support emergency and rapid response activities on archaeological sites in the greater Mediterranean region. Shepard Grants have provided $59,725 in support of projects with urgent need since the program began. While preference is given to projects and teams with current ASOR affiliation, applications will be considered from all projects. All 2023 grant funds have been awarded, and pending the receipt of funds, ASOR plans to resume accepting applications for Shepard Grants in 2024.

Read more about the grant program here.

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ASOR Cultural Heritage Programs Manager Opening

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ASOR CULTURAL HERITAGE PROGRAMS MANAGER OPENING

The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to initiate, encourage, and support research into, and public understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world, from the earliest times. Founded in 1900, ASOR has 54 consortium institutions, more than 2,200 individual members, and over 16,500 Friends. When the tangible remains of history and cultures are lost due to theft, war, climate change, and other catastrophes, ASOR’s ability to fulfill its mission is diminished. Therefore, ASOR developed the Cultural Heritage Initiatives (ASOR CHI) to protect, preserve, and present to the public the historic and cultural heritage and to raise awareness of its degradation. Through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Department of State, and generous support of non-federal organizations and donors, current ASOR CHI projects include education and stewardship programs in North Africa and the Middle East.

ASOR is looking to strengthen and expand its efforts by hiring a Cultural Heritage Programs Manager to work with the two co-directors of ASOR CHI in overseeing and administering the grants process, including identifying, developing, and writing new grant proposals. ASOR currently has 9 full-time and 7 part-time team members, who contribute to but do not work exclusively on cultural heritage projects.

The ASOR Cultural Heritage Programs Manager will ensure the successful implementation of ASOR’s program to protect, preserve, and present to the public the cultural heritage of the Near East and wider Mediterranean. The successful candidate will perform a wide variety of duties necessary for grants development and for proper program implementation, management, and monitoring, in coordination with ASOR leadership and ASOR’s Cultural Heritage Committee.

Review of applications will begin on January 8, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. To apply, send an e-mail with a letter of interest and CV or resume to programs@asor.org. Please put “CH Programs Manager application” in the e-mail subject line.

Responsibilities

  • Identify and research new funding opportunities (especially federal grants)
  • Help develop and write grant proposals
  • Aid in planning and implementing grant-supported projects and activities
  • Monitor project expenditures and results (under direction of ASOR’s Finance Manager)
  • Manage documents and deadlines
  • Work with ASOR’s Finance Manager and ASOR CHI Co-Directors to produce and communicate project financial reports, results, and other data requested from funders
  • Assist in annual and strategic planning and budget preparation for the ASOR CHI program
  • Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications/Preferred Skills

  • Degree in non-profit or cultural heritage management or business administration or the equivalent experience
  • Strong writing skills
  • Ability to work creatively with others to identify and develop new grant proposals in a deadline-driven work environment
  • Budget and accounting skills; preference for experience with U. S. federal grant compliance
  • Preference for 5 years’ experience in grant acquisition and oversight
  • Strategic thinking and analytical skills
  • Program management skills
  • Organizational and communication skills
  • Ability to represent the ASOR CHI program to funders and project directors
  • Fluency in Arabic desirable but not required
  • Work authorization in the U.S. and a valid passport from a country that permits travel to countries where ASOR conducts work

Job Specifics

  • Full-time, exempt; normally 40 hours/week
  • In-person at the James Strange Center (ASOR’s headquarters in Old Town Alexandria, VA); some remote work negotiable
  • Anticipate salary of $55,000 to $75,000, depending on experience
  • Benefits (relocation expenses not included)
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Fieldwork Report: Sarah Harrington

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Excavating at the Crossroads: A Mosaic of History

Sarah Harrington, 2023 Stevan B. Dana Scholarship Recipient

The “At the Crossroads: Arameans, Phoenicians and Israelites” project at Tel Abel Beth-Maacah is located in Northern Israel, just south of the Lebanese border. Like today, in ancient times, the Tel was located at an intersection of cultures. Abel Beth-Maacah, or ABM as it is affectionately called by its excavators sits at the Northern extent of the Kingdom of Ancient Israel, and seems at various periods to have been controlled by Israelites and Arameans, with clear Phoenician influences. Textual evidence at this site is limited, but in conjunction with material culture, particularly in the forms of art and pottery, the excavators are able to piece together an understanding of the systems of trade, influence, and interaction that this region of Northern Israel was experiencing in various periods.

Sarah (left) and a volunteer excavating a probe.

While written evidence for Abel Beth-Maacah is limited, it is not non-existent. The Hebrew Bible mentions the site in a story from the Davidic period. A “wise woman” tells Joab, one of David’s generals, that “long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it” (1 Samuel 20:18) hinting at some sort of divinatory cult at the site. In support of this idea, the archaeological material has turned up a hoard of 406 knuckle bones, or astragali bones, which were commonly used in divination rituals, from the Iron IIA (Reference). The woman also refers to Abel Beth-Maacah as a “mother in Israel”, tying the city to the Israelite Kingdom (2 Sam. 20:19). Later, the Aramean king Ben-Hadad I would conquer the northern border states of Israel, including ABM and neighboring Tel Dan, a conquest confirmed by the discovery of the Tel Dan stele erected by Ben-Hadad after his victory (1 Kings 15:20). A final piece of textual evidence comes from the site itself, where a theophoric name (a personal name which includes the name of a deity) was found on a jar in a massive storage building. Theophoric names rose to prominence in the Iron II in the Southern Levant. For ancient Israel, these are called “Yahwistic names” as they include the name of the god Yahweh. The presence of such a name suggests an Israelite presence at the site during this period.

While evidence such as names and material culture can give insight into who lives at a site during a given period, archaeologists still must proceed with caution. The Iron Age Levant was interconnected. As discussed above, political boundaries shifted, especially near borders. It was not uncommon for things like personal names or pottery styles to shift in order to give the owner a social or economic advantage. To the west, Phoenicians on the Levantine coast were trading widely in the Mediterranean during the Iron II.

Sarah excavating in Area A Downtown

At Abel Beth-Maacah, evidence for Phoenician trade is seen in the Phoenican style pottery, such as a Phoenician Bi-chrome jar, as well as a seal bearing the impression of a Phoenician ship. The seal could have been used practically, but may have also been a prestige item. It is shaped like a lotus flower, a distinctly Egyptianizing art feature, again pointing to the interconnectedness of art and trade in this period. Phoenician material culture at the site is a good example of how archaeologists must be careful when interpreting data. While it is not unlikely that some Phoneincians did reside at ABM, the presence of Phoenincian pottery does not have to mean the owners were “Phoenician,” especially when knowledge of Phoenician trade patterns is considered. People and materials were moving widely through the Levant and the Ancient Near East, and it is not surprising that the material culture reflects this.

My squares (T15/A15) with the Lebanese hills in the background.

These issues are particularly relevant for a border site like Abel Beth-Maacah. Because the ancient world was interconnected and fluid, archaeologists must connect together evidence from texts, archaeology, and art, from their own excavations and others, to piece together an understanding of the past.

For more information, please visit our website: www.abel-beth-maacah.org

A cow decided to help us sift one morning!

Sarah Harrington is a Ph.D. Student in Levantine Archaeology at UCLA. She is researching rituals of the Ancient Near East and the archaeological material associated with them. This summer she was an Assistant Area Supervisor in Area A Downtown at Tel Abel Beth-Maacah.

Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Student Support” as your gift purpose!

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Seger Grant Report: Chipped Stone Tools Excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh

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2022 Joe D. Seger Project Grant Report: Final Analysis of the Chipped Stone Tools Excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh (2003-2019)

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Selection of chipped stone artifacts excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh (figure by S. Bubel.)
Selection of chipped stone artifacts excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh (figure by S. Bubel.)
Large geometric sickle segments arranged in a curved sickle (figure by S. Bubel).
Large geometric sickle segments arranged in a curved sickle (figure by S. Bubel).

Tel Beth Shemesh was occupied from the Middle Bronze II Period through to the Assyrian conquest of the region. Excavations directed by Shlomo Bunimovitz and Zvi Lederman (Tel Aviv University) since 1990 have focused on refining the occupation phases of the site and establishing its role as a border community in the Shephelah region during the Iron Age.

Drawings of selected chipped stone artifacts from Tel Beth-Shemesh (photo by S. Bubel).
Drawings of selected chipped stone artifacts from Tel Beth-Shemesh (photo by S. Bubel).

I joined the project in 2003 and for almost 20 years I have brought students to Israel so they could learn how to carry out archaeological field work. My colleagues and I have trained more than 500 undergraduate and graduate students through the Tel Beth-Shemesh field school. As a Canadian scholar bringing large groups of students to Israel, my summers focused on student learning. Concentrating on the educational components of the project meant that during the short periods of time I spent in Israel, I had less time for the specialized analysis work required to examine the chipped stone tools. Because of the Joe D. Seger Project Grant, I was able to fulfill these research goals during a non-excavation season.

Analysis of chipped stone artifacts from Tel Beth-Shemesh (photo by S. Bubel).
Analysis of chipped stone artifacts from Tel Beth-Shemesh (photo by S. Bubel).
Shawn Bubel analyzing chipped stone artifacts excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh.
Shawn Bubel analyzing chipped stone artifacts excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh.

We have excavated more than 2700 diagnostic chipped stone artifacts at Tel Beth-Shemesh, making it one of the largest lithic assemblages amassed from a historic period site in the Levant. These specimens include cores and waste flakes (debitage) from tool production, tool blanks or preforms, and finished tools. Thousands more non-diagnostic chips and chunks of high-quality chert were also collected and examined. It was quickly clear that at least some lithic tool production was taking place on site, but a detailed study of the artifacts was needed to understand the manufacturing process and determine if certain tools were locally manufactured and others acquired through trade. Moreover, the chipped stone artifacts came from Middle Bronze II to Iron II contexts, which allowed me to study diachronic change in the chipped stone industry. This was especially exciting because Tel Beth-Shemesh is one of only a handful of sites that was continually occupied through these periods.

My analysis of the chipped stone artifacts involved a rigorous metric and qualitative assessment of the attributes of each piece. I now have a comprehensive dataset to work with and a catalogue that can be submitted the IAA and shared with other researchers. I was also able to photograph and draw select pieces for publication. With these steps complete, I can now tie my results to the larger study of cultural continuity and change from the Middle Bronze Age through to the Iron Age.

Shawn Bubel drawing chipped stone artifacts excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh.
Shawn Bubel drawing chipped stone artifacts excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh.
Subsample of the Large Geometric Sickle Segments excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh (photo by S. Bubel).
Subsample of the Large Geometric Sickle Segments excavated from Tel Beth-Shemesh (photo by S. Bubel).

I am very grateful to have received the Joe D. Seger Project Grant. Funding like this allows researchers from North America, like myself, to complete analyses on excavated materials.

-Shawn Bubel, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Lethbridge

ASOR plans to award two Seger Project Grants of $2,500 each during 2024. Apply by February 26, 2024 for consideration.

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