This fiscal year (July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024) was a record one for ASOR. Donor numbers have been steadily increasing over the past couple of years and this year 905 of ASOR members chose to make a gift of $5 or more! In addition, another 407 people made a gift of less than $5 (primarily from donations to cover credit card fees). Even better news—the cash donations in FY 2024 totaled more than $1,600,000!
Thanks to you, our generous donors, for helping ASOR carry out our mission. It is truly gratifying to see our members and friends choosing to invest in ASOR. Please review the long list of colleagues who donated to make ASOR’s work possible this fiscal year. We are still updating and checking this list, so please contact us with any corrections or comments (info@asor.org).
This large number of donors (almost half of ASOR’s membership) is something that distinguishes ASOR from all other learned societies. And it matters, as the high level of donor participation from our membership engages the attention of foundations and major donors outside ASOR and helps us attract gifts and support from them.
Your donations also enable ASOR to carry out our mission. Subscriptions and memberships only account for about a quarter of our annual budget, so we rely on grants and donations from our members and friends. Even modest gifts add up to create significant support for ASOR, Truly, every donor is important, and every gift is meaningful.
2024 Collections Fellowship Report: Social Mobility of the Medieval Mediterranean: The Case of the Franciscan Custody
Jon Paul Heyne, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Dallas
Shortly after the collapse of the Crusader States in the late thirteenth century, small bands of Franciscan friars traveled to Jerusalem to undertake a daunting task: the renewal of a Latin Christian presence in the Holy Land. Courting patronage from the monarchs and pontiffs of Europe and cooperation from the Mamluk sultans of Egypt, the friars succeeded in their project. Forming the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land c.1333, they gained not only important rights at many of the Holy City’s Christian shrines but also ownership of plots of property—with gardens, cisterns, and residences—first on Mt. Sion in Jerusalem but then later in Bethlehem and Ramla.
Beyond significantly marking a new phase in Latin Christian relations with the Levant, this establishment of the Franciscan Custody demonstrates the social fluidity of the Late Medieval Mediterranean. In uprooting themselves from the Latin West to reside in the Islamic world of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Franciscans dramatically altered their social dynamics with numerous parties—rising in standing in the eyes of some, falling to a minority status in the eyes of others, and taking on social relations with many whom they would never have encountered without making the transit across the sea.
In front of the Franciscan Archivio Storico della Custodia di Terra Santa in Jerusalem. Photo courtesy of author.
With generous funding from ASOR’s Collections Fellowship and the assistance of archivist Fr. Narcyz Klimas, I returned to the Franciscan Archivio Storico della Custodia di Terra Santa to hunt down several unedited purchase deeds related to the history of the Custody. Seemingly dull and overly formulaic, these deeds recount the friars’ acquisition of properties throughout the Holy Land and thus offer some of the most concrete evidence for the development and expansion of their presence in the region in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Additionally, these records provide fascinating details on the Franciscans’ relationships with others in the area, illustrating how the friars negotiated with local Muslim authorities, Italian laywomen, merchants in Ramla, and Armenian archbishops (to name just a few). As I continue the work of transcribing and translating these documents, I offer my sincerest thanks to ASOR and its donors for this opportunity to advance my research.
Examining one of the records related to the history of the Custody. Photo courtesy of author.
Emilie Nordhues, 2023 G. E. Wright Scholarship Recipient
This past summer I had the opportunity to participate in a study season for the Tel Dan excavation, a site at which I excavated in 2022. The aim of most study seasons is to work toward the publication of excavated material; a study season also provides time to re-examine the finds and stratigraphy from excavation and so test the interpretation of the data which was formed during excavation.
One of the main tasks of this study season was laying out all pottery from the same stratum (material of roughly the same time period at the site) and checking if any of the loci (a stratigraphic excavation unit, like a floor or a pit) contained unexpected material. Certain forms of pottery change more quickly, making them good indicators of date. Since we were working with material from the Late Bronze Age-Iron 1 transition we paid close attention to the cooking pots – in the Late Bronze Age these have an everted rim and in the Iron 1 they have a vertical rim. Thus, cooking pots were a good type of pottery to watch for anything unexpected within a locus or stratum. In an ideal world, all the pottery from the same stratum should reflect the same date.
Some of the pottery which we laid out – it frequently covered more than one table!
There were many instances where the information gained from laying out the pottery matched our initial interpretations. In this case, it was good to have confirmation and it provided a great opportunity for me to grow more familiar with pottery forms. Other times we needed to adjust our interpretation when we reexamined the data. For example, we realized that part of one locus was mixed with later material from a pit which had been missed in excavation. When we returned to the field notes, this also matched observations about an area with a slightly different soil composition. While the pottery was out, several pieces were also selected for illustration.
A picture of me from the 2022 excavation season, featuring some of the pits which we did not miss. Photo credit: Sarah Harrington.
Although much of the study season was spent looking over tables filled with pottery, this did not account for the entire study season. One of the more fun and satisfying things we got to do after laying out the pottery was restoration. Sometimes, excavations will recover a large portion of a vessel; if it is broken when it is discovered (which is very often the case), you do not always know how much of it was preserved. Restoration, then, is a three-dimensional puzzle to fit together pieces that belong to the same vessel. Depending on how many pieces the item was in, this can also clarify the original shape of the object.
Finally, work was also done to lay out other artifacts – excavations may also uncover figurines, tools, beads, and many other items that people used in the past. These can frequently reveal a lot about daily life. During the study season, we made sure that all these artifacts were accounted for and took photographs and measurements of many of them.Decisions were also made about whether the Tel Dan team would be able to adequately research and publish this material or if an expert (e.g., in metalworking) would need to be called in to work with the material.
Partway through the restoration of a cooking pot rim – one of the first steps was always to figure out which pieces connected to each other; the color of the rim is due to char from the use of the cooking pot.
The same cooking pot, with restoration completed, representing all of the pieces which were found during excavation.
An example of other objects we looked at this summer – these are some of the grinding stone pieces from Tel Dan, which would have been used to grind grain.
All this work has helped move some of the Tel Dan material toward publication. After all, without a solid understanding of the stratigraphy and the artifacts from the site, it is very challenging to write a final report. I look forward to the eventual publication of this material! It will be very cool to see the next stage of the process when I know something of its excavation and study season work.
Emilie Nordhues is a graduate student in the Near Eastern Languages & Cultures Department at UCLA. Her research interests lie in the Achaemenid period and include dealing with identity formation, the impact of empire on daily life and religious practices, and the mobility and impact of various communities of practice (such as craftsmen).
Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Excavation Scholarships” as your gift purpose!
The Officers Nominations Committee of the American Society of Overseas Research announces a General Call for Candidates for service as Officers of the Corporation. All officers serve on the ASOR Executive Committee. Nominating an officer is an important way for members to participate in the governance of their organization, and we encourage you to nominate or self-nominate!
Two positions are currently open for nominations:
President of ASOR: this person leads the organization, supervises the Executive Director, and is the public face of ASOR. The term of office for this position is three years beginning January 1, 2026; however, the actual total minimum commitment will be five years with the first year (calendar year 2025) as President Elect, followed by a three-year term of office (calendar year 2026-28), and a final year as Past President (calendar year 2029). The position is renewable for a second three-year term. A general description of the Office of President and its responsibilities is in the ASOR Bylaws (see Article IV, Section 4.4). The President is expected to attend all appropriate meetings of the corporation and be available for other travel as necessary.
NOTE: After much discussion, the Board of Trustees approved the role of President Elect and reduced the term of Past President in May 2024. Both changes will require revision to the Bylaws, which we expect to be approved at the November meeting before voting on the President Elect. The changes were intended to shorten the total commitment required by an individual to serve as ASOR President and thus potentially attract more nominations for this important office. A strong majority on the Board also felt there should be no expectation or preference for the ASOR President to serve a second three-year term since we want to encourage nominations of individuals who plan to seek one term as well as those who might be interested in two terms.
Secretary of ASOR: this person is responsible for the minutes of all meetings of the corporation and acts as custodian of the official records of ASOR. The term of office for this position is three years beginning January 1, 2025. The position is renewable for a second three-year term. A general description of the Office of Secretary and its responsibilities is in the ASOR Bylaws (see Article IV, Section 4.9). The Secretary is expected to attend all appropriate meetings of the corporation.
Inquiries should be addressed to Bob Mullins (ramullins@apu.edu), Chair of the Officers Nominations Committee. The other members of the committee are Carol Meyers, Lisa Ackerman, Rick St.-Hilaire, and Sarah Costello, Sharon Herbert (ex-officio, voting), Sheldon Fox (ex-officio, voting), and Andy Vaughn (ex-officio, non-voting).
Nominations should include the candidate’s name, the position for which the candidate is nominated, a one-paragraph academic biography – including membership and activities in ASOR, a brief statement as to why the candidate would be appropriate for the position, and the candidate’s contact information. Self-nominations are encouraged. The Officers Nominations Committee will ask semi-finalists to submit further information, including, but not limited to, a CV and a vision statement.
Nominations should be submitted via e-mail to Bob Mullins (ramullins@apu.edu), Chair of the Officers Nominations Committee. Review of applications and nominations will begin on August 15, 2024, and continue until the position is filled.
The Officers Nominations Committee expects to present nominees for President Elect and Secretary to the ASOR Board of Trustees for a vote at the November 24, 2024 Board meeting in Boston, MA.
What We Lose in Wars. A Personal View from the President of ASOR.
I have served nearly 5 years as President of ASOR. Much of the past year, since October 7th, has been taken up in discussions about statements: should ASOR as an organization say something, anything, about current political events, most urgently the war in Gaza? As a group dedicated to the study of the past from multiple viewpoints, we have elected for the most part (See ASOR’s single statement of Oct. 16th, 2023, behind which I still stand.) to remain silent. We are not as an organization taking sides. This has the dubious advantage of pleasing no one. Despite its disadvantages, I share the consensus of ASOR’s leadership—my fellow Officers, Executive Committee, and Board of Trustees—that this is the best path for an organization that seeks to provide a welcoming forum where all our members feel free to express their opinions.
Today, I write my own thoughts as one archaeologist who has spent a long career documenting the past in Greece, Israel, and Egypt, and who has been entrusted with the leadership of ASOR by you, its members.
Archaeologists love disasters. Perversely, destruction preserves. Fire bakes unfired clay into nearly indestructible ceramic. Paper documents are turned to ash; stones and pots bear silent witness to people forever lost. In our more macabre moments we archaeologists joke that we love nothing more than a good earthquake or volcanic eruption. We are the ambulance chasers of antiquity, examining, some would say desecrating, the dead in the name of science. We train ourselves to be dispassionate spectators, but of course that is impossible. Each of us, based on our own upbringing, background and experience, reacts viscerally to past and present acts of destruction and loss of life.
ASOR’s core mission is the preservation and study of antiquities in the Near East and wider Mediterranean. We cannot study what war has irrevocably destroyed. Today we face a war in Gaza that scholars estimate has damaged or destroyed at least 57% of all buildings in the territory—the Great Omari Mosque, Saint Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church, and Pasha Museum in Gaza City to name only three that touch directly on ASOR’s fields of study. In recent years we have seen the destruction of countless sites in Syria and Iraq—the vast Hellenistic city of Dura-Europos reduced to looters’ potholes, much of Palmyra, rubble, countless lives lost and many others crippled.
I ask myself, we all ask ourselves, what can ASOR do in the face of such destruction? Never enough. Beyond our core mission to initiate, encourage, and support research into, and public understanding of the history and cultures of the Near East we are striving to do what we can, where we can, when we can to help our colleagues in need. We pick up the pieces after disasters with our Shepherd Urgent Action Grants. We raise funds to help displaced students continue their educations, we work with local citizens to document and publish their pasts and present efforts to preserve them using open access computer programs. These are only a few of the things we are doing today as we strive to document and save the monuments of past peoples. It can never be enough; no number of monuments can compensate for even a single life lost; but with the help of our members we persevere—one day, one memory at a time.
I am proud to be a member of ASOR even in these dark times. I hope you are as well. I would welcome thoughts from you, our members, on more ways we can act positively in this troubled region.
A colossal basalt statue was uncovered through rescue excavation in downtown Amman, Jordan in 2010. Despite the statue’s Roman period find context, its form and motifs show it to be an Iron Age sculpture, and geoscientific testing indicates a regional quarry source. Comparison with an established corpus of Iron Age stone sculpture from Amman shows the Amman Theater Statue shares the distinct iconography of a series of Amman male statues portraying deities and human rulers. Broader art-historical comparisons from Egypt, the Levant, and Mesopotamia indicate that the statue dates ca. 850-825 B.C.E., that it belonged to an Ammonite royal ancestor cult, and that in that setting it portrayed a deified, deceased Ammonite king. Archaeological and epigraphic evidence accompanying those broader Near Eastern comparisons, especially those from Syro-Anatolian political capitals from Iron Age II, and archaeological evidence from Amman indicate that the Amman Theater Statue was incorporated into an architectural structure, either a building façade or monumental gate, on the Amman Citadel (Jabal al-Qal’a), along its southern ascent, or just beyond its southern slope.
With contributions by Romel Gharib and Don F. Parker.
Annual of ASOR, Volume 75, Series Editor William Caraher, December 2023, 220 pages, 15 b/w illustrations, 41 color illustrations, 6 tables. ISBN 9780897571197, $85.95.
Special Offer for ASOR Members
ASOR members (with a mailing address in the USA) can purchase a copy of AASOR 75 at the discounted price of $30.00 (65% discount + $5.00 US shipping) while supplies last. Purchases are restricted to one volume per member. We are unable to offer this discount to members without a US mailing address due to international shipping costs, but you can purchase and ship a copy through the ISD link below. Please contact programs@asor.org with any questions. Click here to purchase your discounted copy in ASOR’s online store.
Jason T. Herrmann, University of Pennsylvania: Phoenician Roots in a Punic City (Sicily, Italy)
Sarah A. James, University of Colorado Boulder: The Brač Island Project (Croatia)
Jennifer Ramsay, SUNY-Brockport, Björn Anderson,University of Iowa, and Craig Harvey, University of Alberta: Exploring Continuity and Transition in Southern Jordan
Stevan B. Dana Project Grant for Israel
Bethany J. Walker, University of Bonn: Study of Cultivation Strategies at Khirbet Beit Loya (Israel)
Charles Harris Project Grants
Alexander J. Smith, SUNY-Brockport: Menorca Archaeological Project (Spain)
Joe D. Seger Project Grant
Khaled Abu Jayyab, University of Toronto: Paths to Urban Growth in the Nineveh Plain (Iraq)
Asil Yaman, University of Pennsylvania: Phoenix Archaeological Project (Turkey)
Shepard Urgent Action Grants
Gia Chilingarashvili, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University: Rescue Excavation of a Chalcolithic Settlement in South-West Georgia
Caroline Angle Maguire, University of Maryland: Decolonizing Knowledge: Reclaiming Colonial Museums in Francophone North and West Africa (Tunisia)
Study of Collections Fellowships
Jennie Ebeling, University of Evansville: Analysis of Ground Stone Artifacts from Tell en-Nasbeh, Palestine at the Badè Museum of Biblical Archaeology
Holly Winter, University of Sydney: The Land Behind Aleppo: Urban Life and State Formation in Bronze Age Syria at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
Mesopotamian Fellowship
Elizabeth Gibbon, University of Toronto: The Halaf-Ubaid Transition at Tepe Gawra (Iraq)
Jeiran Jahani, Columbia University: Animal Art: Domesticating Wild Ecologies of the First Cities (Iraq)
This past summer afforded me the extraordinary privilege of participating in fieldwork at Tell el-Hesi, collaborating with University of Michigan PhD candidate Kara Larson in her research for her doctoral dissertation, as well as joining the Mississippi State University Field School to conclude excavations at Khirbet Summeily. During the initial phase of the field season, we broke ground with the first excavations at Tell el-Hesi since the 1970s, with plans for continued excavation over multiple seasons. This archaeological site had undergone extensive previous excavations, with projects dating back to 1890-1892 and another in 1970-1977 conducted by the Joint Archaeological Expedition to Tell el-Hesi with these prior endeavors primarily concentrated on the Tell and the upper city of the site; however, the 1970 expedition conducted a probe off the Tell in field IV, delving into the site’s broader stratigraphy to achieve a holistic understanding of the ancient city. It was the findings from this probe that influenced our selection of the excavation site for our work.
The Tell el-Hesi team!
In the latter part of my field season, I participated in excavations at Khirbet Summeily, an Iron Age administrative and trade outpost. Collaborating with the Mississippi State University crew provided not only invaluable archaeological experience but also the opportunity to establish meaningful connections within our shared field of study and a collective camaraderie forged beneath the blazing sun.
An unexpected excavation volunteer.
A typical field day began by aiming to beat the scorching heat. Ideally, we woke at 4 a.m., prepared breakfast, and ensured we had enough water before heading to the site by 5 a.m. More often than not, the allure of the snooze button prevailed, leading to a rush to get ready and make it to the vehicles on time. Upon arrival at the site, our initial tasks included setting up shade cloths, unloading tools, and beginning excavation. Throughout the day, we took short breaks for morning coffee, a mid-morning breakfast, and a refreshing fruit break toward the end, vital after long hours when it was beginning to heat up. Around 12:15 p.m., as the temperature climbed, we finished our excavation activities, cleaned up, and left the site by 12:30 p.m., eagerly returning for lunch and a much-needed shower. The midday break allowed for short naps which many of our crew took frequent advantage of. After this afternoon break, while most other students washed pottery, I had the privilege of illustrating notable sherds found during excavation. As an interdisciplinary art and archaeology student, this role allowed me to refine my skills and define my niche.
Saying hello to a visitor to the site.
Words of motivation!
Weekends provided a welcome respite with trips to explore renowned archaeological sites, culturally significant locations, and the region’s must-see attractions. Among the memorable highlights were the experience of floating in the Dead Sea (a word of caution – avoid getting the water in your eyes, trust me, it’s not pleasant), visiting Masada, where some of our team braved climbing the snake path while others took in views from the gondola, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, and my personal favorite was the opportunity to explore Jerusalem’s Old City.
In summary, my journey of working and learning at Tell el-Hesi and Khirbet Summeily during the summer has been profoundly transformative. The experiences, knowledge, and friendships I acquired have enriched both my academic and personal growth. As I reflect upon the early mornings, sweltering days, and the discoveries we unearthed together, I am deeply moved by the generosity of ASOR and the donors to the Katherine Barton Platt Fellowships for making this journey possible. The opportunity to collaborate with fellow scholars and engage in interdisciplinary research that fuses art and archaeology has solidified my love for this field. I am unwavering in my commitment to carry forward the knowledge and experiences from this fieldwork season in my academic pursuits, aspiring to make meaningful contributions to the field of archaeology. I extend my heartfelt gratitude once more for this extraordinary opportunity, which has unquestionably shaped my future aspirations and goals.
Danielle (Dani) Tutak is a senior pursuing dual degrees in art and design and anthropological archaeology at the University of Michigan. She is passionate about the potential of interdisciplinary research using insights and methods from diverse fields of study and experimenting with unexpected methods of science communication and documentation. Her upcoming projects and goals include finishing her anthropology honors thesis in archaeological research, completing her senior art thesis exploring historical and modern approaches to understanding the past, and graduating and moving on to the next adventure.
Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Excavation Scholarships” as your gift purpose!
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]Currently, 137 projects are affiliated with ASOR. This includes 108 field projects and 29 publication projects. Seven new projects have received ASOR affiliation since last summer. Read more about these new ASOR-affiliated projects below!
Paths to Urban Growth in the Nineveh Plain (PUG) explores the origins of early urbanism in Northern Iraq during the 5th and 4th millennia BC through excavations at the sites of Tepe Gawra and Tell ‘Arna/Gogjeli. Tepe Gawra has been the hallmark site for the development of complexity during the Ubaid and Late Chalcolithic periods in the ancient Near East. Past excavations at the site revealed a local development of a sophisticated infrastructure manifest in construction of temples, monumental architecture, and elaborate administrative technologies. Due to these features, Tepe Gawra has been characterized as an administrative centre atop of a regional polity. However, recent survey carried out by our team at Tepe Gawra has identified the presence of a lower town, potentially indicative of the presence of domestic occupation. Further, due to the lack of excavated sites of the same time period in the surrounding region, it is difficult to determine if the features identified at Tepe Gawra are unique, or if the features that characterize it are common at other sites in the Nineveh Plain, such as Tell ‘Arna/Gogjeli. Excavations at Tell ‘Arna/Gogjeli allow us to compare the processes occurring at the two sites, test regional assumptions on the centrality of Tepe Gawra, assess networks of interactions within the region, and build a more complete picture on the process of urban developments in northern Iraq.
A Clash of Kings — South-central Anatolian political geography between Phrygia and Assyria, Cappadocia, Turkey (Michele Massa)
Carved depiction of Great King Hartapu, who ruled in the 8th century BCE in the Konya Plain.
This three-year project aims to reconstruct the political geography of the Tabalian confederation, a group of small kingdoms in south-central Anatolia (Türkiye) that existed during the late 9th-early 7th centuries BCE squeezed in between the two major powers of the time, Phrygia and Assyria. While we have extensive written sources (including Assyrian annals and local Luwian monumental inscriptions) and significant archaeological data (excavated and surveyed settlements and forts, landscape monuments) covering this period, very little interdisciplinary research has been done to synthesize them into a coherent picture.
Our goal is to reassess this varied evidence within an integrative analytical environment where we can combine conceptual frameworks and methods stemming from history, philology, landscape archaeology and digital archaeology. We plan in particular to (a) create high-resolution 3D and RTI models of key Luwian inscriptions; which in turn (b) provide improved translations of these monuments, particularly those shedding light on relations between different Tabalian rulers; and (c) integrate textual-borne evidence with a GIS-led analysis of human and natural landscapes to sketch the diachronically changing Tabalian power networks and map them onto real-world geographies.
Çadır Höyük is located on the north central Anatolian plateau. There has been continuous occupation at Çadır for at least 6,000 years (late 6th millennium BCE to the 13th century CE). Excavations commenced in 1994, continuing to the present time. Steadman is the fourth project director, preceded by Gorny (1994-2009), McMahon (with whom she co-directed, 2010-2019), and Şerifoğlu (2020-2021). Excavations include (trenches are 10 x 10 m): ten trenches exposing the Chalcolithic occupation (lower S slope); over ten trenches dedicated to Byzantine occupation (summit); six trenches focused on Hittite/Bronze Age occupation (N and E slope); four trenches dedicated to the Iron Age (various areas); previous excavations and a few current trenches having investigated the Classical/Hellenistic periods.
We have a housing/research compound which comfortably houses 30 people. A four room-lab provides ample research area. A newly-built conservation lab is separate. We have a two-room equipment storage facility, and a three-room storage depot for archaeological materials. A guard lives at this compound year-round.
Our senior research team has been with the project for a decade or more. Each year we train undergrad/grad students, from Türkiye and elsewhere, in field and lab methods. We have a strong and inclusive publication history.
[/vc_wp_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]
Horvat Midras Excavation Project, Israel (Orit Peleg-Barkat, Gregg E. Gardner)
[/vc_wp_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_wp_text]This project aims to enhance our understanding of rural life in the Southern Levant by excavating Horvat Midras, Israel, the site of an ancient village with several phases of occupation over two millennia. We are especially interested in understanding the village’s social and religious character, how it changed, its daily life, and the impact of military conflicts, migration, and resettlement efforts. Located between Jerusalem and the Mediterranean coast, in the Shephelah or Judean Foothills region, Horvat Midras was inhabited by several different groups from the 4th century BCE to 16th century CE, including Idumeans, Jews, Roman polytheists, Byzantine Christians, and Muslims under the Umayyads, Mamluks, and Ottomans. Our initial surveys and excavations suggest that the site was profoundly transformed following the Roman suppression of the Second Jewish Revolt in 132-136 CE, which was followed by Roman resettlement of the village and construction projects that would have an enduring impact. This project began in 2015 with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology and since 2018 has been a joint-venture together with the University of British Columbia (Canada).[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][mk_padding_divider][vc_single_image image=”96589″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][vc_single_image image=”96590″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]
Exploring Continuity and Transition in Southern Jordan (Jennifer Ramsay, Bjorn Anderson, Craig Harvey)
The Exploring Continuity and Transition in Southern Jordan (CTSJ) project is a multi-disciplinary group of American and Canadian collaborators that plan to conduct a survey focusing on sites previously identified as having evidence of multiperiod occupation between Petra and Humayma in southern Jordan. The main aim of this survey is to investigate these archaeological sites for signs of continuity or shifts in cultural practices over time, specifically between the Iron Age and the Nabataean period. While several sites in the region have undergone preliminary surveys noting material culture from various periods, only a few have been extensively excavated. Many of the sites identified have very limited information and no chronological verification from excavations. Therefore, our primary interest lies in enhancing our understanding of Nabataean prehistory, particularly regarding cultural activities (ritual, funerary, agriculture, engineering) during the Iron Age and their continuity or transition into the Nabataean period. There is a significance gap in our understanding of this period (approx. 539-300 BCE) in the prehistory of Jordan, which needs to be addressed. A review of published archaeological findings in the area has revealed this gap in our comprehension of this period, which has prompted new research inquiries that can only be addressed initially through a survey of specific sites in the region.
Since 1977, the University of Palermo has led research at the site of ancient Motya, an island city in western Sicily founded by Phoenician colonists in the 8th century BCE that grew into a strategic Carthaginian center. This project made several noteworthy contributions to the scholarship of the Mediterranean in its early years, including the documentation of a large pottery workshop that features kilns of Levantine tradition and the revelation of the world-renowned “Youth of Motya” statue, a mid-5th century BCE masterpiece crafted of Parian marble. After 2013, the Palermo Archaeological Mission has grown to become a multinational project with active collaborations with the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Tübingen. Current research foci at Motya include the excavation of pre-Phoenician contexts to understand Bronze Age land use and settlement, excavation of Punic monumental buildings and public spaces, excavation of the archaic necropolis coupled with bio-archaeological and genetic research, and extensive geophysical prospection, surface survey, and test excavations to understand the development of Motya’s urban structure and changes in the ethnic identities of its residents over time. These ongoing research efforts are integrated with education including a field school where students from the University of Palermo and elsewhere come together to gain experience in all facets of archaeological fieldwork.
The Sebittu Project is a long-term study of the agrarian economies and environmental impacts of imperial expansion during the Iron Age of Iraqi Kurdistan. Centered on a cluster of seven villages, hamlets, and farmsteads in the Erbil Plain, the Sebittu Project looks at Neo-Assyrian imperial economy through a “bottom-up” perspective. The Sebittu Project focuses on the collection and intepretation of paleobotanical, zooarchaeological, and environmental data from primary contexts to address broad research questions regarding models of Assyrian imperial expansion, internal organization of agrarian settlements, regional economies, paleoenvironment conditions, and human impacts on the landscape.
The Publications Committee of the American Society of Overseas Research announces a call for nominations (self-nominations welcome) for the position of Editor of Near Eastern Archaeology for a term to begin January 1, 2025. ASOR Journal Editors serve a three-year term (eligible to be renewed once).
Near Eastern Archaeology, the more popular publication of ASOR, brings to life the ancient world from Mesopotamia to the wider Mediterranean with authoritative analyses and vibrant images. NEA (ISSN 1094-2076) is published four times each year (quarterly) in March, June, September, and December.
The Editor of Near Eastern Archaeology currently receives an annual stipend of $13,000. The Editor—working with an Assistant Editor, Editorial Board, the Publications Committee, and ASOR’s publishing partner The University of Chicago Press—holds full editorial control ofNear Eastern Archaeology. The editor works remotely but is expected to attend the ASOR Annual Meeting to attend both the annual Committee on Publications meeting and the annual meeting of the NEA Editorial Board.
Self-nominations are preferred and should include the following items: 1) a one-paragraph academic biography; 2) a brief statement describing why the candidate is interested in the position; and 3) contact information (including e-mail and telephone number). If a candidate is being nominated by another person, we seek the candidate’s name, a short academic history, a brief statement describing why the candidate would be appropriate for the position, contact information, and, most importantly, a statement from the candidate that she or he agrees to being nominated.
Candidates are also encouraged to contact the current editor, Stephanie Budin (nea-editor@asor.org), or the Chair of the Publications Committee, Kevin McGeough (kmcgeough@gmail.com), for more information about the position and its responsibilities. Nominations for the position should be directed to the ASOR Office c/o Marta Ostovich (programs@asor.org).
Review of applications will begin on September 15, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. The Publications Committee intends to recommend a candidate to the ASOR Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees and the full ASOR Board before the Annual Meeting in Boston in November 2024.
Danielle (Dani) Tutak is a senior pursuing dual degrees in art and design and anthropological archaeology at the University of Michigan. She is passionate about the potential of interdisciplinary research using insights and methods from diverse fields of study and experimenting with unexpected methods of science communication and documentation. Her upcoming projects and goals include finishing her anthropology honors thesis in archaeological research, completing her senior art thesis exploring historical and modern approaches to understanding the past, and graduating and moving on to the next adventure.
