ASOR STUDENT AND EARLY CAREER MEMBERS CAN RECEIVE THE GITIN POTTERY VOLUMES FOR FREE
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In order to further support ASOR’s Student and Early Career Members, we are giving away (at least) 60 sets of Seymour Gitin’s The Ancient Pottery of Israel and Its Neighbors from the Iron Age through the Hellenistic Period. These volumes are an outstanding resource—indeed, many are calling them “The Ceramics Bible.”
This special offer is made possible by five anonymous donors who have made contributions so that Undergraduate, Graduate, and Early Career Members of ASOR can receive these amazing volumes for free. Because we anticipate that more than 60 eligible people will want to claim this resource, we are asking eligible members to complete a Google form by April 10, 2018, to be entered in a lottery. ASOR will select 60 members at random, and we will have the Israel Exploration Society ship the sets to the recipients by surface mail.
Please do not hesitate to contact the ASOR office (617-990-3193) if you have any questions. Again, please submit your entry before April 10th.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
As an Australian, one of the advantages of coming to Israel to dig in June and July each year is getting to miss the coldest part of winter back home in Sydney. May I say though, this pales in comparison to the real reasons I returned this year to excavate for a second season at Tel Abel Beth Maacah, or ABM as its friends call it. For a start, the site is very relevant to my own doctoral research on the archaeology and history of the United Monarchy and Iron Age IIA period, being mentioned a few times in connection with David’s reign, most particularly 2 Samuel 20. It is also located at the cross-roads of different Iron Age identities or “ethnic groups”, the Israelites, Phoenicians and Arameans, which makes for a fascinating research question and many nerdy conversations on the sociopolitical place of the area itself.
But digging at any site, however relevant it is to one’s research, is only going to be as good as the project itself and the people you are digging with. I am very fortunate in saying that at ABM the work, the atmosphere and especially the people make it fantastic place to come and excavate, whether it’s an exciting or a more lacklustre day in terms of the finds. This starts from the top; our three co-directors, Prof. Bob Mullins of Azusa Pacific University and Drs Nava Panitz-Cohen and Dr Naama Yahalom-Mack of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem set the tone as all good leaders do. It’s one of informality and friendliness alongside collaboration and academic excellence, and it filters down to all the staff and volunteers and to the work we do. This was a tougher year than in 2016 when I first dug at ABM in terms of hot weather but probably surpassed it in terms of discoveries.
Our three directors plus a distinguished visitor, Prof. Amihai Mazar.
ABM is located in the far north of Israel in the Hulah Valley, a 15-20 minute bus ride each morning (if 4.15am is really morning and not still night) from our lodgings at the laid-back Kibbutz Kfar Szold. It is so far north in fact that we have the Golan Heights and views of Mt Hermon on the east and the hills of Lebanon overlooking the Tel on the west. Although the site has produced finds from different periods spanning the Early Bronze to the 20th century, the Middle Bronze Age, Iron Age I and Iron Age II are particularly well represented so far. We had four areas open this year, Areas A, F and O in the lower city and my area, Area B in the upper city. Much of the upper city is overlain by two old army bunkers built out of rubble from the village that occupied the site until the 1940s, so much of it is hard to access archaeologically. Area B sits in part of the upper city below the rubble capping, and before this year had already produced a rampart from the Middle Bronze Age, upon which was built a building from the Iron Age I, a large wall from the Iron Age II and a few phases of architecture from the Persian and Hellenistic period.
The crew of Area B near the start of the season.
This year our major discovery, on top of some great small finds and new phasing, was a second large wall from the Iron Age II running parallel to the one already known with what appear to be cross-walls connecting them. There was much discussion about whether we might have a casemate wall system similar to that from the Iron Age IIA at Hazor, but this is hard to confirm at this point. A big part our work in Area B this year was opening up two new squares on the west, which included D19, for which I was the square supervisor. We first encountered there the partially-collapsed remains of a building probably from the Hellenistic period and below that remains of another building of the Persian-Hellenistic period that had already been found in other squares. Last season I and some volunteers removed part of that building and we did the same this year. As this building stood between me and the Iron Age, I enjoyed dismantling this building this year just as much as I did last year! By the end of the season we had begun to reveal some more of one of the large Iron Age II walls and maybe even part of the another cross-wall. The Area B crew is quite representative of the makeup of ABM’s people in general, a mix of mostly Israelis and those from US partner institutions including Trinity International University and Cornell University (though you’ll find them all together in Area A, those Ivy-League types) plus those like me or our Canadian office manager/osteoarchaeologist/organizational genius Claire who joined the project of their own accord.
Square D19 towards then end of the season.
The personal and professional connections I’ve made among them make the dig both an enjoyable and intellectually rousing place to be. My thanks go to all of them and especially to Bob, Nava and Naama, as well as those who’ve funded me this year, Macquarie University and of course ASOR. Regrettably I think thesis completion will keep me from coming back in 2018, so for whoever is willing to fill in for me (hopefully another Aussie to keep the Yanks in line), they can find more information on the dig website and Facebook page.
Zachary Thomas is a PhD candidate in the Department of Ancient History at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. His doctoral thesisre-examines the history and archaeology of the United Monarchy of ancient Israel and the Iron IIA period through scholarship on the native understanding of society in the ancient Near East. His wider research interests include archaeological theory and interpretation, Iron Age ceramics, and the history and sociology of the Levant in the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages.
“DO YOU HEAR THAT SOUND? ALL ABOARD THE BUCKET TRAIN!”
Christy Grobmeier, 2017 Member Supported Excavation Fellowship Recipient[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Sponsored by the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and led by Drs. Shimon Gibson and James Tabor, the current excavation of Mount Zion continues the work begun by Magen Broshi in the 1970s. The site which lies on the south side of Jerusalem and just outside the current Zion Gate proves one of the most fascinating and enigmatic in Israel. This year, thanks to the generous support of a donor scholarship through ASOR, I’m fortunate enough to be working directly under Dr. Shimon Gibson where I handle the recording of pottery, accounting matters, and other clerical duties after getting down and dirty in the trenches and conducting The Bucket Train – the most exciting bucket chain in the history of archaeology.
The upper area of site with another successful journey of The Bucket Train – CHOO CHOO!
Historically, the site yields finds from the Iron Age through to the modern age. The stratigraphic information proved a little more difficult to decipher, however, as it served as a rubbish heap over different time periods and the area suffered several serious earthquakes. In addition, bulldozers and cranes used during the Broshi excavation moved modern trash under a number of levels, such as the Early Roman or Late Hellenistic. While this may seem problematic, I found an intact 1970s bicycle my first year. Despite having gotten my tetanus boosters, I was denied my newfound transportation to site.
During the Second Temple period (1st century C.E.), the city walls enclosed the area in which many priestly or wealthy families resided. Due to the fill created by the construction of the Byzantine-era Church, we discovered these uncommonly well-preserved and lavish homes featuring entire first and second storeys, mosaics, a bath tub, and a high number of costly murex shells used to dye priestly garments.
Dr. James Tabor (R) and Christy Grobmeier (L) examining a plaster wall in the lower area of Mount Zion
The site also holds strategic importance, most notably during the Crusades, where the Fatimids constructed a large trench to keep the invading forces at bay. The tactic worked quite well until the Crusaders chose to attack from the north, nullifying the defenses. Much later, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the site served as No Man’s Land, evidenced by the barbed wire and bullet-riddled canteen found in the lovingly termed War Box.
Dr. Shimon Gibson (L) and Christy Grobmeier (R) sorting and recording finds in the Armenian Museum after digging
My day typically involves arriving to site at 5 A.M. with the other staff members, digging until 9:30 A.M., then moving to the Armenian Museum which serves as Dig Headquarters. I fill the rest of my morning and early afternoon with editing registers, recording financials, and preparing for the rest of staff to arrive at 1:30. When Dr. Gibson arrives, we work in tandem to sort and record finds which are then reconciled with the locus lists, typically around 5 P.M. or so. Some of our more notable finds are a gold coin dating back to Nero (56 C.E.), a mysterious inscribed stone vessel, and massive spiders. So many very large spiders – though I’m kind enough to let someone else get in on that “fun”.
The days are long and exhausting but so worth it. I get the best of both worlds: I play in the dirt in the mornings and not only can I examine the finds in the afternoons, I’m treated to a first-class education. As a graduate student, money is certainly a top concern of mine and I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of ASOR and the donors.
Christy Grobmeier is a recent transplant from Houston, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a religious studies M.A. student and teaching assistant under Dr. James Tabor of the University of North Carolina. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology with dual minors in religious studies and French language from the University of Houston. Her current research interests include the archaeology of Jerusalem, early Christianity, and Aramaic incantation bowls.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]ASOR is pleased to welcome Heather J. McKee as ASOR’s new Treasurer. Heather was elected unanimously by the ASOR Board at its meeting in November 2017. She began her term as Treasurer on January 1, 2018, and the term will run through December 31, 2020.
A native of Charlotte, NC, McKee graduated from Davidson College in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. In 1989, she earned a second undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Queens College.
Prior to pursuing a Masters of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary, Heather worked as an accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co. in Charlotte, NC. After graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary, she was named the Director of the Bonner Scholars Program and The Center for Service Learning at Mars Hill College. Upon moving to Milwaukee, WI, she worked as Grants Manager/Grant Writer with the Milwaukee Indian Health Board, and later took on the position of Program Director at the Medical College of Wisconsin Institute of Health Policy and Instructor in Medical Ethics. At MCW, she co-authored several papers on the economic determinants of US physician supply and the role of alternative medical providers in the US health care delivery system. Heather continued her work in health policy at Harvard Medical School focusing on finance and delivery system reform and large scale clinical outcome research
Seeking an opportunity to put policy into practice, Heather served as Executive Director of the Sublette Center, a Senior Health and Housing organization in Pinedale, WY. During her tenure, she was selected as a member of the Leadership Wyoming Class of 2012, served on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Health Finance Reform, and the National Education Committee for LeadingAge, a Washington DC based advocacy group for senior health and housing.
McKee currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Davidson Housing Coalition. She is an ordained Deacon and commissioned Stephen Minister, teaches Bible and Confirmation classes, and serves on the Governance, Planning, and the Finance Committees of Davidson College Presbyterian Church. She is a Red Boot Coalition Trailblazer and Guide and was tapped as a 2017-2018 Leadership Davidson Mentor. Heather’s affinity for ASOR began as a Seminarian studying Hebrew texts and continues as the organization strengthens and expands its mission. Heather enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, a variety of sports, and adventure travel. She and her spouse, Jane Campbell, reside in Davidson, NC.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
CALL TO ASOR’S MEMBERSHIP FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES NOMINATIONS
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The ASOR Board of Trustees sets the direction for ASOR and provides oversight for our organization. We encourage you to consider serving on the Board as an elected member or an officer. We also encourage you to share names of people who you think would be a good fit. Among other responsibilities, ASOR officers and members of the Board agree to attend two meetings each year at their own expense, to participate thoughtfully in the governance process, and to contribute financially to ASOR.
The Officers Nominations Committee (Joe Seger, Chair) in conjunction with the Trustees Nominations Committee (Ann-Marie Knoblauch, Chair) solicit nominations for Officer and Trustee positions as follows for terms January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2021
Vice President
Secretary
Institutionally-elected Trustee (2 positions)
Membership-elected Trustee (2 positions)
Expressions of interest or nominations for Vice President and Secretary should be sent to Joe Seger by no later than March 25, 2018 (e-mail docjoeds@gmail.com).
Expressions of interest or nominations for Trustee positions should be sent to Ann-Marie Knoblauch not later than April 15, 2018 (e-mail amk@vt.edu).
All ASOR Members in good standing are eligible for nomination to officer and member-elected posts. Institutionally-elected Trustees must be an Institutional Representative for an Institution Member School of ASOR.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]UPDATE: We have surpassed our first goal of raising $4,000 to fund two additional fellowships! Thank you to all of our generous donors who responded to our call. Since it’s only mid-March, we’re updating our goal to raise an additional $600 so that we can fund three additional fellowships instead of two. Can you help us reach our new goal?
As an added incentive, during the first week of the women’s and men’s NCAA tournaments, an anonymous donor has agreed to match any gifts up to $50 one to one, for a total of $500. For example, if someone gives $25, the gift will be matched with $25. If someone gives $10, it will be matched with another $10. So if you can donate an amount up to $50, we hope you consider doing so today!
ASOR is fortunate to have many generous members and friends, and any gift—$10, $25, $100, $250, or more—will truly make a difference. To date, with generous support of endowed funds and other donors, we can now support 20 fellowships. Please join the Madness by making a tax-deductible gift that will help us reach our goal of funding (now) 21 fellowships! If you use our online store during March Fellowship Madness, please designate your gift for “Excavation Scholarships.”[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][mk_skill_meter title=”Money we have raised so far:” percent=”98.57″ title_color=”#777777″ progress_bar_color=”#dd3333″ track_bar_color=”#eeeeee”][vc_column_text]
We have raised $41,400 out of our $42,000 goal.
[/vc_column_text][mk_button style=”fill” corner_style=”rounded” size=”large” outline_skin=”#1e73be” outline_hover_skin=”#ffffff” url=”https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/FND/DonateFund.aspx?Site=ASOR&WebCode=DonateNow&Action=Add&prd_key=ad537b8e-eff8-4f2b-8fd7-3f9de1c62edd&fun_key=80ac42fd-74f9-4fe9-ae70-b99051ea42f8&Name=2015%20Development%20Drive%20Donation%20″ align=”center”]Donate Now[/mk_button][mk_divider][vc_column_text]If you donate to March Fellowship Madness, you support archaeology in a very direct way. Every gift matters. ASOR does not charge any administrative fee for gifts made during March Fellowship Madness, so 100% of your contribution will support students who have a demonstrated need.