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Flint tools exhibiting modified patinated surfaces ("double patina", or post-patination flaked items) provide a glimpse into Paleolithic lithic recycling, stone economy, and human choices. Different life cycles of such items are visually evident by the presence of fresh new modified surfaces alongside old patinated ones (according to color and texture differences). New modifications testify to a gap in time between the previous life cycle of the patinated flaked item and its new one. The aim of the current study is to reconstruct the functional properties and life cycles of a sample of modified patinated flaked tools from Late Acheulian Revadim, Israel by applying use-wear and residue analyses. The results of the functional study allow a better understanding of the practical reasoning behind the collection and recycling of old flint tools, while additional inputs from theoretical and methodological advancements assist in reconstructing their probable role in the worldviews of the site's inhabitants., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Metalwork was a major technological innovation that displaced stone-tool technologies and transformed human society and the environment. However, our understanding of these processes remains partial. In this paper, we approach the stone-to-metal transition from a novel angle-the presence of flint knapping at metal production sites. Drawing on excavations at the Late Bronze and Iron Age copper smelting sites in Timna Valley, Israel, we demonstrate that systematic production of expedient stone tools was integral to these sites' industrial operations, placing it at the heart of the very same metal circulation networks that were presumably responsible for its displacement. The observations from Timna, coupled with evidence for the use of chipped stone technology in other early Iron Age metallurgical contexts, support the hypothesis that it was probably both the high accessibility of iron and its qualities that put an end to the stone tool industry. Copper and bronze could not easily fulfill the function of the ad hoc stone tools and were not used to replace stone tools even if they were available and accessible., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Shimelmitz, Ben-Yosef. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

One of the most significant aspects of cultural variation that world archaeology has revealed is the many different forms of social complexity among ancient and more recent premodern societies. Although this exposes the shortcomings of older evolutionary approaches, Levantine and broader Near Eastern archaeology remains relatively inflexible and conservative in the perception of social complexity in the archaeological record. A necessary association between complexity and monumentality remains prevalent, whereby monumentality is understood as an important operative cog in the complexity machine. Conversely, complexity can only be read in the archaeological record where monumentality is present. This paper seeks to untie this necessary association by demonstrating that complexity without monumentality occurred in societies of the biblical period that were fully or partly nomadic and otherwise lacked a clear cultural conception of monumentality as central to the ideology of political authority and structure. This is done through the presentation of early Iron Age Edom and its implications for the understanding of the neighboring United Monarchy of ancient Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with aging of a remarkable woman from Florida, Wilma E. Davis. After ministering in the Methodist church for over 30 years as the first ordained Methodist minister in the state of Florida, Davis retired and began a PhD program at Boston University at the age of 63. Davis completed her PhD at the age of 68. The pursuit of her education took her to the Middle East where she studied for a year at the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem and participated in archaeological digs. Davis will forever remain an educational tribute to the vision and leadership she exhibited in everything she nobly undertook over the 102 years of her fruitful, intriguing, and fascinating life.

The Lower Paleolithic Late Acheulian in the Levant marks a fascinating chapter in human cultural and biological evolution. Nevertheless, many aspects of the Late Acheulian are still undeciphered, hindered by the complex nature of each site on the one hand, a scarcity of wide, multidisciplinary studies on the other, and by difficulties in obtaining absolute chronology for this timeframe. Therefore, subjects such as human subsistence strategies and modes of adaptation, regional diversity, and the possible existence and nature of interactions between hominin groups are largely understudied. The discovery and study of Jaljulia, a large-scale Late Acheulian site at the central Coastal Plain, Israel, add valuable insights to the research of this chapter in human history. Considered to represent recurrent occupations at a favored, water and flint-rich setting, the site has provided extensive lithic assemblages obtained from several localities. Absolute chronology places the human activity on-site at roughly 500-300 ky (and possibly even later), which is suggested to be divided into several main occupation phases. Geomorphological and sedimentological analyses show a change in environmental conditions, from aeolian sand deposition and overlying Hamra soil during the Middle Pleistocene to high energy fluvial regime which transported large gravels in a north-south paleo-channel. Wetland environments, correlating to the human activity on site, developed later due to higher sea levels and a coastline shifts to the eastward, which caused a blockage of the Yarkon stream corridor to the sea by marine sand. In this paper we present results of the study of the site, including geomorphological formation and post-depositional processes, absolute chronology, lithic and faunal analyses. The site's extensive lithic assemblages are currently under study and future investigations are expected to shed more light on the technological nature of Late Acheulian Jaljulia., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

This paper describes the micromammalian remains and paleoenvironment of the Upper Paleolithic sequence of Manot Cave (46-34 ka), southern Levant. Micromammal remains were identified from Ahmarian (46-42 ka), Levantine Aurignacian (38-34 ka) and post-Levantine Aurignacian (34-33 ka) layers. To identify taphonomic agents, molar digestion was modelled for seven local raptor species, and model predictions were compared with observed digestion scores in the Manot Cave material. Raptor species differed significantly in molar digestion patterns, allowing us to identify Tyto alba as the bone accumulator in the Ahmarian and Post-Levantine Aurignacian units. Data were insufficient for species-level identification of the taphonomic agent in the Levantine Aurignacian. Günther's voles (Microtus guentheri) were dominant, though woodland species (Apodemus spp., Sciurus anomalus and Dryomys nitedula) also occurred through the entire sequence. Manot Cave furnished the first fossil record of the Eurasian snow vole (Chionomys nivalis) in the southern Levant during the Late Pleistocene and its first secure record of the water vole (Arvicola terrestris) outside the Hula Valley. Records of other taxa (Acomys dimidiatus and D. nitedula) provide the earliest occurrence datum in the region. Using counts of both identified specimens and distinct elements (lower first molars) we modelled paleoenvironmental conditions through both Weighted Averaging Partial Least Squares regression and a qualitative analysis considering niche preferences of species. Model predictions indicate the unexpectedly pronounced dominance of open habitats compared to present conditions near the cave, though the occurrence and abundance of woodland species also indicate some woodland expansion relative to the preceding Middle Paleolithic period. Combining statistical models and species niche considerations we show that the time span between the Ahmarian, Levantine Aurignacian and post-Levantine Aurignacian was marked by a clear-cut climatic oscillation to cooler and likely wetter conditions., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nineteen broken and complete bone fish hooks and six grooved stones recovered from the Epipaleolithic site of Jordan River Dureijat in the Hula Valley of Israel represent the largest collection of fishing technology from the Epipaleolithic and Paleolithic periods. Although Jordan River Dureijat was occupied throughout the Epipaleolithic (~20-10 kya the fish hooks appear only at the later stage of this period (15,000-12,000 cal BP). This paper presents a multidimensional study of the hooks, grooved stones, site context, and the fish assemblage from macro and micro perspectives following technological, use wear, residue and zooarchaeological approaches. The study of the fish hooks reveals significant variability in hook size, shape and feature type and provides the first evidence that several landmark innovations in fishing technology were already in use at this early date. These include inner and outer barbs, a variety of line attachment techniques including knobs, grooves and adhesives and some of the earliest evidence for artificial lures. Wear on the grooved stones is consistent with their use as sinkers while plant fibers recovered from the grooves of one hook shank and one stone suggest the use of fishing line. This together with associations between the grooved stones and hooks in the same archaeological layers, suggests the emergence of a sophisticated line and hook technology. The complexity of this technology is highlighted by the multiple steps required to manufacture each component and combine them into an integrated system. The appearance of such technology in the Levantine Epipaleolithic record reflects a deep knowledge of fish behavior and ecology. This coincides with significant larger-scale patterns in subsistence evolution, namely broad spectrum foraging, which is an important first signal of the beginning of the transition to agriculture in this region., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The Early Middle Paleolithic (EMP) is a less-studied phase of the Levantine Middle Paleolithic, attributable to the small number of sites discovered. Drawing on the dense archaeological accumulations at Misliya Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel, the present study seeks to trace EMP daily activities and behavioral patterns through the prism of use-wear analysis. The emergence of the laminar and Levallois technologies that form the EMP toolkit is investigated to reveal other dimensions of tool novelties. Through microscopic analyses, integrated with experimentation, the most outstanding aspect revealed in this study is the extensive evidence of hafting, which included the use of binding together with various techniques for tool design. A unique treatment was identified, never reported before, entailing the abrasion of cortical surfaces and protruding dorsal ridges. Other aspects include the clear preference for pointed tools as a leading morphological trend and the use of retouch as a mean to create durable working edges and facilitate grip arrangements. The analysis demonstrates the venue of use-wear to trace a wide variety of practices, including consumption-related (processing hunted game and edible plants) and craft-related (hide processing, woodworking, and perhaps stone working) activities that otherwise hardly leave a trace in the archaeological record. By exploring these features, the research provides important insights into early hominin behavior and way of life during the EMP, emphasizing the novelties brought by the earliest Homo sapiens out of Africa., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known conflict of interests that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chopping tools/choppers provide one of the earliest and most persistent examples of stone tools produced and used by early humans. These artifacts appeared for the first time ~2.5 million years ago in Africa and are characteristic of the Oldowan and Acheulean cultural complexes throughout the Old World. Chopping tools were manufactured and used by early humans for more than two million years regardless of differences in geography, climate, resource availability, or major transformations in human cultural and biological evolution. Despite their widespread distribution through time and space in Africa and Eurasia, little attention has been paid to the function of these items, while scholars still debate whether they are tools or cores. In this paper, we wish to draw attention to these prominent and ubiquitous early lithic artifacts through the investigation of 53 chopping tools retrieved from a specific context at Late Acheulean Revadim (Israel). We combined typo-technological and functional studies with a residue analysis aimed at shedding light on their functional role within the tool-kits of the inhabitants of the site. Here we show that most of the chopping tools were used to chop hard and medium materials, such as bone, most probably for marrow extraction. A few of the tools were also used for cutting and scraping activities, while some also served as cores for further flake detachment. The chopping tools exhibit extraordinarily well-preserved bone residues suggesting they were used mainly for bone-breaking and marrow acquisition. We discuss the data and explore the tool versus core debate also in light of a sample of 50 flake cores made on pebbles/cobbles retrieved from the same archeological layer. The results add further pieces to the puzzle of activities carried out at Revadim and add to our knowledge of the production and use of these enigmatic tools and their role in human evolutionary history., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Summary: The cultivation of yeasts from up to 5000‐year‐old beer vessels in Israel allows insights into early domestication of microbes for food production, but also raises questions about long‐term survival of microbes under dormancy or slow growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a recently discovered coin hoard in the German-Israeli Tell IẒṭabba Excavation Project whose copper-alloyed coins belong to the days of Alexander II Zabinas (129/8-124/3 BCE). The hoard is discussed in light of Tell Iẓṭabba's history and archaeology -- as a settlement founded in the Seleucid period and destroyed by John Hyrcanus in 108/7 BCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Difusionist model has been used to explain cultural similarities in many felds of the humanities including anthropology, archaeology and ancient history. Difusionism has often formed the presuppositions of those who have attempted to explain the similarities between certain elements of the Hebrew Bible and texts from other cultures of the Ancient Near East. This paper questions the appropriateness of Difusionism as an explanation for common features found in ancient Israel and the Near East. Four particular cases of similarity are examined to test the merits of Difusionism: accounts of the Flood, laws concerning the 'goring ox', biblical covenants and Near Eastern treaties, and creation accounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the tin used for the production of bronze in the Eurasian Bronze Age is still one of the mysteries in prehistoric archaeology. In the past, numerous studies were carried out on archaeological bronze and tin objects with the aim of determining the sources of tin, but all failed to find suitable fingerprints. In this paper we investigate a set of 27 tin ingots from well-known sites in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Mochlos, Uluburun, Hishuley Carmel, Kfar Samir south, Haifa) that had been the subject of previous archaeological and archaeometallurgical research. By using a combined approach of tin and lead isotopes together with trace elements it is possible to narrow down the potential sources of tin for the first time. The strongly radiogenic composition of lead in the tin ingots from Israel allows the calculation of a geological model age of the parental tin ores of 291 ± 17 Ma. This theoretical formation age excludes Anatolian, central Asian and Egyptian tin deposits as tin sources since they formed either much earlier or later. On the other hand, European tin deposits of the Variscan orogeny agree well with this time span so that an origin from European deposits is suggested. With the help of the tin isotope composition and the trace elements of the objects it is further possible to exclude many tin resources from the European continent and, considering the current state of knowledge and the available data, to conclude that Cornish tin mines are the most likely suppliers for the 13th–12th centuries tin ingots from Israel. Even though a different provenance seems to be suggested for the tin from Mochlos and Uluburun by the actual data, these findings are of great importance for the archaeological interpretation of the trade routes and the circulation of tin during the Late Bronze Age. They demonstrate that the trade networks between the eastern Mediterranean and some place in the east that are assumed for the first half of the 2nd millennium BCE (as indicated by textual evidence from Kültepe/Kaneš and Mari) did not exist in the same way towards the last quarter of the millennium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study of the cultural and economic changes from a longue durée perspective as reflected in the animal remains from a nearly continuous occupation spanning the early Iron Age through the Roman period at Tel Dor, a harbor town on Israel's Carmel coast. Such long-term zooarchaeological analyses are currently rare. Focusing on the choice of food, as well as on animal exploitation methods/strategies, the paper asks whether changes through time can be explained in economic or cultural terms, whether they can be correlated with changes in the site's material culture, whether they reflect some change in the site's population, or should be explained in terms of the adoption of new cultural norms. The results demonstrate that during a millennium and a half of Dor's existence, there was very little change in most patterns of animal exploitation and consumption. The only apparent change was in the increase in pig remains between the early Iron Age and the Hellenistic and Roman periods. In view of the constancy in all other exploitation characteristics, and in light of other data from Dor, the paper suggests that this change does not reflect a change in the site's population but rather the adoption of new norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the deepest section of a large complex cave in the northern Negev desert, Israel, a bi-conical lead object was found logged onto a wooden shaft. Associated material remains and radiocarbon dating of the shaft place the object within the Late Chalcolithic period, at the late 5th millennium BCE. Based on chemical and lead isotope analysis, we show that this unique object was made of almost pure metallic lead, likely smelted from lead ores originating in the Taurus range in Anatolia. Either the finished object, or the raw material, was brought to the southern Levant, adding another major component to the already-rich Late Chalcolithic metallurgical corpus known to-date. The paper also discusses possible uses of the object, suggesting that it may have been used as a spindle whorl, at least towards its deposition.

One of the central questions of the transition from mobile hunter-gatherers to sedentary farming communities concerns the establishment of new social structures and group identities. Along with other important factors, such as territory, ideology or economy, biological relationships might have played a decisive role in defining social groups. We therefore systematically analyzed teeth and jaw remains from nine sites in the Near East dating from the Natufian to the Late PPNB as primary proxy data for the reconstruction of familial relationships. This paper presents the results of morphological analyses on the teeth of the individuals from Kfar HaHoresh, one of the investigated Pre-Pottery Neolithic B sites. Kfar HaHoresh is located in the Nazareth hills of Galilee (32°42'20'' N 35°16'28'' E), Israel. Different statistical methods were applied to our data of epigenetic traits with the aim of determining biological relationships within the community, whereby the data of the eight other sites were used as cross-references. Our comparison of the traits of all individuals from Kfar HaHoresh indicates a rather heterogeneous community, but clearly shows one cluster belonging to a quite homogenous group, suggesting close biological relations between females and sub-adults. Interestingly, none of the male individuals belongs to this cluster, although their number outweighs that of the female individuals. This might suggest matrilocal residence patterns. However, due to the incomplete preservation of the teeth along with several other uncertainties, our conclusion must be seen as preliminary. A cross-examination of the results on skeletons excavated after our investigation should also be taken into consideration.

The archaeological record indicates that elephants must have played a significant role in early human diet and culture during Palaeolithic times in the Old World. However, the nature of interactions between early humans and elephants is still under discussion. Elephant remains are found in Palaeolithic sites, both open-air and cave sites, in Europe, Asia, the Levant, and Africa. In some cases elephant and mammoth remains indicate evidence for butchering and marrow extraction performed by humans. Revadim Quarry (Israel) is a Late Acheulian site where elephant remains were found in association with characteristic Lower Palaeolithic flint tools. In this paper we present results regarding the use of Palaeolithic tools in processing animal carcasses and rare identification of fat residue preserved on Lower Palaeolithic tools. Our results shed new light on the use of Palaeolithic stone tools and provide, for the first time, direct evidence (residue) of animal exploitation through the use of an Acheulian biface and a scraper. The association of an elephant rib bearing cut marks with these tools may reinforce the view suggesting the use of Palaeolithic stone tools in the consumption of large game.

The excavations of R. Amiran and A. Eitan at the site of Tel Nagila are best known for the Middle Bronze Age remains exposed at the site. Yet Early Bronze remains were sporadically excavated in restricted locations where the excavators deepened their investigations below Middle Bronze strata. As such, a study of the albeit limited EB remains furnishes us with an opportunity to provide a more complete settlement history of the site, as well as a limited view of ceramic tradition that was common at the site. The following paper will present the stratigraphic and ceramic information available, and suggests a rather early date within Early Bronze III of the remains, as well as evidence for Early Bronze Age I occupation of the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qesem Cave is assigned to the Acheulo-Yabrudian cultural complex of the late Lower Paleolithic period. The 7.5 m deep stratigraphic sequence is dated to 400-200 ka (thousands of years ago). It is mostly attributed to the Amudian blade-dominated industry, one of the earliest blade production technologies in the world. In this paper, we present the results of a detailed study of five Amudian assemblages from Qesem Cave and suggest two trajectories for the production of blades at the site. We argue that the reduction sequences of blades at Qesem Cave represent an innovative and straightforward technology aimed at the systemic and serial production of predetermined blanks. We suggest that this predetermined blank technology shows planning and intensity that is not significantly different from Middle Paleolithic Mousterian technological systems. Furthermore, this well-organized serial manufacture of cutting implements mainly for butchering might indicates that a significant change in human behavior had taken place by the late Lower Paleolithic period., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The presence of large scrapers has been reported from Acheulean sites worldwide but they are rarely described in detail. At Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY), a similar group of artifacts, named here "massive scrapers," was identified as a significant component of the lithic assemblage. In this paper, we define and describe this Acheulean tool type and discuss its size, morphology, and technology. We demonstrate that at GBY these tools were shaped on flakes that were side-products of the reduction sequence to produce bifaces (handaxes and cleavers). We hypothesize that these blanks were rejected as potential bifaces during the knapping sequence but considered suitable for the retouching of massive scrapers, and were set aside for future work. We support our view with data from archaeological finds younger than those of GBY, as well as with evidence from controlled experimental knapping and ethnoarchaeological observations. We then discuss the contribution of this elaborate knapping strategy to our understanding of Lower Paleolithic hominin behavior, particularly in the domains of multifaceted planning and foresight.

The study of the motivations, influences, and agendas of Israeli archaeology has always been the centre of heated debate, the profession today finding itself under the full, and usually highly critical, glare of modern archaeological theory and/or political polemics. This paper addresses the motivations of some these critics and from under the mesh of often over-stated argumentation, tries to provide a more level appreciation of current archaeological work in Jerusalem. Quite contrary to the impression given by some of the recent scholarship, it is argued that the great majority of the published and excavated archaeology of Jerusalem of the past decades presents the finds of the multiplicity of periods of the city's history, quite divorced from overt and even covert influence of the surrounding volatile political situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates that archaeological discourse and practice in Palestine/Israel is intertwined with a nation-making project of settler colonialism that contains both spatial and temporal dimensions. This project primarily serves to invent a link between the ancient Israelite past and the modern Israeli state, presenting colonization as "return" to "the homeland" through familiar narratives of frontier settlement. This article proposes that Israeli archaeological practices not only help to reproduce these narratives, but also participate in the inscription of the national territory as Jewish, and the consequent dispossession of the Palestinians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The destruction level of the much contested Stratum IV at Khirbet Qeiyafa yielded two Cypriot vessels, both of them miniature barrel juglets. Their stratigraphic context and the shape of the one complete specimen indicate that they are among the earliest such vessels ever shipped out of Cyprus. This paper considers these vessels from two major perspectives. First, it draws on them as the starting point for highlighting a commercial phenomenon that has hitherto received insufficient attention-the rather extensive export of such vessels to the Levant in the early Iron Age. Second, it considers the chronological implications of the two exemplars for the chronology of Stratum IV at Khirbet Qeiyafa. This issue is relevant as well to the general debate regarding absolute dates of the Iron Age in the Levant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine post-war planning and reconstruction of the historic Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem from 1967 to 1975. It focuses on the role of conservation of cultural heritage in determining the quarter's character, on the interaction between ‘top-down’ national and municipal planning and grassroots initiatives, on deviations from planning and declared policies, and on historical and geographical factors affecting restoration. Public opinion, individual initiatives, and response to immediate needs were more decisive in determining the character of the reconstruction than much of the planning. Intentional and unanticipated spatial changes within the Jewish Quarter and in its relationships with surrounding areas had a particularly profound effect on its character. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Discoveries in Israel during the last two decades indicate flint quarrying from primary geological sources as early as the Middle Pleistocene. One of the most characteristic expressions of this old extraction activity is ubiquitous stone tailing piles created during quarrying consisting of extracted rock waste. Workshop flint-knapping products are found within and on top of these piles. This paper discusses the creation of these piles in relation to the organization of quarrying and relevant human behavior at extraction sites. In the same context we speculate on the significance of these fascinating landscapes of extraction and the decision to work stone on top of the tailing piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a preliminary examination of archaeobotanical material from pigeon dung samples obtained from Byzantine period destruction levels of a dovecote near the site of Shivta, Israel. Such pigeon dung was a valuable fertilizer in antiquity and would not have been abandoned without a reason. The plant remains from the dung provide direct evidence of pigeon diet and the local environment during the Byzantine period. Eleven plant taxa, represented by either seeds and/or plant parts (cereal chaff material), including five wild taxa, one legume, four fruit/nut taxa and several unidentified seed fragments were recovered. The most common seeds found were from weeds of the genus Thymelaea sp., and Ficus (fig). The finds indicate that the birds in the dovecote consumed a mixed diet of wild seeds including Thymelaea sp. and Fumaria sp. (fumitory), and small fruits of Vitis (grape), Ficus (fig), Olea (olive) and Phoenix (date). The sample analyzed also included Rumex (dock), Carex (sedge) and Androsace which may not have come from the feed. Apparently the pigeons were free to forage in the desert, the fallowed fields and refuse piles or/and were intentionally fed agricultural by-products including wild plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Wadi Arabah forms part of the modern political border between Jordan and Israel. The paper explores the polarized ways in which the wadi has been constructed and interpreted within the archaeological and geopolitical discourse. Through a phenomenological analysis of landscape, power and identity, using insights from bedouin poetry, the landscape of the wadi is revealed as emotionally meaningful in its materiality, as a sacred/symbolic, conceptual/socio-political, sensual landscape, a landscape of movement and of memory, absence, loss and abandonment. In this landscape, populated and crossed by many different groups who were not necessarily subject to shared social, institutionalized norms, different groups had different resources, abilities and knowledge which they brought to any encounter with another group, and which were integral to their identity. These encounters developed as reciprocal relationships and negotiations rather than as traditional 'power relationships'. This helps to explain the longevity of the key aspects of the tribal kingdom model, previously proposed by the author and others; these aspects are rooted in reciprocal relationships based on different resources, 'power', and knowledge of the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destruction levels, a recurring feature in ancient Near Eastern tell sites, are too often treated as isolated events. Recent scholarship on the formation processes of the archaeological record stresses the need to understand site destructions as part of long-term processes, rather than as isolated and unique events. This paper offers a model for studying destruction based on the concepts of the materialization of ritual and royal ideology. The identification of crisis architecture and termination rituals is used to shed new light on the activities taking place at the site prior to its final destruction and abandonment. This model is applied to the destruction of Canaanite Hazor at the end of the Late Bronze Age, and provides an alternative view of this event as a result of social, political, cultural and ideological circumstances rather than as an isolated event, stressing the role of internal socio-economic and ideological factors rather than external agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weiss, E. and Kislev, M. E. 2007. Plant remains as a tool for reconstruction of the past environment, economy, and society: Archaeobotany in Israel. Isr. J. Earth Sci. 56: 163-173.In this review paper, we give a brief introduction to the field of archaeobotany, with special attention to the role of Israeli archaeobotany as part of archaeological research during the last 30 years. Our approach toward archaeobotany sees this field as a major tool in present-day archaeology, which utilizes plant remains to reconstruct past environments, economies, and societies. This paper deals with the fundamental methodology of archaeobotany, the various preservation modes of archaeobotanical finds, the sub-fields of archaeobotany, and the different processing of botanical finds in the field and in the laboratory. Thereafter, it describes archaeobotanical field work and laboratory work, including sampling and recovery methods, sorting and identification, naming the botanical find, and documentation. Finally, we give a short review of test cases in archaeobotanical research in Israel as an example of the use of archaeobotany as a tool for the reconstruction of life at the site and its surroundings. This review deals mainly with three research directions: with reconstructing the environment and climate, with reconstruction of the economy, and with reconstruction of the ancient lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with six recent studies which relate to the on-going debate over the chronology of the eleventh to the ninth century B.C.E. strata in the Levant and thus to the history of the region in the Iron Age. The paper takes issue with methodological problems relating to the questions of ethnographic comparison in archaeology, interpretation of biblical sources by archaeologists, pottery typology and dating. It offers a different interpretation of the finds at Hazor, Beth-shemesh, Tel Batash, Horbat Rosh Zait, and Bethsaida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses whether or not there should be an end to unnecessary archeological excavations in Israel. Concerns that the sites may not last very long; Disconnect between the increase in excavations and the lag in their publication; Role of and conflicts of interests facing the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The prefix "proto", originally from the Greek, carries several meanings, including first, earliest, original and primitive. A "prototype" is the first or original type, and "proto" may indicate something in the way of becoming. In this article we offer a critical review of the history and uses of the term "proto-Israelites" in biblical and archaeological studies since 1943. The prehistory of 'early Israel' has shrunk from the Early Bronze to the Iron Age, but the use of "proto-Israel" has grown since the 1990s, tied to issues of historicity and ethnicity. "Proto-Israelite" is a misleading term. It enables scholars to re-find a united, ethnic Israel, by projecting it onto the past in disguise, as "proto-Israel". There are no "proto-people" that carry "proto-ethnicity". The use of "proto-Israelites" serves modern ideologies. We suggest more neutral terms, which do not beg the question whether an Israelite ethnic community existed, or can be identified in material remains of the Iron Age I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new results regarding lithic recycling in three flint assemblages from Qesem Cave, a late Lower Paleolithic site in Israel assigned to the Acheulo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC). The study focuses on the similarities and differences in lithic recycling at the cave between the Amudian and Yabrudian industries as well as within the Amudian industry. Variability in recycling is evident at both the inter-industry level (between the Amudian and Yabrudian) and the intra-industry level (within the Amudian). In light of the results, we discuss the role of lithic recycling in the two AYCC industries at Qesem Cave, shedding new light on AYCC lithic variability in general and human behavior at Qesem Cave in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of the ethnic Iron Age I Israel and its link with archaeology. Particular focus is given to the dependence of the search for ethnicity in archaeology on the definition of ethnicity and on written sources. A review of literature of Iron Age I ethnic Israel is given, along with a discussion on the debate between maximalists and minimalists.

The recently published Langgut et al. article claims that there was over-exploitation of the Byzantine Negev Desert. They suggest that the over-exploitation worked in conjunction with the Justinianic Plague and the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA), and caused the decline of the Negev settlements in the middle of the 6th century CE. The current article wishes to respond to Langgut et al. article and show that what they found cannot be used to claim that there was an over-exploitation of the land. Moreover, contrary to what they suggest, their finds indicate and support the fact that the decline occurred later. As part of this rebuttal, we will also show that the dating used in this article, like the other articles published by the project titled "NEGEVBYZ," is incorrect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty years later, Raphael Greenberg and Yannis Hamilakis present a discussion of a new loss of innocence (161) and a new horizon in archaeology's development, one that promises to be fertile ground for future exploration. Raphael Greenberg and Yannis Hamilakis, Archaeology, Nation, and Race: Confronting the Past, Decolonizing the Future in Greece and Israel. [Extracted from the article]

In 1967 the Golan Heights saw a dramatic change: a hundred villages were destroyed and replaced by new Israeli settlements. We study the beginning of this settlement through the lens of settler-colonialism, using documents of the time. The settlers claim to be 'original natives', 'returning' to the land and, like other colonial settlers elsewhere, bringing culture and civilisation to a terra nullius. To justify the settlement, they create a 'deep' narrative that combines the ancient past and the new settlement, erasing the in-between Arab past. The settlement — and the destruction — are on-going processes. The settler appears as a young, heroic figure, who patronises the 'Others' as weaklings (tourists, women, etc.) and is oblivious to the tragedy of the displaced Syrian inhabitants of the Golan Heights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Remarkably, the largest archaeological game traps ever recorded in the Near East are found in arid landscapes, both on plains and in hilly terrains. This paper describes the construction methods used on steep slopes in the Negev Highland. Apparently, in some cases a massive rampart (rather than a free-standing wall) was built around the trap''s head. The details reflect careful planning and heavy-duty work, including leveling and then using more than 100 t of stone for the rampart construction. New 14C data date the Sayarim site to the Early Bronze Age (minimum age), and the Pitam site to pre-Late Bronze Age. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: At the Ein Gedi oasis, in the Judean Desert, abundant archaeological remains of agricultural irrigation systems are found that were fed only by spring water and used to irrigate the fields that were on the agricultural terraces. The systems date to the Roman-Byzantine period (1st–6th centuries CE) and attest to the existence of a settlement in the oasis at this time. This paper presents a description of the systems and crops grown, based on archaeological surveys and excavations together with a review of historical sources that describe the social mechanisms that enabled the systems to operate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the results of a mineralogical analyses on a group of unique vessels found during excavations at the site of Hagoshrim in Israel. During the course of the study, the vessels were analyzed for mineralogical composition using polarizing and binocular microscopes as well as x-ray diffraction (XRD) to identify the rock from its original structure. It indicates that material culture evidence of the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic in the southern Levant suggests that communities had contacts with the northern parts of the Fertile Crescent.

Underwater surveys at Ashkelon during 1998 exposed a Hellenistic/Roman shipwreck. The ship, c.15–25 m long, sank in the 1st or 2nd century BC, and its remains include iron anchors, lead sheathing, copper nails, assorted metal artefacts, and shipwright's unused nails. Bronze vessels found—oil-lamp, shovel and ladles—could have functioned in cult rites. Weights and balance-scale parts demonstrate commercial activity. Fishing-net sinkers indicate involvement in fishing. This paper raises important points regarding the risk to shipwrecks on the Israeli coast from environmental and human interference, and suggests that Ashkelon never had a built-up port. © 2009 The Authors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a survey of pathologies found on post-cranial and cranial bones of mammals from eight archaeological sites in Israel. The chronology of the sites spans from the Neolithic to Biblical, Middle Ages and Ottoman periods. This study is the first of its kind to be conducted on archaeological bone assemblages from the southern Levant. The majority of pathologies were observed on cattle, sheep and goat bones. Cattle bones manifested more pathologies than sheep and goat bones. The majority of pathologies among cattle appeared on the foot bones (predominantly the first phalanges). The range of pathologies found includes joint diseases, infections, trauma and dental diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yellin, J. and Maeir, A.M. 2007. Four decades of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis and its contribution to the archaeology of the ancient Land of Israel. Isr. J. Earth sci. 56: 123-132.Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) is a nuclear analytic method that has been applied with great success to archaeology for over four decades as a tool for determining the origin of archaeological materials. The diversity of chemical elements whose concentration can be measured with high precision and accuracy makes INAA ideal for determining the provenance of pottery and obsidian. In this paper we first briefly survey the background of the development of INAA, and then present an overview of investigations in which INAA was utilized in the study of archaeological remains from the Land of Israel, from the early Prehistoric periods until the Middle Ages. Special focus is placed on studies that opened up new vistas and understandings on various issues in the archaeological record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shalev, S. 2007. A brief outline summary of nonferrous archaeometallurgy in Israel. Isr. J. Earth Sci. 56: 133-138.This paper presents a short summary of the current state of archaeometallurgy of non-ferrous metals in Israel, from the Chalcolithic to the Persian period. The following topics are discussed: the compositional changes of metal artefacts through time; metal production remains (when available); mode of production and information obtained from chemical and metallographic analyses; the possible connection between changes in metal composition; and typological changes in shape, size, and color of metal products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to provide a high-resolution environmental reconstruction of the Sea of Galilee basin during a very short spell of time at the end of the Upper Pleistocene. We present a multidisciplinary study of sediments and archaeological remains exposed at the submerged and well-preserved Ohalo II prehistoric site. The Ohalo II camp includes in situ brush hut floors, hearths, and other installations, all radiometrically dated to 19,500 B.P. The remains include large quantities of charred material and animal bones. The reconstruction is based on a geoarchaeological study, accompanied by analyses of a wide variety of trees, grasses, mammals, birds, fish, and mollusc remains. The results show that the range of plant and animal species (ca. 240) is not different from that encountered today in the valley and the surrounding slopes. Water level fluctuations were the most dramatic environmental events, probably induced by climatic changes and tectonic activities at the inlet/outlet of the lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses whether or not there should be an end to unnecessary archeological excavations in Israel. Disconnection between the increase in excavations and the lag in their publication; Factors blamed for the lag; Uniqueness of the archeological endeavor; Suggested remedies and questions.

The State has long been the dominant socio-political concept in the scholarly debate over the biblical early monarchy in Israel and the archaeology of the 10th century bce. It has been assumed that if Israel had indeed become a kingdom already at this time that it would have adhered to the form of a State as conceived in modern scholarship, and that the material correlates of the State would appear in the archaeological record. This essay argues that this is a methodologically false approach and that the concept of the State is quite inappropriate to the context of socio-political relations in the ancient Near East on a theoretical and conceptual level. As such, the search for archaeological correlates to a State in 10th century Israel is an unnecessary one. Instead, the question of socio-political form can be approach emically from within Israel's context, beginning with the native concepts and terminology that actually appear in the Hebrew Bible, which can then be linked to larger patterns of socio-political organisation in the Near East and to sociological conceptualisations, namely Max Weber's idea of household-based patrimonial structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent paper, Finkelstein and Perevolotsky (1990) suggest that chronological gaps in the archaeological record from the Negev and Sinai are the result of nomadization and consequential decrease in archaeological visibility. They claim that archaeology as a discipline is ineffective in dealing with the ephemeral remains left by nomads. However, using appropriate field and analytic methods, often derived from prehistoric archaeology, the archaeological remains from nomadic cultures can be, and indeed have been, discovered and analyzed, especially in the Negev and Sinai. This suggests that the gaps reflect genuine demographic declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, much of the recent efforts dedicated to the Levantine Middle Paleolithic has concentrated on the role of open-air sites in the settlement system in the region. Here focus on the site of ‘Ein Qashish as a cases study. Located in present-day northern Israel, the area of this site is estimated to have been >1300 m2, of which ca. 670 were excavated. The site is located at the confluence of the Qishon stream with a small tributary running off the eastern flanks of the Mt. Carmel. At the area of this confluence, water channels and alluvial deposits created a dynamic depositional environment. Four Archaeological Units were identified in a 4.5-m thick stratigraphic sequence were dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) to between—71 and 54 ka, and probably shorter time span–~70-~60 ka. Here we present the diverse material culture remains from the site (lithics, including refitted sequences; modified limestone pieces; molluscs; faunal remains) against their changing paleogeographic backdrop. Skeletal evidence suggests that these remains were associated with Neanderthals. The large-scale repeated accumulation of late Middle Paleolithic remains in the same place on the landscape provides a unique opportunity to address questions of occupation duration and intensity in open-air sites. We find that each occupation was of ephemeral nature, yet presents a range of activities, suggesting that the locale has been used as a generalized residential site rather than specialized task-specific ones. This role of ‘Ein Qashish did not change through time, suggesting that during the late Middle Paleolithic settlement system in this part of the southern Levant were stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]