Israel's Coast Archives - Page 29 of 32

Weekend Roundup

At Petra, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging laser) scanning and balloon-based 35mm photography are being used with other technologies to facilitate research and conservation.

Exploring Bible Lands is doing a series on the travels of the Ark of the Covenant, beginning at the Plains of Moab, crossing the Jordan River, and continuing on to Jericho, Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, and now Shiloh.

JPost: “Wild animals will soon be able to safely cross bustling Route 1 when the Israel National Roads Company completes work on an ecological corridor at the Sha’ar Hagai interchange.”

This 40-second video clip with Eilat Mazar describing her discovery of the seal impression of a biblical figure could be a good way to get attention at the start of a lesson. The Jehucal bullae was discovered in 2005.

Popular Archaeology has a lengthy feature this month on the Egyptian fortress in Joppa.

Some very well-preserved leather shoes worn 2,000 years ago were recently discovered in Egypt.

Egyptian officials have rejected a proposal to rent out five of the country’s archaeological sites to international tourism companies.

For the broader world of archaeology, see the Archaeology Weekly Roundup at the ASOR Blog.

HT: Jack Sasson

Tagged Egypt, Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Technology, Weekend Roundup

Byzantine Winepress Excavated in Jaffa

The Israel Antiquities Authority has issued a press release on the latest discovery:

Recently impressive remains of an industrial installation from the Byzantine period which was used to extract liquid were exposed on Hai Gaon Street.
Installations such as these are usually identified as wine presses for producing wine from grapes, and it is also possible they were used to produce wine or alcoholic beverage from other types of fruit that grew in the region. Yafo’s rich and diverse agricultural tradition has a history thousands of years old beginning with references to the city and its fertile fields in ancient Egyptian documents up until Yafo’s orchards in the Ottoman period.
According to Dr. Yoav Arbel, director of the excavations on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “This is the first important building from the Byzantine period to be uncovered in this part of the city. The fact that the installation is located relatively far from Tel Yafo adds a significant dimension to our knowledge about the impressive agricultural distribution in the region in this period. The installation, which probably dates to the second half of the Byzantine period (sixth century – early seventh century CE), is divided into surfaces paved with a white industrial mosaic. Due to the mosaic’s impermeability such surfaces are commonly found in the press installations of the period which were used to extract liquid. Each unit was connected to a plastered collecting vat. The pressing was performed on the mosaic surfaces whereupon the liquid drained into the vats. It is possible that the section that was discovered represents a relatively small part of the overall installation, and other elements of it are likely to be revealed in archaeological excavations along adjacent streets which are expected to take place later this year.”

The full story is here. Three high-resolution images are available here. Haaretz has a report here.

Byzantine winepress excavated in Jaffa. Photo by IAA.

Tagged Discoveries, Israel's Coast

Recent Excavations in Israel

Tel Kison (Tell Keisan): Two excavation areas revealed remains from the Chalcolithic, Iron I-II, and Persian-Hellenistic periods, including a rich repertoire from the Persian era. The site may be identified with biblical Achshaph and may have been one of the cities of Cabul given by Solomon to Hiram.

Dabburiya: A survey of the area revealed 11 ancient sites including caves, industrial installations, and a quarry. The site preserves the name Deborah and is located on the western side of Mount Tabor.

Ramla: Excavations southeast of the city uncovered 11 strata, the most important dating from the Early Islamic period. An impressive Roman pottery kiln was also discovered.

Regevim, West: Located near remains of a Roman road connecting Caesarea and Megiddo, this site was the location of 6 limestone quarries and 6 tombs, one of which had a rolling stone in situ. The quarries may have served for construction of the Roman road.

Shihin: James Strange directed a survey of the area northwest of Sepphoris which identified 111 ancient features and indicated the site’s prominence in the Early Roman period.

Tell Jatt: Excavations on this tell 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Karmiel exposed three strata from the Middle Bronze IIA and Iron I-IIA.

Megiddo: An excavation north of Kibbutz Megiddo identified 22 quarries, 2 tombs, and a road, all probably used primarily by the Sixth Roman Legion stationed here in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD.

Roman burial cave near Megiddo.
Photo by Israel Antiquities Authority.

Tagged Excavations, Galilee, Israel's Coast, Jezreel Valley

Wednesday Roundup

The Times of Israel takes its readers into the new Herod exhibit at the Israel Museum one week ahead of its opening. The article includes many photos, but may be slow loading.

Wayne Stiles has put together some great visual resources of Caesarea, including photos, video, map, and Google Street View.

City Lights over the Middle East – NASA has posted a short video taken from the International Space Station.

Air pollution has been a problem since the days of ancient Rome.

The Oriental Institute has launched its Integrated Database. Phase II will include images.

Metro publishes the “Top 10 archaeological finds of all time.”

Yosef Garfinkel will be lecturing on “Sanctuaries and Cult at Khirbet Qeiyafa” at the Southern
Adventist University’s Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum Lecture Series.

Keith Schoville is retiring from The Book & The Spade radio program.

I am excited to announce that our photo collection Views That Have Vanished is now available as a
module for Accordance. The collection now has all the bells and whistles you would expect from Accordance.

HT: Daniel Wright, Aren Maeir, Charles Savelle, Jack Sasson

Screenshot from Views That Have Vanished

Tagged Discoveries, Israel's Coast, Italy, Lectures, Museums, New Exhibits, Photo Resources, Shephelah, Weekend Roundup

Archaeological Archive of Israel Online

The first stage of the archive is now available online, but my first impression is not positive. The viewer is clunky and the server is slow. They’ve also made it difficult to save any of the files for personal study. Perhaps improvements will come; the project is certainly a worthy one. Here’s the full press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority:

The archaeological archive of Israel, which is administered by the Israel Antiquities Authority and amasses data on all of the activity of the archeological entities in the country, is computerized and will go online in the coming days. This is being underwritten with joint funding provided by the

“Landmarks” heritage program in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The scientific archive has its beginnings in the British Mandatory Department of Antiquities. It was
continued by the Israel Department of Antiquities and is managed today by the Israel Antiquities Authority, which invests considerable thought and resources in its operation. [Yes, they really said that about themselves!]

The first stage, containing tens of thousands of documents, photographs, maps and plans from the years 1919–1948 from Akko and Jerusalem, is already available for viewing online at www.iaa-archives.org.il. Most of this material was written in English.

Uploading the old and valuable material to the website required special preparations. In order to scan the material, the Israel Antiquities Authority engaged the services of ImageStore Systems Ltd. This is because the archival material is especially delicate and sensitive and cannot be scanned with industrial equipment; rather it can only be done individually and manually. The documents in the archive include texts photographs, maps, and plans etc. on many different kinds of paper.

According to Israel Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hausner and Reuven Pinsky, director of the heritage project in the Prime Minister’s Office: “The Mandatory archive constitutes the principal foundation of archaeological research of the past one hundred years. This program, as part of the Israel Archives

Network project for scanning and digitalization of the material on file in the archives, will make it possible for the public in general and particularly scholars in Israel and abroad to access these resources of knowledge”.

According to Dr. Uzi Dahari, Deputy Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The scientific importance of the archive is invaluable, and it is the only one of its kind in Israel and in the world. In Israel there are approximately 30,000 known and declared antiquities sites that constitute our cultural heritage – the largest and most important asset of the State of Israel. The Israel Antiquities Authority declares, treats, surveys, and researches the antiquities sites in the country. One of the many activities of the Israel Antiquities Authority is the management and running of the scientific archive. The Israel Antiquities Authority decided to transfer the archive to the digitalized media, in order to disseminate the information throughout the world”. To this end, all of the information was scanned and it was indexed according to rules that are suitable for research needs”.

According to Ephraim Reich, director general of ImageStore Systems Ltd., “We are proud to have been given the opportunity by the Israel Antiquities Authority to take a significant part in preserving this important information for the public. The utilization of advanced technology for the purpose of accessing enormous amounts of information that were stored until recently in libraries and archives not sufficiently accessible to the average user is a matter of utmost importance to ImageStore Systems Ltd. We are confident that this work will help preserve this important archival material for our benefit and that of future generations”.

Aerial photograph of Jerusalem, undated. From the Archaeological Archive of Israel.

Tagged Israel's Coast, Jerusalem, Photo Resources

Recent Excavations in Jaffa and Acco

Jaffa, Yehuda Ha-Yamit Street: Stratum III dates to the 1st-2nd centuries (the time of Simon the Tanner) and includes remains of a large building, glass vessels, and a coin minted in Jerusalem from the time of Emperor Tiberius (AD 17-25). Finds from the modern period include a bullet from a German Mauser rifle, a British uniform button, and an Austrian, blue-coated iron bowl. The lengthy report includes 30 figures.

Jaffa, Shimon Ben Shetah Street: This excavation on the northeast side of town revealed 13 tombs, including “one sarcophagus, two built tombs, four uncovered cist tombs and six covered cist tombs.”

Restrictions by the Ministry of Religious Affairs prevented excavation of all the tombs.

Acco, Ha-Haroshet Street: Excavations between the tell and the Old City uncovered four strata from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine periods. The Hellenistic finds were “very rich,” and included amphorae from Rhodes, Cos, and Cnidus. Unfortunately they have published only one tiny photo of a glass vessel.

Acco, the Post Office: Expansion of the city post office prompted this salvage excavation which identified a Hellenistic strata (III), four phases of the Roman period strata (II), and Crusader and Ottoman remains (I). Among the small finds were a loom weight, a lead weight, a bone disk, 12 coins, 72 glass fragments, and 6 stamped amphora handles.

Metallic finds from the Acco post office excavation, including (1) a lead weight (?) from the Early Roman period; (2) a copper weight in the shape of a cube; (3-5) pyramidal arrowheads probably from the Crusader period; (6) a nail; (7-8) and tacks. Photo by IAA.

Tagged Excavations, Israel's Coast