Table of Contents for听Near Eastern Archaeology听87.3 (September 2024)
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Pp. 144鈥�149:听鈥淪panish Archaeology in the Near East in the Twentieth Century,鈥� by Jordi Vidal
The Spanish archaeological presence in the Near East was very scarce during most of the twentieth century. The excavations carried out at Shechem, Mogaret Dalal, El-Khiam, or Khirbet Arair were made possible by isolated efforts from outside the academic sphere. It was not until the 1980s that universities began to organize excavations and consolidate the Spanish presence in the region. The arrival of democracy, the reorganization of university research, and the availability of greater economic resources were the main elements that allowed this consolidation.
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Pp. 150-157:听鈥淭he Current Study of the Ancient Near East in Spain: Trends and Context,鈥� by Agn猫s Garcia-Ventura and Josu茅 J. Justel
In the nineteenth century in Spain there was a growing interest in the civilizations of the East鈥攖hose located to the east of the Mediterranean. However, in Spain this interest did not translate into a consolidation of cuneiform studies in academia as it had done in other countries. In this article we offer some clues to help understand these two circumstances by providing an overview of the study of the ancient Near East in the Iberian Peninsula. In our analysis we shall pay special attention to Spain, and also highlight the connections with its neighbor Portugal and with the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, where this field of studies has expanded notably in recent decades.
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Pp. 158-167: 鈥淭ell el-Far士ah: New Archaeological Research on the Iron Age IIA in the Central Mountains of Palestine,鈥� by Juan Luis Montero Fenoll贸s
Building upon research conducted by Father Roland de Vaux, former director of the Ecole biblique in Jerusalem, between 1946 and 1960 at Tell el-Far士ah northeast of Nablus (Palestine), a new international and collaborative archaeological project began in 2017. This project is led by the University of A Coru帽a, the Nova University of Lisbon, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Palestine. Tell el-Far士ah, perhaps the ancient biblical city of Tirzah, is a crucial site for the history of the Northern Kingdom. Currently, three excavation seasons (2017鈥�2019) have revealed new, preliminary data concerning Iron Age IIA. These data, particularly the absolute dating related to a house of period VIIb, is of notable significance. A survey was conducted in the Wadi el-Far士ah to gain a better understanding of Tell el-Far士ah in its regional context. Additionally, a pilot project focusing on restoration and enhancement completed the overall work.
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Pp. 168-177:听鈥淭he Archaeology of Tyre: The Joint Lebanese, Spanish, and Polish Excavations in the Phoenician Homeland,鈥� by Mar铆a Eugenia Aubet, Francisco J. N煤帽ez, and Ali Badawi
Archaeological activities in Tyre have been carried out for more than twenty-five years thanks to the collaboration between Lebanon, Spain, and, for the last three years, Poland. This has made this project the longest running of all those active in the country. Two sites have been the focus of attention: the Iron Age cemetery of al-Bass and the acropolis of the ancient island, each with its particular characteristics and difficulties. The project not only analyzes two different sites, but also covers the city鈥檚 history from its foundation in the third millennium BCE to today. Although still under development, the results have enabled Tyre to regain its position in the Levant and the Mediterranean. This project is also a haven for side projects that have opened new avenues of research.
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Pp. 178-187:听鈥淭he Spanish Archaeological and Archaeobiological Mission at Sharjah (SAAMS): Al Madam鈥揳l Khudairah Project; Life in the Oasis鈥揇eath on the Hills,鈥� by Carmen del Cerro-Linares
The Universidad Aut贸noma de Madrid has been working since the mid-1990s at the Iron Age village of al Madam located in the interior of the Oman peninsula, in the Emirate of Sharjah (UAE). In 2019 we received permission to excavate a necropolis in the municipality of al Khudairah (Sharjah), opening a new potential for the study of the funerary world of ancient Magan, as this area was called in the Mesopotamian texts. With the permission of the local authorities, and so as to balance study of the village with that of the necropolis, our team expanded and added a permanent contingent of archaeobiologists to our roster. Thus in February 2020 began the Spanish Archaeological and Archaeobiological Mission at Sharjah (SAAMS) and a new project: the 鈥淎l Madam鈥揳l Khudairah Project: Life in the Oasis鈥揇eath on the Hills.鈥�
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Pp. 188-193:听鈥淎rchaeological Excavations in Iraqi Kurdistan: Unveiling New Evidence on the Development of Complex Societies in Northern Mesopotamia at Gird Lashkir (Erbil),鈥� by Miquel Molist, Aziz Zebari, and Anna Bach
This article presents the development and main results of a project underway in present-day Iraqi Kurdistan. The excavations and studies carried out at the Gird Lashkir site, on the plain near the course of the Tigris River, make it possible to contribute significantly to our understanding of the historical evolution of the period from the fourth to the second millennium in northern Mesopotamia. At the chronological level, it focuses on the stratigraphic data and the characterization of the habitat in the complex societies of the third millennium cal BCE. As required by the current development of the discipline, the studies are interdisciplinary and with broad cooperation among researchers from institutions of different nationalities, particularly from Iraqi Kurdistan itself.
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Pp. 194-208:听鈥淲ild and Domesticated Fauna in Desert Regions of the Near East: The Case of Saruq al-Hadid (UAE),鈥� by Elo铆sa Bern谩ldez-S谩nchez, Esteban Garc铆a-Vi帽as, Myriam Seco-脕lvarez, Jos茅 Luis Ramos-Soldado, Mansour Boraik, Ya鈥檃qub Youssef, Javier Dantas-Cayuela, and Eduardo Ferrer-Albelda
The authors present the results of the archaeozoological studies of the 2019鈥�2020 archaeological field seasons conducted in Saruq al-Hadid (Dubai, UAE) by the University of Seville and the Andalusian Institute of Historic Heritage (Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Hist贸rico, IAPH). We analyzed two large assemblages of animal bone remains and, through the archaeozoological analysis, observed differences between two cultural and taphonomical contexts at the site. In the oldest levels鈥攄ated between the Bronze Age and Iron Age I鈥攈unted animals predominate, while data from the Iron II period show a higher frequency of domesticated species. These differences suggest a change in the use of the environment, related to changes in the culture and/or the climate, as well as the human activity that originated each deposit.
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Pp. 209-210:听鈥�Mundo Antigo em Resenha (MAR): Bringing Spanish-Portuguese Scholarship in Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies to the Greater Academic Community,鈥� by Thais Rocha da Silva
This article discusses the trajectory of studies about the ancient Near East and Egyptology within the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world. It argues that linguistic barriers also contributed to their remaining peripheral. Scholars in these regions have produced significant work in their fields, yet their contributions often remain isolated and underrecognized. The journal听Mundo Antigo em Resenha (MAR)听addresses this gap by publishing reviews of recent works in Spanish and Portuguese on topics related to antiquity.听MAR听aims to promote visibility and inclusivity and help researchers to develop connections. By fostering dialogue and collaboration,听MAR听seeks to enrich the scholarship about ancient Egypt and the Near East from Luso-Hispanic and Latin American communities, making it more accessible and impactful.
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听migration patterns, and forced resettlement during the Assyrian Empire beget a new set of mortuary norms.听 At the same time, some groups struggled to maintain their traditions in the face of a changing social and political landscape.听 This talk explores the variety of funerary traditions present in the Assyrian Empire and how they changed over time 鈥� telling us just as much about those alive as those deceased.
The Trustee Nominations Committee announces an open call for (self) nominations for the 17吃瓜Board of Trustees (Class of 2027). Trustees will serve a three-year term, starting January 1, 2025. There are three primary responsibilities of the members of the Board of Trustees:
鈥淗oly City of God, Jerusalem, how I long to stand even now at your gates, and go in, rejoicing!鈥� Around 600 CE, Sophronius, a monk from a monastery near Jerusalem who had been posted to Egypt, Sinai, and North Africa, composed a poem expressing his longing to return to the holy city 鈥� a wish that was fulfilled thirty years later when he was appointed patriarch. For Sophronius, not even Alexandria, the cosmopolitan cultural capital of the Mediterranean, could compete with Jerusalem. Sophronius鈥� words echo Psalm 122:1-3, which was written hundreds of years earlier and attributed to King David: 鈥淚 was glad when they said to me, 鈥楲et us go to the house of the Lord!鈥� Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem 鈥� built as a city that is bound firmly together.鈥�
Throughout the ages, pilgrims have shared Sophronius鈥� desire to stand in the gates of Jerusalem. Why has this poor and isolated mountain town exerted such a powerful hold on billions of people worldwide over the course of millennia? The simple answer is that for followers of the three Abrahamic faiths, Jerusalem is the place where the presence of the God of Israel dwells, and the Last Judgement will take place. It is the meeting point of heaven and earth 鈥� the locus of divine and human interaction. In this talk, Prof. Magness explores how these beliefs came to be associated with Jerusalem.
Her most recent books are听Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades听(New York: Oxford University, March 2024); and听Ancient Synagogues in Palestine: A Reevaluation Nearly a Century After Sukenik鈥檚 Schweich Lectures. The Schweich Lectures of the British Academy 2022听(London: The British Academy/Oxford University Press, anticipated publication July 2024). Three of Magness鈥� books have won awards:听Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth听(Princeton: Princeton University, 2019);听The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls听(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002; revised edition 2021); and听The Archaeology of the Early Islamic Settlement in Palestine听(Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2003). Magness has participated on 20 different excavations in Israel and Greece, including co-directing the 1995 excavations in the Roman siege works at Masada. Since 2011, she has directed excavations at Huqoq in Galilee (). Magness is an Honorary President of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), having served as President from 2017-2020), a member of the Managing Committee of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem.
