In the summer of 2015, the Tel Burna Excavation Project in Israel opened Area C, with the goal of... more In the summer of 2015, the Tel Burna Excavation Project in Israel opened Area C, with the goal of better understanding the adjacent agricultural areas. During the 2015 and 2016 seasons, installations of various sizes and shapes were found carved out of the limestone bedrock. Although some Byzantine and Persian occupation is known at the site, survey results from this area demonstrate the predominance of Bronze Age occupations and Iron Age II finds concurrent with excavated areas on the tell. Rock-cut installations revealed exclusively Bronze and Iron Age finds. Finds on the limestone bedrock surface included basalt grinding stones, flint blades, and several incomplete ceramic vessels from the Late Bronze IIB and Iron Age II. Although the lack of architecture and stratified contexts obscures an exact dating, ceramic finds suggest that these agricultural installations were used and reused throughout the occupation of Tel Burna. The results from Area C provide insights into the agricultural economy of the Bronze and Iron Age Shephelah.
This article examines the approach of Ernest Tatham Richmond, director of the Department of Antiq... more This article examines the approach of Ernest Tatham Richmond, director of the Department of Antiquities of the British Mandate government in Palestine from 1927 to 1937, toward the archaeological research of members of the Jewish Yishuv. The initial years of the Mandate reflected a supportive approach toward the Jewish Yishuv, and under the Department's first director, John Garstang, Jewish research was warmly received. In August 1927, Garstang was replaced by Richmond, who, in his previous position in Palestine as an advisor to the High Commissioner, expressed distinctly anti-Zionist views. Upon starting his new position, members of the Yishuv voiced grievances with his selection; in addition to its scientific value, they regarded archaeology as a means of realizing their national aspirations. The examination of several cases documented in various archives indicate that in the course of his tenure, Richmond treated the Jews and their research fairly, and at times even with a warm and supportive approach. The assessments of a few researchers, who hold that under Richmond's tenure the Department was biased toward the Arabs, appear to have been influenced by his actions at the beginning of the Mandate and by publications in the Hebrew press. However, a
Identification of the ancient anthropogenic Catena by deciphering hidden physical and chemical markers through pOSL and pXRF analysis
Catena, 2025
Soils and sediments are valuable historical archives that enable the investigation of ancient ant... more Soils and sediments are valuable historical archives that enable the investigation of ancient anthropogenic and natural processes. This study demonstrates that not all human activity markers are visible. Nevertheless, a combination of physical and chemical methods, including portable optically stimulated luminescence (pOSL) and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses, can provide insights into hidden human signatures. Cores drilled near the archaeological site of Tel Burna, a tell in the Judean foothills of Israel, revealed an anthropogenic layer buried within the adjacent valley. This layer also contained an anomaly indicative of anthropogenic activity, which could either signify the remnants of an ancient field’s surface or mark the site’s abandonment, followed by rapid erosion. Given that these cores extended from the footslope to the valley, sediment properties were tracked from the top of the site to the valley below. The findings demonstrated that anthropogenic influence diminished with distance from the site, resulting in increasingly intricate patterns, suggesting multiple sources of sedimentation, both natural and anthropogenic. The current research enabled a comprehensive analysis of an anthropogenic catena, shedding light on the impact of past human activity extending from the site to its surroundings. Furthermore, the study revealed a cycle of deposits transported to the site from the adjacent valley through human transport material (HTM) activities, which were subsequently eroded back into the valley through the natural transport of human material (NTHM). Thus, Tel Burna contributed to landscape cycling processes both during its occupation and after abandonment.
Plaque figurines are a well-established Canaanite tradition of the Late Bronze Age Southern
Levan... more Plaque figurines are a well-established Canaanite tradition of the Late Bronze Age Southern Levant. In this paper, we go beyond typology to consider who made these ritual objects at Tel Burna, based on impressions of fingerprints from shaping these figurines using an open mold. The lack of care exhibited on the backs and sides of the plaques has enabled a fingerprint analysis using proven biometric methods to clarify the demographics of their producers and the division of labor. Such analyses, when possible, potentially add another dimension to existing debates over how these cultic objects functioned in society, who made them and what they may or may not represent.
This study investigates the effects that an encounter with a foreign object can have on local tra... more This study investigates the effects that an encounter with a foreign object can have on local traditions. Notions of object agency and object biographies will be utilized to address what happens when people become entangled with new things: the new context can have an impact on the newly introduced object, and those newly introduced objects can similarly impact locals and their traditions. The Late Bronze Age southern Levantine site of Tel Burna will serve as a case study, where a number of imported Cypriot pithoi were found alongside locally produced pithoi. It will be demonstrated that in their new context, the Cypriot pithoi were given new meaning and function. At the same time, the imported pithoi played active roles in the local potters of Tel Burna making pithoi. However, the local pithoi resemble local storage jars, so while the potters mimicked the concept of the Cypriot pithoi, they did so according to local normative forms.
In ancient Near Eastern iconography, panthers and lions were frequently used to express social st... more In ancient Near Eastern iconography, panthers and lions were frequently used to express social status. The zooarchaeological remains of panthers and lions found in this region, however, are most commonly interpreted only as evidence for the management of dangerous animals. Starting with the faunal material from Iron Age Tel Burna, the authors collate and analyse zooarchaeological evidence for big cats across the Near East, from the Neolithic to the Iron Age (c. 9500–50 BC). The results show a shift in assemblage composition and find contexts starting in the Chalcolithic period, indicating the display of these animals by political leaders. The results also urge caution in the use of archaeological remains for reconstructing the natural ranges of big cats.
In this article, we examine the growing importance of Jewish archeology for the Jewish population... more In this article, we examine the growing importance of Jewish archeology for the Jewish population of Palestine/EI under the British Mandate by considering the impact of three formative archaeological excavations. The Tiberias hot springs excavation (1920–1921) was the first in the country to be carried out by a Jewish research institution, a Jewish researcher, and Jewish laborers, proving the Yishuv’s ability to conduct independent archeological research. It yielded unique symbolic findings and unearthed important relics but did little to inspire ongoing appreciation among the country’s Jewish population. The excavation at Beit Alfa (1928–1929) created a connection between the pioneers of the Jezreel Valley and Jewish archaeology and expanded its circles of influence. It also presented the world of the Jews of the past in a new light, drew socialist values from it, and was perceived by the Yishuv as part of the pioneering Zionist enterprise. The excavation at Beit Sheʻarim (1936–1940), coinciding with the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt in Palestine, was woven inseparably into the struggle to establish a Jewish national homeland. The persona and death of Alexander Zaïd were linked to it from the outset, and it was perceived by the Yishuv as a historic event that tethered the past to the present in a concrete manner. The development of the Yishuv’s relationship with Jewish archaeology evolved through a process that may be likened to the building of a ʻbody,ʼ the casting of ʻspirit,ʼ and the addition of a ʻsoul.ʼ This insight gives us a better understanding of the growth of the role of archaeology in the popular realm of yediʻat haʼaretz (ʻknowing the Landʼ), its use as a national tool during the British Mandate era, and the solidification of its status after the establishment of the State of Israel.
This article examines the trends in archaeological research and the state of conservation of arch... more This article examines the trends in archaeological research and the state of conservation of archaeological sites in Judea and Samaria between 1993 and 2022. The absence of Palestinian-Israeli cooperation resulted in the establishment of two parallel bodies that have been responsible for the issue, with no connection between them. In the Israeli-controlled territory, academic involvement declined with only a handful of new excavations. In the Palestinian controlled territory, many new studies were conducted with foreign assistance, primarily to strengthen Palestinian national identity. An assessment of the state of conservation indicates significant damage as a result of development and antiquities theft. In this region, where the future remains uncertain, relics of the past and the research of these relics appear to have sustained irreversible damage.
“And in Length of Days Understanding” (Job 12:12): Essays on Archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond in Honor of Thomas E. Levy, 2023
Major geopolitical and social changes took place in the Southern Levant
during the Iron II includ... more Major geopolitical and social changes took place in the Southern Levant during the Iron II including the establishment of territorial states, and subsequently, the intervention of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires in local economies. These geopolitical shifts affected local economic and agricultural practices, along with other aspects of daily life and subsistence. This paper presents and analyzes changes in the economic practices of the people living in the Iron II site of Tel Burna in light of the geopolitical changes that occurred throughout the period
Techno-stylistic studies in ceramic analysis have largely focused on characterising production gr... more Techno-stylistic studies in ceramic analysis have largely focused on characterising production groups, based on the similarity of various objects and how they were made. The demographics of potters and the division of labour often remain enigmatic in current chaîne opératoire research. A growing number of biometric studies have demonstrated the potential of fingerprints preserved on ceramic surfaces for classifying the age and sex of potters. In this paper, we use a recently introduced identification matrix to model labour divisions based on 52 fingerprints preserved on a diverse range of objects from the Late Bronze Age II stratum at Tel Burna. The sample includes objects from the recently exposed cultic enclosure. Based on broad ethnographic considerations, women were the principal potters in Canaanite society. Our study tests this hypothesis with regards to who made pottery for cultic use. We identify patterns in age categories and a sexual division of labour for the manufacture of select objects and vessel types. The results lead us to discuss possible effects of imperialism on labour organisation. We provide the first compelling insights into the social relations of pottery production at a time when Egypt exercised hegemony over the city-states of the Southern Levant.
Burna's prominent summit, encompassed by a 70 × 70 m casemate fortification, has attracted attent... more Burna's prominent summit, encompassed by a 70 × 70 m casemate fortification, has attracted attention since at least the nineteenth century CE. An analysis of the archaeological data collected during ongoing excavations at the tell indicates that these fortifications were built in the late tenth or early ninth century BCE. The fortification of this Judahite stronghold, located on the border with Philistia, remained in use for the next 200 years. Recently, evidence has come to light of a massive undertaking to reinforce and strengthen the western side of the casemate wall in the late eighth century BCE. The authors identify these activities as part of the preparations made to defend the city from Sennacherib's campaign in the region. The site was subsequently re-inhabited, but the fortifications seem to have gone out of use during the last stage of the occupation at the end of the Iron Age.
Moshe Dayan remains a popular personality who devoted most of his life to the Israeli state and w... more Moshe Dayan remains a popular personality who devoted most of his life to the Israeli state and whose military contributions have overshadowed his illegal activities in the field of archaeology. This article offers the first examination of Dayan’s impact on archaeology in the West Bank during his tenure as Israel’s defence minister (1967–74). Dayan moulded the military government in the West Bank in its early years and was involved in appointing the staff officers charged with managing civil affairs. His approach of granting rights to the Palestinians also found expression in his administration of the military government, and most workers in archaeological contexts were Palestinians. However, in parallel to his establishment of local order, Dayan conducted illegal excavations in plain sight of local residents and illegally acquired antiquities in the region. Upon catching antiquities thieves in the Hebron Hills, he purchased their findings and encouraged them to continue excavating, undoubtedly contributing to the high number of illicit excavations. During its early years, the antiquities department he established sought to reduce these thefts; however, Dayan, who held overall responsibility for its operations, sometimes acted in direct contravention of this policy, creating local anarchy whose impact is still felt today.
Archaeological Excavations and Research Studies in Southern Israel, 2022
Tel Burna—widely identified as biblical Libnah—and Khirbet el-‘Atar, c. 2 km north, occupy both s... more Tel Burna—widely identified as biblical Libnah—and Khirbet el-‘Atar, c. 2 km north, occupy both sides of Naḥal Guvrin in the western Shephelah. At Tel Burna, excavations have revealed a prominent casemate fortification wall that encloses the site’s summit and is confidently dated to the Iron Age II. It was established at the early stages of the Iron Age II and was apparently used for several centuries, albeit with some changes. Previous surveys at Khirbat el-‘Atar indicated that this site was also occupied during the Iron Age II, and its topography is similar to that of Tel Burna. In November 2020, a highresolution survey was conducted at Khirbat el-‘Atar to better determine the periods of occupation at the site, explore the nature of its enclosed summit, and conduct a preliminary comparison with the Tel Burna excavations. Although no excavation has been held at Khirbat el-‘Atar, the survey’s results allow us to produce an initial exploratory reconstruction of the site’s occupational sequences during the Iron Age II and enrich our understanding of the geopolitical changes in the region.
Israel Antiquities Authority 154 | Suriano, Shai, Uziel-In Search of Libnah as "white," which sug... more Israel Antiquities Authority 154 | Suriano, Shai, Uziel-In Search of Libnah as "white," which suggests a toponymic meaning such as "white place." Another possibility is that it is from the same root as ה נָ בֵ לְּ ("sun-baked brick," see Gen 11:3), which would suggest a toponym meaning "paved foundation" (or "compaction"). The second root meaning is found in Exod 24:10, as a common noun in the construct form יר פִּ סַּ הַ ת נַ בְ לִ ("pavement of sapphire"). 6 The Greek versions generally render the place name as Lebna, although the different manuscripts display variation in their transliterations, 7 for instance Lobena and the spelling Lemna (and related forms). 8 Literarily, the biblical references to Libnah can be broken down into three categories: genealogies (mainly P material, but including other sources), town lists (including the king list of Joshua 12), and incidental references in the books of Joshua and Kings (with parallels in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Chronicles). The sources are consistent in their placement of refers to either the stone material (presumably used in construction) or the local soil. The former suggestion would relate specifically to the chalky white, Eocene limestone that are found in the lowland hills of Judah (the Shephelah); see Amotz Cohen, "Place Names Whose Origin Is in the Color of the Surroundings," Beth Mikra 54 (1973), 420. For the relationship between toponyms and their physical environment, see Yohanan Aharoni, The Land of the
It is often assumed that domestic animals in early urban Near Eastern centres either are a reflec... more It is often assumed that domestic animals in early urban Near Eastern centres either are a reflection of the local pastoral economy, or were raised at a distance by pastoral specialists. In this paper, we test these assumptions through detailed isotopic analyses (carbon, oxygen and strontium) of caprines (sheep and goat) from Tell es-Safi/Gath, an Early Bronze Age urban centre in central Israel. The isotopic analyses demonstrate that the bulk of the caprines were raised within the general vicinity of the site, suggesting that the majority of food resources were largely produced at the local level, within the territory of the city-state, and not at a distance by specialised pastoralists. It is the rare specimen that comes from a great distance and would have entered the local system through long distance trade networks.
The outcome of the 1948 war in Palestine resulted not only in the country’s partition between the... more The outcome of the 1948 war in Palestine resulted not only in the country’s partition between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan, but also in the division of its archaeological research. The Jordanian Department of Antiquities, which was responsible for administering archaeological research in the West Bank until 1967, prioritized research in the East Bank over research in the West Bank as a function of broader Jordanian government policy. Most of the research in the West Bank during this period was conducted by foreign institutions and researchers, who were forced to choose between researching in either Israel or Arab countries. Those who chose to research in Israel were not allowed to simultaneously research and excavate in the Jordanian-controlled West Bank. Consequently, the foreign researchers’ choices divided them, placing them on different sides of the Green Line. The excavations in the West Bank piqued the curiosity of the Israelis, who never ceased trying to acquire information about them and their findings. These efforts included secret meetings with foreign researchers, attempts to acquire the Dead Seas scrolls, and the secret transfer to Israel of a few findings for the sake of secret research. For many years, part of their story remained classified in archives, and is shared here for the first time.
This article examines the factors that influenced the trends in archaeological excavations in Jud... more This article examines the factors that influenced the trends in archaeological excavations in Judea and Samaria during the decade attending the 1967 Six-Day War. Examination reveals a close connection between the political trends in Israel as they pertained to Judea and Samaria and the archaeological excavations undertaken in this region. When a prime minister appeared to consider Judea and Samaria an inseparable part of the state of Israel archaeologists followed (Meir). But when prime ministers regarded Judea and Samaria as territory that would be returned to the Jordanians (Eshkol and Rabin), the archaeologists stopped excavating in the region.
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Papers by Itzick Shai
Cores drilled near the archaeological site of Tel Burna, a tell in the Judean foothills of Israel, revealed an anthropogenic layer buried within the adjacent valley. This layer also contained an anomaly indicative of anthropogenic activity, which could either signify the remnants of an ancient field’s surface or mark the site’s abandonment, followed by rapid erosion. Given that these cores extended from the footslope to the valley, sediment properties were tracked from the top of the site to the valley below. The findings demonstrated that anthropogenic influence diminished with distance from the site, resulting in increasingly intricate patterns, suggesting multiple sources of sedimentation, both natural and anthropogenic.
The current research enabled a comprehensive analysis of an anthropogenic catena, shedding light on the impact of past human activity extending from the site to its surroundings. Furthermore, the study revealed a cycle of deposits transported to the site from the adjacent valley through human transport material (HTM) activities, which were subsequently eroded back into the valley through the natural transport of human material (NTHM). Thus, Tel Burna contributed to landscape cycling processes both during its occupation and after abandonment.
Levant. In this paper, we go beyond typology to consider who made these ritual objects
at Tel Burna, based on impressions of fingerprints from shaping these figurines using an
open mold. The lack of care exhibited on the backs and sides of the plaques has enabled a
fingerprint analysis using proven biometric methods to clarify the demographics of their
producers and the division of labor. Such analyses, when possible, potentially add another
dimension to existing debates over how these cultic objects functioned in society, who
made them and what they may or may not represent.
Chalcolithic period, indicating the display of these animals by political leaders. The results also urge caution in the use of archaeological remains
for reconstructing the natural ranges of big cats.
the country’s Jewish population. The excavation at Beit Alfa (1928–1929) created a connection between the pioneers of the Jezreel Valley and Jewish archaeology and expanded its circles of influence. It also presented the world of the Jews of the past in a new light, drew socialist values from it, and was perceived by the Yishuv as part of the pioneering Zionist enterprise. The excavation at Beit Sheʻarim (1936–1940),
coinciding with the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt in Palestine, was woven inseparably into the struggle to establish a Jewish national homeland. The persona and death of Alexander Zaïd were linked to it from the outset, and it was perceived by the Yishuv as a historic event that tethered the past to the present in a concrete manner. The development of the Yishuv’s relationship with Jewish archaeology evolved through a process that may be likened to the building of a ʻbody,ʼ the casting of ʻspirit,ʼ and
the addition of a ʻsoul.ʼ This insight gives us a better understanding of the growth of the role of archaeology in the popular realm of yediʻat haʼaretz (ʻknowing the Landʼ), its use as a national tool during the British Mandate era, and the solidification of its status after the establishment of the State of Israel.
during the Iron II including the establishment of territorial states, and subsequently, the intervention of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires in local economies. These geopolitical shifts affected local economic and agricultural practices, along with other aspects of daily life and subsistence. This paper presents and analyzes changes in the economic practices of the people living in the Iron II site of Tel Burna in light of the geopolitical changes that occurred throughout the period
Previous surveys at Khirbat el-‘Atar indicated that this site was also occupied during the Iron Age II, and its topography is similar to that of Tel Burna. In November 2020, a highresolution survey was conducted at Khirbat el-‘Atar to better determine the periods of occupation at the site, explore the nature of its enclosed summit, and conduct a preliminary comparison with the Tel Burna excavations. Although no excavation
has been held at Khirbat el-‘Atar, the survey’s results allow us to produce an initial exploratory reconstruction of the site’s occupational sequences during the Iron Age II and enrich our understanding of the geopolitical changes in the region.