Levantine archaeology is thearchaeological study of theLevant. It is also known asSyro-Palestinian archaeology orPalestinian archaeology[1][2] (particularly when the area of inquiry centers on ancientPalestine[3]). Besides its importance to the discipline ofBiblical archaeology, the Levant is highly important when forming an understanding of the history of the earliest peoples of theStone Age.[4]
Current archaeological digs in Israel are carried out by theIsrael Antiquities Authority (IAA), and in the areas governed by thePalestinian Authority (PA), by itsMinistry of Tourism and Antiquity, working under the auspices of the IAA. The Palestinian Authority prohibits unrestricted excavation at sites of archaeological importance. There are equivalent and similarly named authoritiesin Jordan andin Cyprus, aDirectorate-General of Antiquities and Museums inSyria and a department of theMinistry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey).
Levantine archaeology encompasses excavations, salvage, conservation and reconstruction efforts, as well as off-site research, interpretation, and other scholarship. The geographical scope of Levantine archaeology includes theHatay Province ofTurkey,Syria,Lebanon,Israel,Palestine,Jordan, andCyprus. The terminology for archaeology in the Levant has been defined in various, often competing or overlapping ways. Prior to and during the period of theBritish Mandate in Palestine (1920–1948), archaeology of the region was typically described as Palestinian archaeology orBiblical archaeology.
Under the influence ofWilliam F. Albright (1891–1971), biblical inquiry and narratives became increasingly important; indeed, Albright conceived of Palestinian archaeology or Levantine archaeology as a sub-field of biblical archaeology. "The archaeology of ancient Israel," is described by Franken and Franken-Battershill as, "but a small part of the far greater study of Palestinian archaeology." inA Primer of Old Testament Archaeology (1963).[5] In a survey of North American dissertations, the overwhelming emphasis has been on thesouthern Levant. However it is only when considering thenorthern Levant alongside the southern that wider archaeological and historical questions can be addressed.[6]
While bothClassical archaeology and Levantine archaeology deal with the same general region of study, the focus and approach of these interrelateddisciplines differs. Even scholars who have continued to advocate a role for Classical archaeology have accepted the existence of a general branch of Levantine archaeology.[1] In addition, Classical archaeology may cover areas relevant to theBible outside of the Levant (e.g.,Egypt orPersia) and it takes into account the use and explanation of biblical texts, which Levantine archaeologist ignore. Beyond its importance to the discipline of classical archaeology, the region of the Levant is critical for an understanding of the history of the earliest peoples of the Stone Age
In academic, political, and public settings, the region's archaeology can also be described in terms of ancient or modern Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, and the Hatay province of Turkey. Archaeologists may define the geographic range more narrowly, especially for inquiries that focus on 'Israel' or 'Palestine,' whether construed as ancient or modern territories.[7] The shifting terminology over the past 50 years reflects political tensions that operate within and upon the field.
Levantine archaeology in the 21st century has relegated biblical concerns to a less dominant position, functioning as a "big tent" incorporating multiple archaeological practices.[8] The Levant has displayed cultural continuity during most historical periods, leading to the increased study of the region as a whole.[6]
From prehistoric times through the Iron Age, chronological periods are usually named in keeping with technological developments that characterized that era. From the Babylonian era onward, naming is based on historical events. Scholars often disagree on the exact dates and terminology to be used for each period.[9]
Some definitions for the temporal scope, particularly earlier on tended to exclude events after theByzantine Period,[9] but the temporal scope of Levantine archaeology has expanded over the years. In 1982, James A. Sauer wrote that theIslamic periods (630–1918 CE) were part of Levantine archaeological research, and that while some periods had been "ignored, neglected, or even discarded for the sake of other periods," it is now "an almost universally accepted principle that archaeological evidence from all periods must be treated with equal care."[10]
Leslie J. Hoppe, writing in 1987, submits that Dever's definition of temporal scope of Levantine archaeology excludes theEarly Arab period (640–1099), theCrusader period (1099–1291), theMamluk period (1250–1517) and theOttoman period (1517–1918).[11] However, Dever's definition of the temporal scope of the field inWhat Did the Biblical Writers Know, and When Did They Know It? (2001), indicates that Hoppe's critique is no longer valid. There, Dever writes that the time-frame of Levantine archaeology, "extends far beyond the 'biblical period,' embracing everything from theLower Paleolithic to the Ottoman period."[12]
The list below, from the Paleolithic Age to theByzantine period, is drawn from the definitions provided by theMercer Dictionary of the Bible.[9] For periods thereafter, the terminology and dates come from Sauer and Hoppe.[dubious –discuss]
Prehistory is defined as the period preceding the advent of writing, which brought about the creation of written history. For the Levant the introduction of writing occurs at varying moments, but the Late Bronze Age is considered as the first period firmly outside prehistory. To avoid sub-regional conflicts, the prehistory as a category is left out of the list.
Modern Levantine archaeology began in the late 19th century. Earlyexpeditions lacked standardized methods forexcavation and interpretation, and were often little more than treasure-hunting expeditions.[14] A lack of awareness of the importance ofstratigraphy in dating objects led to digging longtrenches through the middle of a site that made work by later archaeologists more difficult.[14]
Edward Robinson identified numerous sites from antiquity and published his findings withEli Smith in a pivotal three-volume study entitledBiblical Researches in Palestine and the Adjacent Regions: Journal of Travels in the Year 1838. In Syria,Ernest Renan carried out research in the 1860s andHoward Crosby Butler ofPrinceton University carried out surveys of Byzantine Christian sites (1904–1909).[15] In the early 1900s, major projects were set up atSamaria,Gezer,Megiddo andJericho.[15]
An early school of modern Levantine archaeology was led by William F. Albright, whose work focused on biblical narratives.[16] Albright himself held thatFrederick Jones Bliss (1857–1939) was the father of Levantine archaeology, although Bliss is not well known in the field. Jeffrey A. Blakely attributes this to Bliss' successor at thePalestine Exploration Fund,R.A.S. Macalister (1870–1950), who underplayed his predecessor's achievements.[17]
After the creation of independentArab states in the region, national schools of archaeology were established in the 1960s. The research focuses and perspectives of these institutions differed from those ofWestern archaeological approaches, tending to eschew biblical studies and the search fortheological roots in theHoly Land and concentrating more, though not exclusively on Islamic archaeology.
In doing so, Arab archaeologists added a "vigorous new element to Syro-Palestinian archaeology."[18]
While the importance of stratigraphy,typology andbalk grew in the mid-twentieth century, the continued tendency to ignore harddata in favour of subjective interpretations invited criticism. Paul W. Lapp, for example, whom many thought would take up the mantle of Albright before his premature death in 1970, wrote:
"Too much of Palestinian archaeology is an inflated fabrication [...] Too often asubjective interpretation, not based onempirical stratigraphic observation, is used to demonstrate the validity of another subjective interpretation. We assign close dates to a group ofpots on subjectivetypological grounds and go on to cite our opinion as independent evidence for similarly dating a parallel group. Too much of Palestinian archaeology's foundation building has involved chasingad hominem arguments around in a circle."[19]
In 1974, William Dever established thesecular, non-biblical school of Syro-Palestinian archaeology and mounted a series of attacks on the very definition of biblical archaeology. Dever argued that the name of such inquiry should be changed to "archaeology of theBible" or "archaeology of the Biblical period" to delineate the narrow temporal focus of Biblical archaeologists.[1]Frank Moore Cross, who had studied under Albright and had taught Dever, emphasized that in Albright's view, biblical archaeology was not synonymous with Levantine archaeology, but rather that, "William Foxwell Albright regarded Palestinian archaeology or Levantine archaeology as a small, if important section of biblical archaeology. One finds it ironical that recent students suppose them interchangeable terms."[1] Dever agreed that the terms were not interchangeable, but claimed that "'Syro-Palestinian archaeology' is not the same as the 'biblical archaeology'. I regret to say that all who would defend Albright and 'biblical archaeology' on this ground, are sadly out of touch with reality in the field of archaeology."[20]
In recent decades, the term Levantine archaeology has generally replaced Syro-Palestinian archaeology. Electronic database results reveal an "overwhelming adoption" of the term ‘Levant’ when compared to ‘Syria-Palestine’ for archaeological studies.[6] This is primarily due to the strong cultural and geographic continuity of the Levant, the northern sections of which were generally ignored in Syro-Palestinian archaeology.[6] Towards the end of the twentieth century, Palestinian archaeology and/or Levantine archaeology became a moreinterdisciplinary practice. Specialists inarchaeozoology,archaeobotany,geology,anthropology andepigraphy now work together to produce essential environmental and non-environmental data in multidisciplinary projects.[21]
A central concern of Levantine archaeology since its genesis has been the study ofceramics. Whole pots and richly decorated pottery are uncommon in the Levant and the plainer, less ornate ceramic artifacts of the region have served the analytical goals of archaeologists, much more than those of museum collectors.[22] The ubiquity ofpotterysherds and their long history of use in the region makes ceramics analysis a particularly useful sub-discipline of Levantine archaeology, used to address issues of terminology and periodization.
Awareness of the value of pottery gained early recognition in a landmark survey conducted by Edward Robinson andEli Smith,[22] whose findings were published in first two works on the subject:Biblical Researches in Palestine (1841) andLater Biblical Researches (1851).[23]
Ceramics analysis in Levantine archaeology has suffered from insularity and conservatism, due to the legacy of what J.P Dessel andAlexander H. Joffe call "the imperial hubris of pan-optic 'Biblical Archaeology.'" The dominance of biblical archaeological approaches meant that the sub-discipline was cut off from other branches of ancient Near Eastern studies, apart from occasional references toNorthwest Semiticepigraphy andAssyriology,[24] as exemplified in theMesha Stele, theSefire Stelae, and theTel Dan Stele.[25]
As a result, widely varying principles, emphases, and definitions are used to determine localtypologies among archaeologists working in the region. Attempts to identify and bridge the gaps made some headway at the Durham conference, though it was recognized that agreement on a single method of ceramic analysis or a single definition of a type may not be possible.
The solution proposed by Dessel and Joffe is for all archaeologists in the field to provide more explicit descriptions of the objects that they study. The more information provided and shared between those in related sub-disciplines, the more likely it is that they will be able to identify and understand the commonalities in the different typological systems.[26]
Levantine archaeology also includes the study ofPhoenician culture, cosmopolitan in character and widespread in its distribution in the region. According to Benjamin Sass and Christoph Uehlinger, the questions of what isactually Phoenician and what isspecifically Phoenician, in Phoenicianiconography, constitute one well-knowncrux of Levantine archaeology. Without answers to these questions, the authors contend that research exploring the degree to which Phoenician art and symbolism penetrated into the different areas of Syria and Palestine will make little progress.[27]
Jewish interest in archaeology dates to the beginnings of theZionist movement and the founding of theJewish Palestine Exploration Society in 1914. Excavations at this early stage focused on sites related to theBible and ancient Jewish history and includedPhilistine sites inAfula andNahariya, as well as a second- to fourth-century village atBeth She'arim and asynagogue inBet Alpha.[28] Early archaeological pioneers in 1920s and 1930s includedNahman Avigad, Michael Avi-Yonah,Ruth Amiran, Immanuel Ben-Dor,Avraham Biran,Benjamin Mazar,E.L. Sukenik, andShmuel Yeivin.
By the 1950s, in contrast to the religious motivations of Biblical archaeologists, Israeli archaeology developed as a secular discipline motivated in part by the nationalistic desire to affirm the link between the modern, nascent Israeli nation-state and the ancient Jewish population of the land.Paleolithic archaeology was of little interest, nor was archaeology of Christian and Muslim periods.[29]Yigael Yadin, the pioneer of the Israeli School of archaeology, excavated some of the most important sites in the region, including theQumran Caves,Masada,Hazor andTel Megiddo. Yadin's world view was that the identity of modern Israel was directly tied to the revolutionary past of the ancient Jewish population of the region. He therefore focused much of his work on excavating sites related to previous periods of Israelite nationalistic struggles: Hazor, which he associated with the conquest ofCanaan byJoshua in c. 1250 BCE, and Masada, the site where Jewish rebels held out against the Romans in 72-73 CE.[30] Masada was extensively excavated by a team led by Yadin from 1963 to 1965 and became a monument symbolizing the will of the new Israeli state to survive.[29]
Today, Israeli universities have respected archaeology departments and institutes involved in research, excavation, conservation and training. Notable contemporary archaeologists includeEilat Mazar,Yoram Tsafrir,Ronny Reich,Ehud Netzer,Adam Zertal,Yohanan Aharoni,Eli Shukron,Gabriel Barkay,Israel Finkelstein,Yizhar Hirschfeld, and many more.
European archaeologists also continue to excavate and research in the region, with many of these projects centered inArab countries, primary among them Jordan and Syria, and to a lesser extent in Lebanon. The most significantBritish excavations include theTell Nebi Mend site (Qadesh) in Syria and the Tell Iktanu and Tell es-Sa'adiyah sites in Jordan. Other notable European projects include Italian excavations at Tell Mardikh (Ebla) and Tell Meskene (Emar) in Syria,French participation in Ras Shamra (Ugarit) in Syria, French excavations at Tell Yarmut andGerman excavations at Tell Masos (both in modern-day Israel), andDutch excavationsTell Deir 'Alla in Jordan.[18]
Italian archaeologists were the first to undertake joint missions with Palestinian archaeologists in the West Bank, which were possible only after the signing of theOslo Accords. The first joint project was conducted inJericho and coordinated byHamdan Taha, director of the Palestinian Antiquities Department and theUniversity of Rome "La Sapienza", represented byPaolo Matthiae, the same archaeologist who discovered the site of Ebla in 1964. Unlike the joint missions between Americans and Jordanians, this project involved Italians and Palestinians digging at the same holes, side by side.[31]
Apart from Israeli archaeologists, Americans make up the largest group of archaeologists working in Israel.[18] Joint American-Jordanian excavations have been conducted, but Nicolo Marchetti, anItalian archaeologist, says they do not constitute genuine collaboration: "[...] you might find, at a site, one hole with Jordanians and 20 holes with Americans digging in them. After the work, usually it's the Americans who explain to the Jordanians what they've found."[31]
The involvement of Palestinians as practitioners in the study of Palestinian archaeology is relatively recent. TheArchaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land notes that, "The 1990s have seen the development of Palestinian archaeological activities, with a focus ontell archaeology on the one hand (H. Taha andM. Sadeq) and on the investigation of theindigenous landscape andcultural heritage on the other (K. Nashef and M. Abu Khalaf)."[32]
The Palestinian Archaeology Institute at Bir Zeit University inRamallah was established in 1987 with the help ofAlbert Glock, who headed the archaeology department at the university at the time.[33] Glock's objective was to establish an archaeological program that would emphasize the Palestinian presence in Palestine, informed by his belief that, "Archaeology, as everything else, is politics, and my politics [are those] of the losers."[34] Glock was killed in the West Bank by unidentified gunmen in 1992. The first archaeological site excavated by researchers from Bir Zeit University was undertaken in TellJenin in 1993.[35]
Glock's views are echoed in the work ofKhaled Nashef, a Palestinian archaeologist at Bir Zeit and editor of the university'sJournal of Palestinian Archaeology, who writes that for too long the history of Palestine has been written byChristian and Israeli "biblical archaeologists", and that Palestinians must themselves re-write that history, beginning with the archaeological recovery of ancient Palestine.[36] Such a perspective can also be seen in the practices of Hamdan Taha, the director of thePalestinian National Authority's Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, responsible for overseeing preservation and excavation projects that involve both internationals and Palestinians.
Gerrit van der Kooij, an archaeologist atLeiden University in theNetherlands who works with Taha, says that, "It doesn't surprise me that outsiders become frustrated [... Taha] sticks by his policy of equal partnership. That means Palestinians must be involved at every step," from planning and digging to publishing. In Van der Kooij's opinion, this policy is "fully justified and adds more social value to the project."[37]
Dever submits that the recent insistence that Palestinian archaeology and history be written by "real Palestinians" stems from the influence of those he terms the "biblical revisionists", such as Keith W. Whitelam,Thomas L. Thompson,Phillip Davies andNiels Peter Lemche. Whitelam's book,The Invention of Ancient Israel: The Silencing of Palestinian History (1996) and Thompson's book,The Mythic Past: Biblical Archaeology and the Myth of Israel (1999) were both translated intoArabic shortly after their publication. Dever speculates that, "Nashef and many other Palestinian political activists have obviously read it." Harshly critical of both books, Dever accuses Whitelam's thesis that Israelis and "Jewish-inspired Christians" invented Israel, thus deliberately robbing Palestinians of their history, of being "extremely inflammatory" and "bordering onanti-Semitism", and Thompson's book of being "even more rabid."[36]
Dever cites an editorial by Nashef published in theJournal of Palestinian Archaeology in July 2000 entitled, "The Debate on 'Ancient Israel': A Palestinian Perspective", that explicitly names the four "biblical revisionists" mentioned above, as evidence for his claim that their "rhetoric" has influenced Palestinian archaeologists.[36] In the editorial itself, Nashef writes: "The fact of the matter is, the Palestinians have something completely different to offer in the debate on 'ancient Israel,' which seems to threaten the ideological basis of BAR (the American popular magazine,Biblical Archaeology Review, which turned down this piece - WGD): they simply exist, and they have always existed on the soil of Palestine ..."[36]
According to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip there are 12,000 archaeological andcultural heritage sites, 60,000 traditional houses, 1,750 major sites ofhuman settlement, and 500 sites which have been excavated to date, 60 of which are major sites.[38]
Excavation in Israel continues at a relatively rapid pace and is conducted according to generally high standards. Excavators return each year to a number of key sites that have been selected for their potential scientific and cultural interest. Current excavated sites of importance includeAshkelon, Hazor, Megiddo,Tel es-Safi,Dor,Hippos,Tel Kabri,Gamla andRehov. Recent issues center on the veracity of such artifacts as theJehoash Inscription and theJames Ossuary, as well as the validity of whole chronological schemes.Amihai Mazar andIsrael Finkelstein represent leading figures in the debate over the nature and chronology of theUnited Monarchy.
After the1948 Arab-Israeli war, theWest Bank was annexed by Jordan (1950), and archaeological excavations in the region were carried out by its Department of Antiquities, as had been the case throughout theBritish Mandate in Palestine. Made up of Muslim and Christian officials and headed by the British archaeologistGerald Lankester Harding until 1956, field archaeology was conducted primarily by foreigners.[39]
Large-scale expeditions included those of the American Schools of Oriental Research at Tell Balata (1956–1964), the British School of Archaeology at Jericho (1952–1958), and the École Biblique at Tell el-Farah (1946–1960) andKhirbet Qumran (1951–1956). Rising nationalistic pressures led to Harding's dismissal in 1956 and thereafter, the Department of Antiquities was headed by Jordanian nationals.[39]
After Israel occupied the area during the1967 war, all antiquities in the area came under the control of the Archaeological Staff Officer,[40] who is the head of the Archaeology Department of the Civil Administration (ADCA).[40] Though theHague Convention prohibits the removal of cultural property from militarily occupied areas, both foreign and Israeli archaeologists mounted extensive excavations that have been criticized as overstepping the bounds of legitimate work to protect endangered sites.[40] Vast amounts of new archaeological data have been uncovered in these explorations, although critics say that "relatively little effort was made to preserve or protect archaeological remains from the later Islamic and Ottoman periods, which were of direct relevance to the areas Muslim inhabitants."[40] By 2007, the ADCA had been involved with over 6,000 archaeological sites in the West Bank including surveys and excavations, the vast majority of which had been kept from public and academic knowledge.[41]
In the early 20th century, Palestinians focused on investigating Palestinian "material culture," as it relates tofolklore andcustoms. In 1920, the Palestine Oriental Society was founded by, most prominently among themTawfiq Canaan. The work of this society was more ethnographic and anthropological than archaeological.[39] Interest in archaeological fieldwork increased as West Bank universities emerged in the 1980s and cultivated a new approach to Palestinian archaeology. A new generation of Palestinians, likeAlbert Glock, introduced innovations to the field by studying Islamic and Ottoman period ruins in village contexts.[40]
Belameh, located a little over one mile (1.6 km) south ofJenin, is an important Bronze Age site identified with the ancientIbleam, a Canaanite[42] city mentioned in the Egyptian Royal Archive that was conquered byThutmose III in the 15th century BCE.[43][44] Ibleam is also mentioned in three passages of theHebrew Bible.[42] The location was calledBelemoth during Roman-Byzantine times, andCastellum Beleismum in the Crusader sources.[45]
The site was initially discovered byVictor Guérin in 1874, then byGottlieb Schumacher in 1910, andBellarmino Bagatti in 1974.[45] Later on, excavations in Khirbet Belameh, led by Hamdan Taha of the Palestinian Antiquities Department, began in 1996.[38][44] These have focused on a water tunnel carved out of rock sometime in the Late Bronze or Early Iron Age that connected the city at the top of the hill to its water source at the bottom, a spring known as Bir es-Sinjib.[44] The tunnel allowed inhabitants to walk through it undetected, particularly useful during times of siege.[38] There is evidence that the tunnel fell into disuse in the 8th century BCE, and that the entrance was subsequently rehabilitated some time in the Roman period, while the site itself shows occupation into the medieval period.[44] Plans have been drawn up to turn the site into an archaeological park.[38] G. Schumacher had described the water tunnel in 1908, and a small-scale excavation was conducted by Z. Yeivin in 1973. The water passage of Belameh is important for the understanding of ancient water systems in Palestine.[44]
As of April 2007, the procedures to add Bethlehem and theChurch of the Nativity to the UNESCO World Heritage List have been initiated.[46]
The Dead Sea Scrolls are 981 parchments discovered in 11 caves in the hills aboveQumran between 1947 and 1956. The discovery of the scrolls was dubbed "[u]nquestionably the greatest manuscript find of modern times" by William F. Albright, and the majority are transcribed in a unique form ofHebrew now known as "Qumran Hebrew", and seen as a link between Biblical Hebrew andMishnaic Hebrew. Some 120 scrolls are written in Aramaic, and a few of the biblical texts are written inAncient Greek. Israel purchased some of the parchments, believed to have been composed or transcribed between 1 BCE and 1 CE, after they were first unearthed by aBedouinshepherd in 1947. The remainder were acquired by Israel from theRockefeller Museum in the 1967 war.[47][48]
When 350 participants from 25 countries gathered at a conference at theIsrael Museum marking the fiftieth anniversary of their discovery,Amir Drori, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said that the 2,000-year-old documents were legally acquired and an inseparable part of Jewish tradition. A Palestinian academic,Hamdan Taha, responded that Israel's capture of the works after the 1967 war was theft "which should be rectified now".,[49] Israel is now digitally photographing the thousands of fragments that make up the Dead Sea Scrolls in order to make them freely available on the Internet.[50]
The Old City of Nablus consists of seven quarters representing a distinctive style of traditional urban architecture in Palestine. Founded in 72 CE by the emperorVespasian under the nameNeapolis, the city flourished during theByzantine andUmayyad periods, becoming the seat of abishopric.[51] Monuments in the city include "nine historic mosques (four built on Byzantine churches and five from the early Islamic period), an Ayyubid mausoleum, and a 17th-century church, but most buildings are Ottoman-era structures such as 2 majorkhans, 10Turkish bath houses, 30olive-oilsoap factories (7 of which were functioning), 2850 historic houses and exceptional family palaces, 18 Islamic monuments and 17 sabeel (water fountains)."[52] A few monuments within the Old City date back to theByzantine and Crusader periods. A Roman-eraaqueduct system runs under the city, part of which had recently been preserved by the municipality and opened for visitors.[52]
According to Hamdan Taha, great damage was inflicted on the historic core of the city during Israeli military incursions in 2002–2003.[51] Taha's claim was confirmed by a series of reports produced by UNESCO that noted that pursuant to military operations undertaken in April 2002, hundreds of buildings in the Old City were affected, sixty-four of which were severely damaged. Of these, seventeen were designated as being of particular significance toworld heritage, as per an inventory of sites prepared byGraz University between 1997 and 2002. According to UNESCO, reconstruction costs are estimated at tens of millions USD, though "the loss of irreplaceable heritage damage cannot be determined financially."[53]
Tel es-Sultan (meaning the "Sultan's Hill") is located inJericho, approximately two kilometers from the city center. Kathleen Kenyon's excavations at the site beginning in 1951, established that it was one of the earliest sites of human habitation, dating back to 9000 BCE. The mound contains several layers attesting to its habitation throughout the ages.[46]
Despite recognition of its importance by archaeologists, the site is not presently included on the World Heritage List. In April 2007, Hamdan Taha announced that the Palestinian Authority's Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage had begun the procedures for its nomination.[46]
Construction of theIsraeli West Bank barrier has damaged and threatens to damage a number of sites of interest to Palestinian archaeology in and around theGreen Line, prompting condemnation from theWorld Archaeological Congress (WAC) and a call for Israel to abide by UNESCO conventions that protect cultural heritage. In the autumn of 2003,bulldozers preparing the ground for a section of the barrier that runs throughAbu Dis inEast Jerusalem damaged the remains of a 1,500-year-oldByzantine era monastery. Construction was halted to allow the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) to conduct a salvage excavation that recovered a mosaic, among other artifacts. Media reported that an IAA official media blamed theIDF for proceeding without procuring the opinion of the IAA.[54]
Gaza's history has been shaped by its location on the route linkingNorth Africa to the fertile land of the Levant to the north. First strategically important to the EgyptianPharaohs, it remained so for the many empires who sought to wield power in the region that followed. Gerald Butt, historian and author ofGaza at the Crossroads, explains that, "It's found itself the target of constant sieges—constant battles ... The people have been subject to rule from all over the globe. Right through the centuries Gaza's been at the centre of the major military campaigns in the Eastern Mediterranean."[55] Gaza's main highway, theSalah al-Din Road, is one of the oldest in the world, and has been traversed by the chariots of the armies of the Pharaohs andAlexander the Great, the cavalry of the Crusaders, andNapoleon Bonaparte.[55]
Having long been overlooked in archaeological research, the number of excavations in the Gaza Strip has multiplied since the establishment in 1995 of the Department of Antiquities in Gaza, a branch of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of the Palestinian National Authority.[38][55] Plans to build a national archaeological museum also promise to highlight the rich history ofGaza City, which has been described as, "one of the world's oldest living cities."[55] Rapidurban development makes the need for archaeological research all the more urgent to protect the region's archaeological heritage.[38] Population pressure in the tiny Gaza Strip is intense, which means that numerous potential archaeological sites may have been built over and lost. According to specialists, there is much more under ground and under the sea than what has been discovered to date.[55]
Tell es-Sakan is the only Early Bronze Age site in the Gaza Strip discovered to date. Located five kilometers south of Gaza City, the site was found by chance in 1998 during construction for a new housing complex, and work was halted to allow archaeological soundings to be conducted.[56] The site covers an estimated 8–9 hectares (20–22 acres),[57] and was inhabited in two main phases: an Egyptian city that lasted from about 3300 BCE to 3000 BCE and a Canaanite city inhabited from about 2600 BCE to 2300 BCE. Joint Franco-Palestinian excavations withUNDP support took place in 1999 and 2000, covering an area of 1,400 square meters.[56]
Joint archaeological excavations by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities and the École Biblique et Archéologique Française began in theBeach refugee camp in Gaza in 1995. Various artifacts dating back as far as 800 BCE include high walls, pottery, warehouses andmud-brick houses with colorful frescoed walls. Archaeologists believe the site may beAnthedon (Antidon), a majorHellenistic seaport on the Mediterranean which connected Asia and Africa to Europe.[38][55]
The 5th-centuryByzantine Church of Jabalia was discovered in 1996. The church was excavated along with itsmosaics by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities after its discovery by labourers working onSalah al-Din Road inGaza City.[38][58] A 6th-centuryByzantine church was discovered in 1999 by an Israeli archaeologist on the site of anIDFmilitary installation in the northwestern tip of the Gaza Strip. The church contains three large and colorful mosaics with floral-motifs and geometric shapes.[59] The most impressive of these is a multi-colored medallion at the entrance to the church. Inscribed therein is the name of the church, St. John (named forJohn the Baptist), the names of the mosaic's donors, Victor and Yohanan, and the date of the laying of the church's foundations (544 CE).[59] Also found nearby were a Byzantine hot bath and artificial fishponds.[59]
Palestinian archaeologists have also discovered a number of sites of significance toChristianity. AtTell Umm el ‘Amer in 2001, a Byzantine-era mosaic was unearthed. Experts believe it forms part of the oldestmonastic complex ever to be discovered in theMiddle East, likely founded in the 3rd century by Saint Hilario.[60] While the archaeologists working at the site areMuslim Palestinians, they see nothing unusual about their desire to protect and promote a Christian shrine in an area inhabited by only 3,500 Christians today. Yasser Matar, co-director of the dig, said "This is our history; this is our civilisation and we want our people to know about it. ... First we were Christians and later we became Muslims. These people were our forefathers: the ancient Palestinians."[61] In 2001, Moain Sadeq, director general of the Department of Antiquities in Gaza,[59] applied to theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to assign itWorld Heritage Site status and fund the site's protection,restoration and rehabilitation for visitors.[61] In July 2024, UNESCO added the site to its World Heritage list and at the same time add it to itslist of sites in danger during theIsraeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.[62]
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Following the Six Day War the Gaza Strip was occupied by the Israeli military. In the aftermathMoshe Dayan looted various sites, and retained artefacts in his personal collection such asBronze Age sarcophagi from Deir el-Balah.[63]
In 1974, the IAA removed a sixth-centuryByzantine mosaic, dubbed 'King David Playing the Lyre', from theGaza synagogue. The mosaic is now in the synagogue section of theIsrael Museum.[59] According toJerusalem Post, it is illegal for anoccupying power to remove ancientartifacts from the land it occupies, but Israel alleges that the Palestinians have not been able to safeguard antiquities in the areas under their control. Hananya Hizmi, deputy of Israel's Department of Antiquities inJudea and Samaria, explained, "Probably it was done to preserve the mosaic. Maybe there was an intention to return [the mosaic] and it didn't work out. I don't know why."[59]
Proposals to internationalize the Old City of Jerusalem have been rejected by all parties in the Israeli-Arab conflict, each insisting on exclusivesovereignty.[64]Neil Silberman, an Israeli archaeologist, has demonstrated how legitimate archaeological research and preservation efforts have been exploited by Palestinians and Israelis for partisan ends.[64] Rather than attempting to understand "the natural process ofdemolition, eradication, rebuilding, evasion, and ideological reinterpretation that has permitted ancient rulers and modern groups to claim exclusive possession," archaeologists have become active participants in the battle. Silberman writes that archaeology, a seemingly objective science, has exacerbated, rather than ameliorated the ongoingnationalist dispute: "The digging continues. Claims and counterclaims about exclusive historical 'ownership' weave together the random acts of violence of bifurcated collective memory."[64]
An archaeological tunnel running the length of the western side of theTemple Mount, as it is known toJews, or theHaram al-Sharif, as it is known toMuslims, sparked a serious conflict in 1996. As a result, rioting broke out in Jerusalem and spread to the West Bank, leading to the deaths of 86 Palestinians and 15 Israeli soldiers.[65]
During the1948 Arab-Israeli war, and throughout the period of Jordanian rule of Jerusalem which ended in 1967, Jordanian authorities and military forces undertook a policy described by their military commander as "calculated destruction,",[66] aimed at theJewish Quarter in theOld City of Jerusalem. The Jordanian actions were described in a letter to theUnited Nations by Yosef Tekoa, Israel's permanent representative to the organization at the time, as a "policy of wanton vandalism, desecration and violation,"[66] which resulted in the destruction of all but one of 35 Jewish houses of worship. Synagogues were razed or pillaged. Many of them were demolished by explosives, and others subjected to ritual desecration, through the conversion to stables.[67] In the ancient historic Jewish graveyard on theMount of Olives, tens of thousands of tombstones, some dating from as early as 1 BCE, were torn up, broken or used as flagstones, steps and building materials in Jordanian military installations. Large areas of the cemetery were levelled and turned into parking lots and gas stations.[68]
The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls were added to theList of World Heritage in Danger in 1982, after it was nominated for inclusion byJordan.[69] Noting the "severe destruction followed by a rapid urbanization," UNESCO determined that the site met "the criteriaproposed for the inscription of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger as they apply to both 'ascertained danger' and 'potential danger'."[69]
Work carried out by the Islamic Waqf since the late 1990s to convert two ancient underground structures into a large new mosque on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif damaged archaeological artifacts inSolomon's Stables andHuldah Gates areas.[70][71][72] From October 1999 to January 2000, the Waqf authorities in Jerusalem opened an emergency exit to the newly renovated underground mosque, in the process digging a pit measuring 18,000 square feet (1,672 m2) and 36 feet (11 m) deep. TheIsrael Antiquities Authority (IAA) expressed concern over the damage sustained to Muslim-period structures within the compound as a result of the digging. Jon Seligman, aJerusalem District archaeologist toldArchaeology magazine that, "It was clear to the IAA that an emergency exit [at the Marwani Mosque] was necessary, but in the best situation,salvage archaeology would have been performed first."[73] Seligman also said that the lack of archaeological supervision "has meant a great loss to all of humanity. It was an archeological crime.".[71]
Some Israeli archaeologists also charged that archaeological material dating to theFirst Temple Period (c. 960-586 BCE) was destroyed when the thousands of tons of ancient fill from the site were dumped into theKidron Valley, as well as into Jerusalem's municipal garbage dump, where it mixed with the local garbage, making it impossible to conduct archaeological examination.[72] They further contended that the Waqf was deliberately removing evidence of Jewish remains.[74] For example, Eilat Mazar toldYnet news that the actions by the Waqf were linked to the routine denials of the existence of the Jerusalem Temples by senior officials of the Palestinian Authority. She stated that, "They want to turn the whole of the Temple Mount into a mosque for Muslims only. They don't care about the artifacts or heritage on the site."[75] However, Seligman and Gideon Avni, another Israeli archaeologist, toldArchaeology magazine that while the fill did indeed contain shards from the First Temple period, they were located in originally unstratified fill and therefore lacked any serious archaeological value.[73]
Compared to Israel, archaeological knowledge aboutJordan (formerly Transjordan) remains less thoroughly documented, though it has steadily grown since the 20th century.[76]
Two universities, theUniversity of Jordan andYarmouk University, offer archaeology studies. Apart from the work of the official antiquities department, there are many foreign-educated professional archaeologists in Jordan, working on dozens of field projects. Findings have been published in the four-volumeStudies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan (1982–1992).[15][77]
Among the most influential initiatives is theMadaba Plains Project (MPP), launched in the early 1980s to continue research in the region betweenAmman andMadaba. MPP’s excavations atTall Hisban,Tall Jalul and associated survey areas have engaged over 2,000 students and volunteers over five decades; making it Jordan’s longest‑running archaeological effort.[78] Other regional projects include theGadara region andTall Zira'a excavations, ongoing since the 2000s. These examine more than 5,000 years of human settlement, usingsystematic geophysical prospection, survey, excavations and archaeometric analyses of pottery, glass and agricultural remains.[79]
Multi‑disciplinary research in areas such asWadi Zarqa, Hisma andWadi Hammieh has producedlithic assemblages from the Lower, Middle, and Late Palaeolithic periods. Prehistoricfaunal remains, including elephant teeth, have been associated withAcheulean tools dating back to theEarly Pleistocene. More than thirty new Late Acheulean andMiddle Palaeolithic sites continue to be studied, especially in southern Jordan.[80] TheMurayghat site in theMadaba region (sometimes called “Jordan’s Stonehenge”) spans from theNeolithic to Islamic periods (c. 8000 BCE to 1500 CE).[81][82] It featuresdolmens,standing stones,ritual landscapes,stone circles and domestic structures, investigated under the Ritual Landscapes of Murayghat Project directed by theUniversity of Copenhagen since 2014. Finds includeEarly Bronze Age pottery, stone tools and architectural remains.[81][83]
TheDepartment of Antiquities maintains a national system,JADIS (Jordanian Antiquities Database and Information System), which has catalogued over 8,600 known archaeological sites as of the mid‑1990s. Combined withGeographic Information Systems,photogrammetry,aerial imagery andCAD technologies, JADIS supports both heritage management and academic research.[84][85]
Important sites in Lebanon dating to the Neanderthal period include Adloun, Chekka Jdidé, El-Masloukh, Ksar Akil,Nahr Ibrahim and Naame.[86]Byblos is a well-known archaeological site, a Phoenicianseaport, where the tomb ofAhiram is believed to be located. An ancient Phoenician inscription on the tomb dates to between the 13th and 10th centuries BCE.[87] Byblos, as well as archaeological sites inBaalbek,Tyre,Sidon, andTripoli, contain artifacts indicating the presence oflibraries dating back to the period ofClassical antiquity.[87]
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Coastal, central and southern Syria (including modern Lebanon) "constitute the major part of ancient Canaan, or the southern Levant," and according to Dever, the area is "potentially far richer in archaeology remains than Palestine."[15] Yet, in the 19th century, Syria received significantly less archaeological exploration than Palestine. Beginning in the 1920s, large excavations have been conducted in such key sites as Ebla,Hama, and Ugarit. Albright envisioned Palestine and Syria within the same cultural orbit and, though best known for his pioneering work on biblical archaeology, he also foreshadowed contemporary scholars in using "Syro-Palestinian" to integrate the archaeology from Syria.[15]
Syria is often acknowledged to be a "crossroads of civilizations", "traversed by caravans and military expeditions moving between the economic and political poles of the Ancient Near Eastern world, from Egypt to Anatolia, from the Mediterranean to Mesopotamia." While there is significant geographical and cultural overlap with its neighbouring regions, Akkermans and Schwartz note that specialists in Syria itself, rarely use the term "Syro-Palestinian archaeology" to describe their inquiries in the field. Syria can be seen as a distinct and autonomous geographical and cultural entity whose rainfall-farming plains could support larger scale populations, communities, and political units than those in Palestine and Lebanon.[88]
Following the program of theFrench Mandate, the Syrian school of archaeology has an official antiquities department, museums inAleppo andDamascus, and at least two important scholarly journals.[15]
TheAmuq Valley in theHatay Province of Turkey has aided in the understanding of western Syrian historical chronologies.Robert Braidwood documented 178 ancient sites in the Amuq Valley, eight of which were then further excavated. Artifacts recovered from these excavations helped in the formation of a historical chronology of Syrian archaeology spanning from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age.[8][89]
Archaeology has been widely influenced by the modern Arab–Israeli conflict. During theBritish Mandate in Palestine, many Jewish and Christian populations have renewed their interest in the ancient Judaic archaeological sites located in the region. Several Palestinian authors argue that Zionists, or individuals who believe in a Jewish homeland, use archaeology to create a sense of national identity. One author, in a highly controversial book, stated that a joint project of theJewish Palestine Exploration Society and theGovernment Naming Committee attempted to rename sites from an Arab-Ottoman template to the template of biblical Israel.[90] Today this attitude is an important factor in the controversy over the West Bank.Judea and Samaria are the biblical and historical names of the southern and northern West Bank, used by Jews and Western scholars prior to the emergence of the term "West Bank" after the occupation of the region by Jordan. The historical regions of Judea and Samaria are holding several archaeological sites containing major findings from the time of the Israelite and Jewish past and yielded important ancient Hebrew artifacts.[91][92]
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