Excavation Opportunities 1983

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You’ve been digging in the hot sun since dawn. Your muscles ache. Suddenly, your trowel strikes something hard. You call your area supervisor to watch as you gently brush away more dirt until an entire jar handle appears. The supervisor records your find in the expedition log. Then you pick up the handle and look at the inscription that was stamped on it more than 2,000 years ago. Fatigue and heat are forgotten.

Volunteers at digs this summer from Jalul in Jordan to Akko on the Mediterranean coast will dream of scenes like this. For some volunteers, who in past seasons have joined scores of other volunteers from different countries, such dreams became reality. Last year, diggers at Michmoret unearthed a collection of Attic Black Figure ware. In Jerusalem, excavators exposed a huge section of a 50-foot-high monumental structure and discovered six clay seals bearing names of people who lived in Jerusalem before the destruction of the First Temple in 586 B.C. At the underwater dig at Caesarea, scuba divers raised a stone anchor believed to date from 1200 B.C.

If you’re thinking of joining an excavation team, be sure to consider the many differences among the available opportunities in order to find the one that is right for you. You may live in a kibbutz guest house or a tent village, attend lectures for academic credit or simply for pleasure, dig in a city, or in a rural valley, or even under water. Costs vary, as does the length of time you’ll be expected to stay. But wherever you dig, you’ll find an international atmosphere and people who share your interest in the wonders of the past.

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Tel Gerisa

Excavations at Tel Gerisa, a Bronze Age to Early Iron Age site on the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv, have uncovered Middle Bronze Age fortifications, an extensive Late Bronze Age settlement, and a Philistine village. Project director James Muhly of the University of Pennsylvania and field director Ze’ev Herzog of Tel Aviv University will conduct the third season of excavations at Tel Gerisa in two four-week sessions, July 3 to July 29, 1983, and July 31 to August 26, 1983. Volunteers are urged to stay for one full session and earn credit through Tel Aviv University for two courses (two semester credits each): Field Archaeology and The Archaeology and History of the Coastal Plain. Tuition and room and board (volunteers live in tents) for each session cost $450. Participation without academic credit costs $350.

For details and application, write to Fredric Brandfon, Department of Philosophy & Religion, Stockton State College, Pomona, New Jersey 08240. Phone: (609) 652–1776, extension 380.

Tel Batash (Timnah)

A sixth season of excavations at Tel Batash (Biblical Timnah) begins June 13, 1983 and continues until July 17, 1983. Located in the Sorek Valley about ten miles from Jerusalem, on the ancient border between Israel and Philistia, Tel Batash covers an area of ten acres and was occupied continually from the Middle Bronze to the Persian period. Samson took a Philistine wife from Timnah. The city was later captured by the Israelites (possibly during David’s reign) and was taken from Ahaz by the Philistines in about 725 B.C. Excavations have revealed the city gates, Late Bronze Age dwellings, and well-preserved Iron Age buildings.

The excavations are sponsored by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The expedition director is George L. Kelm of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; the archaeological field director is Amihai Mazar of Hebrew University. Volunteers may join the expedition June 5 for travel in Israel. First-class accommodations at the Shoresh Hotel in the cool Judean hills and six hours of undergraduate/graduate credit (tuition—$100) are available through Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For brochure and application, write to Dr. George L. Kelm, Timnah Expedition, P.O. Box 22417, Fort Worth, Texas 76122–0417. Phone: (817) 923–1921.

Tel Dor

Ancient Dor, on the Mediterranean coast 18 miles south of Haifa, was the capital of King Solomon’s fourth administrative district. During the Persian period (540–330 B.C.), the city was ruled by Phoenicians and the population also included a significant Greek colony. The 1983 season, June 28 August 10, will concentrate on the Persian period and the Iron Age. Dig director Ephraim Stern of Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology and senior staff members will lead an extensive educational program of daily lectures, weekend tours and intensive on-site instruction in all phases of archaeological method.

Volunteers dig from 4:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (with a break for breakfast), Monday through Friday. Dormitory housing at an agricultural college in the nearby town of Pardess Hanna and free bus transportation to and from the tel are provided. The college nurse is available at no extra cost. Volunteer costs are $625 for two weeks, $805 for four weeks, and $990 for six weeks. Tuition for academic credits is $40 per credit hour (either two or four credits).

Volunteers desiring academic credit should write either to Professor Lawrence Schiffman, New York University, Washington Square, New York, New York 10012; or to Professor Howard P. Goldfried, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, California 95819. Volunteers not desiring credit and those interested in credit through Hebrew University may write to RICHDOR, Dr. Neil Richardson, Executive Director, 168 Mt. Vernon Street, Newtonville, Massachusetts 02160.

Emeq Hefer

From June 26 to August 9, 1983, the Emeq Hefer Archaeological Research Project will excavate Tel el Efshar and Michmoret, two sites on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, a few miles south of Caesarea. Excavations thus far at Efshar have unearthed a Canaanite center, as well as Israelite and Byzantine settlements. Last season’s dig uncovered part of a well-preserved “mansion” of the Middle Bronze IIa period, including a stairway and entrances, as well as stone-built private dwellings of the same settlement in another part of the tel. At Michmoret, a port north of Netanyah at the mouth of the Alexander River, excavators found a 10th–11th century A.D. tower and a Persian period building on a bluff south of the harbor. The pottery sherds discovered in the Persian period structure included imported wares from Attica, among them Red Figure and Black Figure pieces, an Astarte figurine and shells of murex snails—the source of purple dye. North of the harbor, excavators cleared the remains of a pre-Roman springhouse that had been in continual use until a century ago.

The project’s field school will offer two graduate and undergraduate courses of five credits each, or a variable credit option in independent study for advanced students. A $700 fee includes touring and room and board in a school building for the full season. 062Volunteers who do not wish to take courses are also welcomed. Their costs will not exceed $100 per week. For further information, including minimum length of stay, write to Dr. Samuel M. Paley, c/o Council on International Studies, 414 Capen Hall, Amherst Campus, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260 or to Dr. Robert Stieglitz, c/o Department of Hebraic Studies, 174 University Avenue, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Volunteers who do not wish to receive academic credit may apply through Earthwatch, 10 Juniper Road, Box 127, Belmont, Massachusetts 02178.

Akko (Tel Fukhar)

Ancient Akko (also called Tel Fukhar and Ptolemais) boasted one of the few good harbors in ancient Palestine. In Maccabean times, the city was allied with the Syrians; Jonathan Maccabee was imprisoned there. Paul and Luke landed at Ptolemais on their return from Paul’s third missionary journey. In the Middle Ages, the city was a Crusader stronghold for 200 years. Tel Fukhar, about a mile east of modern Akko, will be excavated for a ninth season, July 1 to August 31, 1983, by an international team directed by Moshe Dothan of Haifa University. The 1983 excavations will focus on Bronze Age levels, where fortifications, light industry and evidence of the Sea Peoples have already been uncovered.

Minimum stay is two weeks, though volunteers are urged to stay longer. Volunteers will live at Akko Naval School in the modern city; room and board cost $15 per day. Academic credit is available through the University of Haifa. For more information write to Professor Austin Ritterspach, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania 17022. Phone: (717) 367–1151.

Tell Halif

In 1977, a bowl decorated in the center with a single raised pomegranate (rimmon in Hebrew) was discovered in a tomb at Tell Halif. This unique find gave added support to a hypothesis that has recently been gaining favor: that Tell Halif is the site of the Biblical city of Rimmon. Some of the exiles who came back from Babylonia lived in Rimmon. Zechariah prophesied that the land of Israel from Geba to Rimmon would one day be changed into a plain.

The Lahav Research Project will continue to explore Tell Halif, which is near Kibbutz Lahav in southern Israel, during its fifth excavation season, June 20 to July 29, 1983. The director, Joe D. Seger, and senior staff members Dan P. Cole, Mary Elizabeth Shutler, Paul F. Jacobs, Oded Borowski, and Karen E. Seger will also conduct a field school. Training in excavation techniques and recording, exposure to field laboratory processing and analysis of artifacts, lectures on archaeological methods and history and visits to other archaeological sites will be offered. The project seeks 40 volunteers. Previous archaeological experience is not required.

Expenses include a $25 application fee and, for non-student volunteers, a minimum contribution of $750 toward project expenses. The minimum contribution for those who wish to receive academic credit is $600; tuition is extra. Academic credit will be offered through Mississippi State University, Emory University, the University of St. Thomas at 063Houston, and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Volunteers must pay their own travel and miscellaneous expenses. On-site housing and board will be provided. Volunteers who do not wish to stay for the full six-week season should inquire about a special “Patron’s Program.”

Write to Dr. Joe D. Seger, Director, Lahav Research Project, The Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762. Phone: (601) 325–3826.

Tell Qasile

Tell Qasile, located near the Yarkon River in north Tel Aviv, is one of the most important sites in Israel for the study of Philistine culture. The Philistines founded the city on virgin soil in the first half of the 12th century B.C., creating a well-planned city with separate areas for industry, homes and cult. Major finds of past seasons include the first Philistine temple ever discovered, silos, storerooms, tools and distinctively decorated Philistine pottery.

Amihai Mazar of Hebrew University, who excavated Tell Qasile in the early 1970s, will direct the 1983 season from April 10 to June 17, 1983. Additional excavations may be undertaken in September, 1983. College credit for this excavation is available only to organized groups. Volunteers must find their own accommodations in Tel Aviv. (The Tel Aviv youth hostel is close to the site.) For further information, write to Dr. Amihai Mazar, The Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.

Caesarea

Ancient Harbor Excavation Project

Volunteer scuba divers are wanted for the fifth season of excavations at Caesarea Maritima, Herod’s magnificent artificial harbor on the Mediterranean. If you’re a certified diver and can provide your own scuba equipment, you can immerse yourself in archaeology for three weeks this summer, either from May 22 to June 10 or from June 12 to July 1. A rival to the harbors of Alexandria and Piraeus in size and grandeur, Herod’s harbor remained in use for over 1,000 years, through the Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and Crusader eras.

Since 1979, an international consortium of schools has carried out underwater exploration of Caesarea, which is the largest, partially submerged ancient harbor in the Mediterranean Sea readily accessible for archaeological investigation. (See “Caesarea Beneath the Sea,” BAR 08:03.) Underwater archaeology goals for 1983 include excavating the southern breakwater and mapping the northern breakwater. Lectures and discussions on such topics as comparative ancient harbor sites, techniques of underwater survey and excavation and underwater photography will be offered. Volunteers may earn three undergraduate or graduate credits from a consortium university.

Cost of $900 covers all diving expenses, including diving insurance (you must have your own medical insurance), and room and board for three weeks, excluding weekends. For application and further details, including group flight information, write to Professor Robert Hohlfelder, Department of History, Box 234, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309. Phone: (303) 492–8431.

Madaba Plains

The Madaba Plains Project, under the direction of Lawrence T. Geraty of Andrews University, will conduct excavations from June 14 to August 5, 1983, at Tell Jalul. Located 15 miles south of Amman, Jalul is the largest tell in central Jordan and was a major city throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages. The second season at Jalul will include a regional survey of the surrounding Madaba Plains. Volunteers may stay for the entire dig, or for either half (June 14 to July 8, July 10 to August 5). Cost of $1799 for the entire dig includes board, room, 12 quarter hours of undergraduate/graduate credit, and weekend trips within Jordan. Cost of $999 for either half of the dig includes all of the above except six credit hours. An optional tour of Egypt and Israel (carrying four quarter hours of academic credit) is scheduled for June 1 to 14, 1983, and costs $750. Round-trip airfare from New York to Jordan is $699. Volunteers will stay in a schoolhouse in the town of Madaba. For more information, write Madaba Plains Project, Institute of Archaeology, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan 49104.

Yoqne’am

The Yoqne’am Regional Project will once again conduct a survey of the western Jezreel Valley, also known as the Plain of Esdraelon, and will continue excavations at two sites in the valley, Tel Yoqne’am and its satellite village, Tel Qashish. (See “The Regional Study—A New Approach to Archaeological Investigation,” BAR 06:02.) At a crossroads of ancient trade routes, Tel Yoqne’am is one of the few sites in Israel known to have been continuously occupied from the Early Bronze Age to Crusader times. Both Tel Yoqne’am and Tel Qashish excavations will be directed by Amnon Ben-Tor of Hebrew University. Yuval Portugali of Hebrew University will direct the survey of the western Jezreel Valley.

The Yoqne’am Regional Project seeks 60 volunteers to work during the 1983 season, July 4 to August 5. Minimum stay is two weeks, at a cost of $100 per week. Lectures and field trips will be offered. At the end of the season, volunteers will receive certificates attesting to three academic credits of participation that may be submitted to the volunteers’ own universities. (Make credit 064arrangements with your university before you dig.) For further information, write to Professor Amnon Ben-Tor, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.

City of David

Yigal Shiloh, director of excavations in the City of David, on the original site of Jerusalem, is seeking 150 volunteers for a sixth season, June 20–August 13, 1983. In the previous five seasons, a monumental stepped structure more than 50 feet high was uncovered; the ancient water system was cleared, including the blocked “Warren’s Shaft”; and Israelite residences were found dating from the period just before the Babylonian conquest in the sixth century B.C. (For background on Shiloh’s now-famous dig, which has been the scene of ultra-orthodox Jewish demonstrations, see “Digging in the City of David,” BAR 05:04; “Jerusalem’s Water Supply During Siege—The Rediscovery of Warren’s Shaft,” BAR 07:04; “New York Times Misrepresents Major Jerusalem Discovery,” BAR 07:04; and “Politics at the City of David,” BAR 07:06.)

Minimum stay is two weeks; three weeks is preferred. Volunteers work from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. From 12:30 to 1:30, following the field work, volunteers are invited to participate in a series of lectures and field tours presented by senior staff members. The Overseas Students Program at Hebrew University offers academic credit to volunteers. Since volunteers must secure their own accommodations in Jerusalem (with help, if necessary, from the project), the only fee charged to volunteers is $15 for application and registration. (Tuition fee for academic credit is extra.) The City of David excavations are co-sponsored by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Exploration Society. For information and application, write to Dr. Yigal Shiloh, Director, The City of David Archaeological Project, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.

Ein Yael

In ancient times, Jerusalem’s food supply came from farms in outlying rural areas (see “Ancient Jerusalem’s Rural Food Basket,” BAR 08:04). From May to September, 1983, a team under the direction of Gershon Edelstein of Israel’s Department of Antiquities will continue to excavate Khirbet er-Ras, Ein Yael (Ein Yalu), and a Canaanite site (all grouped closely together in the Rephaim Valley area southwest of Jerusalem) in order to learn more about ancient agriculture. The project’s long-term goal offers volunteers quite an unusual opportunity—to reconstruct the farm and surrounding terraces of Ein Yael and to turn the area into an archaeological research center and tourist park. This summer, the team will begin metallurgical experiments and will reconstruct pottery kilns. Eventually, restored oil and wine presses will produce basic commodities to support those who will live and work in the reconstructed houses.

Gershon Edelstein seeks volunteers who can stay a minimum of two weeks to assist in these projects. For further information, write Ein Yael, c/o Gershon Edelstein, Society for Archaeological Survey of Israel, P.O.B. 586, Jerusalem 91004, Israel.

Lachish

Lachish, the most important Biblical city in Judea after Jerusalem, will be excavated during two four-week sessions in 1983: June 12 to July 18 and July 10 to August 5. Although Lachish was a strongly fortified city, it was destroyed in 701 B.C. by the Assyrian ruler, Sennacherib, in his campaign against Judah. The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, again conquered the city in 586 B.C. (See “‘Lachish and Azekah Were the Only Fortified Cities of Judah that Remained’ (Jeremiah 34:7),” BAR 08:06.) The excavation is sponsored by the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University and the Israel Exploration Society; a number of other institutions around the world will be affiliated with the expedition, which is directed by Tel Aviv University’s David Ussishkin. Dr. Song Nai Rhee of Northwest Christian College is the 065U.S. Project Coordinator.

The ninth season of excavations will focus on four areas, all but one of them new. Ussishkin will continue exploring the Late Bronze Age levels of the site, and will also begin work on a corner of the 18-acre mound where the Assyrians directed their main onslaught. In other areas, Ussishkin and his volunteers will uncover monumental Canaanite structures and search for the Judean water-system. Students who wish to participate in a two-course study program must stay for a minimum of four weeks. Students must take both courses (three semester hours each, available through Tel Aviv University or Northern Illinois University). Non-student volunteers must stay at least two weeks. Cost of participation is $100 per week; tuition for both courses is $420. Volunteers are encouraged to register for the entire eight-week season; after four weeks they may be invited to stay on without charge! The 120 members of the expedition will live in a tent camp in a eucalyptus grove one mile from the site. Buses will run to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Friday when the camp closes and will return on Sunday afternoon.

All participants should be at least 18 years old, in good health, and carry full medical and accident insurance. Volunteers who wish to enroll in the study program and be accredited by Northern Illinois University should write to Professor Orville E. Jones, International and Special Programs, Northern Illinois University—Lowden Hall, DeKalb, Illinois 60115. Phone: (815) 753–1988. Volunteers who want study program credit from Tel Aviv University, those who wish to participate without credit, and those who want information on round-trip Israel-U.S. group flights should direct inquiries to Dr. Song Nai Rhee, Northwest Christian College, 11th & Alder Streets, Eugene, Oregon 97401. Phone: (503) 687–9456, or to The Secretary, Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 Israel.

Shiloh

Joshua set up a tabernacle for the Lord in Shiloh (Joshua 18:1). Samuel served Eli the priest in the Shiloh temple (1 Samuel 3:1–3).

This summer, an expedition led by Israel Finkelstein of Bar-Ilan University will continue excavations at Shiloh, about 18 miles north of Jerusalem. In past seasons Middle Bronze fortifications have been uncovered, as well as a storehouse from the Early Iron Age that Finkelstein believes may be part of the Israelite temple complex. In 1982, diggers found potsherds with animal heads that might have originally been part of offering vessels in the temple. They also found a cultic stand with a beautiful scene of a leopard attacking a 066deer. If pressed, Finkelstein will privately admit he may have other hints as to the location of the temple. In any event, the search continues.

In 1983, excavations will take place from July 10 to August 19. Volunteers will dig from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Optional lectures will be given in the afternoons. Volunteers will live in a settlement near the site. Full board is provided. The cost is about $10 per day. For additional details, write to Shiloh Expedition, Land of Israel Studies Department, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, or to I. Robert Kaufman, 9 Hamlin Road, Edison, New Jersey 08817. Phone: (201) 572–1590.

Aphek/Antipatris

At Biblical Aphek, a major city on the ancient Via Maris, the Philistines prepared for battles with the Israelites. King Herod rebuilt the city and named it Antipatris. The excavations at Aphek/Antipatris are sponsored by a consortium of universities headed by Tel Aviv University.

Two three-week sessions, beginning June 19 and July 10, 1983, are open to volunteers who are at least 18 years old, healthy, and fully insured. Participation without academic credit must be for a minimum two-week stay; three to six weeks are preferred. Accommodations in tents or barracks cost $85 per week.

Credit courses will be offered through the consortium universities. Groups and institutions may apply for special rates and arrangements for credit and non-credit participation.

Write for details to Dr. Donald Hobson, U.S. Project Coordinator; 405 Walnut Street, Meadville, Pennsylvania 16335. Phone: (814) 336–3994.

Shiqmim

The third excavation season at Shiqmim, a Chalcolithic (c. 4000 B.C.) village and mortuary complex in the Negev desert, will begin on August 28, 1983, and continue until October 9, 1983. One of the largest Chalcolithic villages in the Negev, this 23.5-acre site provides a unique opportunity for investigating the development of complex societies in the southern Levant. Previous excavations in the mortuary revealed large irregular graves filled with disarticulated burials and numerous grave offerings. Excavations in the village uncovered a copper workshop and many large domestic buildings. One 1983 goal will be to define the residential and industrial areas of 067the village.

Volunteers may stay for either or both of two three-week sessions: August 28 to September 16 and September 18 to October 9. Specialists in prehistory, archaeozoology, geology, palaeobotany and physical anthropology staff a field school for all volunteers. Volunteers will also learn photography, surveying and lab processing. The field school will offer one course carrying six credits from the College Consortium for International Studies. Room and board expenses in a tent camp near the site will not exceed $75 per week. Tuition is extra. The excavations are sponsored by the Israel Department of Antiquities and the Negev Museum. For further information concerning scholarship possibilities and application, write to Dr. Thomas Levy, Shiqmim Expedition, Negev Museum, P.O. Box 5188, Beer-sheva, Israel. For information on tuition and academic credit, write to Professor Stephen Beiner, Rockland Community College, 145 College Road, Suffern, New York 10901. Phone: (914) 356–0462.

Tel el-Hesi

In the spring of 1890, Flinders Petrie began excavating Tel el-Hesi, a 33-acre site in the Shephelah near Lachish. A few weeks later, he completed his excavations and Hesi became the first scientifically excavated tel in Palestine. The Joint Expedition to Tel el-Hesi, which currently comprises 12 American colleges, universities and seminaries, began excavations in 1971. The Joint Expedition will conduct its eighth season of excavations from June 11 to July 30, 1983. Remains of walled cities from the Early Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period have been discovered. The tel was apparently occupied continuously from the Chalcolithic era to Arab times, except during the Middle Bronze Age. The 1983 dig, directed by Dr. Valerie Fargo of the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute, will attempt to complete the investigation of strata dating from the Early Bronze III and Iron I periods. Cost of $1,175 includes an educational program, six semester hours credit, field trips and room and board in on-site tent village—for those tired of four-star hotels. Trans-Atlantic charter flights are available. Volunteers who wish to participate for only three weeks should apply through Earthwatch, 10 Juniper Road, Box 127, Belmont, Massachusetts 02178. For further details and information, write to John Spencer, Hesi/The Volunteer Program, Religious Studies Department, John Carroll University, University Heights, Cleveland, Ohio 44118. Phone: (216) 491–4708.

Dig for a Day

Dig for a Day offers a unique opportunity to those who would like to participate in an excavation but don’t have weeks to spare. For a small fee, participants in Dig for a Day receive lectures, guided tours of archaeological sites in Jerusalem, and the opportunity to dig for four hours at an important archaeological site. Last year, Dig for a Day volunteers searched for the Essene Gate in Jerusalem and explored the monumental structures Herod built at Herodium in the Judean desert. This winter, Dig for a Day will excavate under Jerusalem’s Citadel. In the summer of 1983, excavations may continue in Jerusalem or shift to Herodium or another site near Jerusalem. For more information on this unique program, write to Archaeological Seminars Inc., “Dig for a Day,” 10 Misgav Ladach, Jewish Quarter, P.O. Box 14002, Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem, Israel.

You’ve been digging in the hot sun since dawn. Your muscles ache. Suddenly, your trowel strikes something hard. You call your area supervisor to watch as you gently brush away more dirt until an entire jar handle appears. The supervisor records your find in the expedition log. Then you pick up the handle and look at the inscription that was stamped on it more than 2,000 years ago. Fatigue and heat are forgotten. Volunteers at digs this summer from Jalul in Jordan to Akko on the Mediterranean coast will dream of scenes like this. For some volunteers, who in […]