A New Fieldwork Collaboration at Tel Bet Yerah (Khirbet
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C M Y K Z B C M Y X CMY Z6 B6 C6 M6 Y6 X6 Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y Prinect/FOGRA 6 Dipco 2.1 Format 102 © 2004 FOGRA/Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z6 B6 C6 M6 Y6 X6 Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X CMY Z6 B6 C6 M6 Y6 X6 Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% B C M Y Prinect/FOGRA 6 Dipco 2.1 Format 102 © 2004 FOGRA/Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z6 B6 C6 M6 Y6 X6 Z B C M Y X 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132 ARCHAEOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 12 page 34 page 31 ARCHAEOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 12 and nationalism in the modern Middle Exploring connections: a new fieldwork or Palestine appears to have been that of East. Dr. Greenberg, who is responsible Dame Kathleen Kenyon (1906–1978) for renewing archaeological activity at collaboration at Tel Bet Yerah (Khirbet el-Kerak) almost half a century ago, in Jerusalem. Tel Bet Yerah, has been at the forefront The public exhibition “A Future For of recent debates concerning the future David Wengrow the Past: Petrie’s Palestinian Collection” of cultural heritage in Israel and Palestine. The site of Tel Bet Yerah (Khirbet el-Kerak) in northern Israel has long (2007), initiated by former Director of the He has also played a lead role in assessing been recognized as one of the most important Bronze Age urban centres Institute, Professor Peter Ucko, signalled the impact of military occupation upon in the region and has been excavated several times over the last seventy a new phase of UCL involvement in the the archaeology of the Palestinian West years. The Institute of Archaeology has joined a new project of research archaeology and cultural heritage of these Bank, including the compilation of a and excavation of the site, organized by the University of Tel Aviv. Here countries. Our present involvement at comprehensive GIS database documenting David Wengrow, the director of the UCL team, describes the 2009 season. Tel Bet Yerah forms part of a series of archaeological activity in that region since wider initiatives made possible by a grant, 1967.12 A further consequence of this new awarded to David Wengrow by the UCL collaboration, and of the UCL Futures n summer 2009, thirty-two The current UCL expedition to Tel Bet Futures fund, under the heading “Towards project, is the arrival at the Institute of undergraduates and three masters Yerah was led and organized by Dr David a sustainable archaeology in Israel and Adi Keinan, whose PhD research focuses students from the Institute of Wengrow, with the assistance of Sevinc Palestine”. Their support, and that of our IArchaeology participated in renewed Duvarci and Ian Cipin (MA Archaeology upon the implications of that database for alumni, is greatly appreciated. regional antiquities policy and cultural excavations at the site of Tel Bet Yerah of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle heritage. Her work, supervised by Tim in northern Israel. Tel Bet Yerah is a East). Our contingent joined the core The beginnings of urban life in the Williams and Andrew Bevan, is sponsored low, thirty-hectare mound located at the project staff and students from Tel Aviv Jordan Valley by the prestigious Bonnart-Braunthal egress of the River Jordan from the Sea University, led by excavation directors Dr Tel Bet Yerah (Fig. 1) has long been Scholarship, which supports research of Galilee. Excavated periodically since Raphael Greenberg and Sarit Paz, and also recognized as a site of major archaeological Figure 6 Mosaic associated with the fortified Early Islamic complex 1933, the site is already well known Taufik Deadle, a PhD candidate in Islamic importance. Extending over an area to archaeologists as one of the earliest Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. of some thirty hectares, it lies at the and other early Muslim rulers.9 At its examples of planned urban settlement in The last archaeological fieldwork project northern end of the Jordan Rift Valley greatest extent the Umayyad Empire the southern Levant (modern-day Israel, undertaken by the Institute in either Israel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The reached from Spain to Central Asia.10 At Palestine, Jordan), commencing around Tel Bet Yerah, colourful mosaic floors 3000 BC. The sequence of habitation – which may date to this period, or extends back much further, however, and slightly earlier – were discovered decades provides a unique window onto the long- ago but concealed from view for their term processes that led to the emergence protection. This season’s work included of urban life in this region. Tel Bet Yerah the uncovering and careful re-recording is also the type-site for Khirbet Kerak of these remarkable surfaces (Fig. 6). They Ware, a visually striking ceramic industry are associated with a massive structure, introduced to the region around 2800 built on deep foundations, and equipped BC, as part of a much wider spread of with an elaborate bathing house, which cultural influences originating far to has been compared to the great baths of the north, in the Caucasus, and also Hisham’s Palace (Khirbet el-Mafjar) at extending eastward into western Iran. nearby Jericho,11 where a team from the It was periodically occupied in later Institute’s Centre for Applied Archaeology periods, including the Middle Bronze is currently undertaking fieldwork with Age, Persian, Hellenistic (when it bore Birzeit University. Some of its foundation the name Philoteria), Roman and walls showed severe cracking, perhaps Figure 7 UCL undergraduate Leah Acheson Roberts, excavating the foundations of a Late Byzantine/ Byzantine, and possesses important early related to the massive earthquake of AD Early Islamic building Islamic remains, which are also a focus of 749 that destroyed many sites along the current research. Jordan Valley. A further aim of the 2009 The connection between the Institute season’s work, and an ongoing target and Tel Bet Yerah is not, in fact, an for the future, was the identification entirely new one. We hold a small of stratigraphic and ceramic evidence selection of ceramics collected from the to allow a more precise dating of this site during the 1930s, when it was known structure, which must have been an by its Arabic name (still widely used): impressive monument before it was razed Khirbet el-Kerak. Currently housed in and its stones carted away for re-use Room 209 at the Institute of Archaeology, outside the site. they appear to originate with James Leslie Starkey (1895–1938), best known for his Cultural heritage in Israel and work at Lachish/Tell ed-Duweir, and were Palestine: contemporary issues presented to the Institute in 1956 by Olga UCL students (Figs. 7 and 8) participated Tufnell (1904–1985), to be displayed in in all aspects of the fieldwork at Tel Bet the then Palestine Gallery as part of the Yerah, receiving training in tel-excavation, teaching collection. An earlier donation surveying, and recording. They also of ceramic sherds and other small finds visited other major sites (such as the from Bet Yerah was made to the Institute Bronze Age city of Hazor) and attended by the Palestine Archaeological (now a rigorous course of evening lectures, Rockefeller) Museum in the late 1930s covering topics such as Early Bronze Age (Rachael Sparks, personal comment). urbanism, the archaeology of early Islam, Figure 1 Tel Bet Yerah (Khirbet el-Kerak), by the Sea of Galilee and the relationship between archaeology Figure 8 The 2009 team, on the final day of excavations Archaeology International Brochure - Lay - 10/27/10 - 14:57:16 - BlackCyanMagentaYellow Back 5 Archaeology International Brochure - Lay - 10/27/10 - 14:57:11 - Magenta Black Cyan Magenta Yellow - - - - 14:57:11 14:57:11 14:57:11 14:57:11 - - - - 10/27/10 10/27/10 10/27/10 10/27/10 - - - - Lay Lay Lay Lay - - - - Brochure Brochure Brochure Brochure International International International International Archaeology Archaeology Archaeology Archaeology Front 5 Front Z B C M Y X CMY Z6 B6 C6 M6 Y6 X6 Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y Prinect/FOGRA 6 Dipco 2.1 Format 102 © 2004 FOGRA/Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z6 B6 C6 M6 Y6 X6 Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X CMY Z6 B6 C6 M6 Y6 X6 Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% B C M Y Prinect/FOGRA 6 Dipco 2.1 Format 102 © 2004 FOGRA/Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z B C M Y X 40% Z B C M Y X Z6 B6 C6 M6 Y6 X6 Z B C M Y X 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132 ARCHAEOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 12 page 32 page 33 ARCHAEOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 12 which were produced during a relatively phenomenon, looking particularly at narrow window of time (c.3300–3100 the interplay of local and interregional BC, or Dynasty 0) – were known only factors.