ME6IDD0 incisor teeth against a feeding trough Horse Troughs while sucking in air. Also apparent was where the horse had pawed and at Megiddo? indented the front of the trough with its front hooves, common during y excitement about dig­ feeding time. The teeth imprints of the ging at Megiddo began dispute: 1) was the 12 cm. depth of the horse were evident on the inner edge [M] when I met Tom Moon, a feeding troughs adequate for horses; 2) of the troughs, which were the perfect retired lawyer, horse enthusiast, and were the stalls large enough; 3) how shallow size for feeding. Divinity student at Vanderbilt Uni­ were the horses taken out of the stalls; I could see that Tom was right versity. I also recently retired from the 4) the use of the wide, smoothly paved about the square pillars serving as practice of law and decided to pursue center aisles (2- 3.5 m.); and 5) how to effective dividers to stop fighting at Hebrew Bible studies at Vanderbilt. water the horses. feeding time. As the food approaches, Tom participated in the 1998 Megiddo dig and was particularly impressed with the architecture of the ' stable' complexes. My involvement with horses began 40 years ago and evolved into a business of importing, trammg, showing and selling European warm­ bloods for dressage and show jumping. As Tom described the ' stables' at Megiddo and particularly the useful­ ness of the square pillars separating the stone feeding troughs to prevent the usual fighting and intimidation games horses play at feeding time, I agreed that it sounded like a perfect solution to a most bothersome yet common problem. However, I wanted to review the evidence for myself, and the Megiddo 2000 Expedition seemed an Two troughs and a pillar in the 'Northern Stables' complex. exotic adventure. My first days at Megiddo I had so the horses will snort, whinny, kick, In a class on the Ancient Near East much fun excavating that I almost paw and lunge at each other-all with Prof. Jack Sasson at Vanderbilt, I forgot about the stables. But Prof tactics to establish dominance. In a learned that the issue of 'stables' at Sasson had forwarded my research stable such as Area L with no walls Megiddo (as opposed to barracks, paper to Prof Finkelstein, and he had a between the stalls, the large square storehouses . or a market place) was few questions. So, we toured Area L, pillars would be important not only to quite controversial and still unresolved the 'Northern Stables' complex, dating block their view of each other while in academic circles. At his suggestion I (conventionally) to the time of King eating, but to prevent them from biting wrote a research paper to review the Ahab. I was stunned. There, between each other. pros and cons of the arguments and to the square pillars, were the stone What amazed me so much about focus on the major issues of the feeding troughs in situ, clearly marked the Megiddo structures is that they are with signs of cribbing almost identical in layout to the stables on the inner lip of the where I keep my horses today. The troughs. Cribbing is a wide, smoothly paved center aisle is common stable vice used in modem stables to deliver food that some horses to the troughs on either side via tractor. develop that involves At Megiddo the center aisle had a the continuous biting smooth plastered floor and was wide and pulling with their See Horse Troughs, Page 2 REV operates under the auspices of Tel Megiddo Expedition Directors: Israel Finkelstein, merican partner: Pennsylvania State Baruch Halpern, and David Ussishkin. Excavation institutions: Universities of Loyola­ Directors: Israel Finkelstein and David Ussishkin. 1436242 California and Vanderbilt (USA), Head of Academic Program and Consortium 5 Bern (Switzerland). Coordinator: Baruch Halpern. 2000 r 7 Horse Troughs, from page I near the 'Southern Stables'. But, we wider interpretative program about the must check the archaeological record to period of the Israelite monarchy. enough for a donkey and cart to deliver determine its original use and dating. Palace 6000-popularly referred to grain and hay to the feeding troughs on As I took a farewell tour over both as "Solomon's Palace"-is one of the one side, turn at the end and do the stable complexes on my last day on the most impressive structures on the site, same on the other side. Also, some of dig, I noticed what looked like several and doubtless the residency of an the stone pillars had evidence of troughs in secondary use in a wall near important royal official of the Kingdom tethering holes at a height appropriate the 'Northern Stables'. When I climbed of Israel. This poorly-preserved but still for putting the horses in 'cross-ties' for up to inspect them, I discovered the imposing structure will serve as the grooming in the center aisle, just as in comer of another large stone basin, background to the story of Megiddo as our stables today. There was room to submerged in the dirt. Prof. Eric Cline conveyed tlrrough virtual reality groom three horses-a typical chariot and I 'excavated' the perimeter of the modeling and tl1e personal perspective team-at once in the center aisle. TI1e basin and took the dimensions (85 x 52 of twelve historically-based characters cobbled floors in the stall areas aided cm). Since it could easily hold a spamung several tl10usand years. in proper drainage and served to hundred gallons of water or more, this toughen the horses feet. The entire area seemed the perfect answer to the horse TIJ DSVE NSTER was likely covered in deep straw watering question. However, stone bedding that would allow the horses to basins have many uses in antiquity so lie down when necessary. the answer must await further analysis We had several early morning by the specialists. 'horse-care' sessions in the Area L The Megiddo 2000 Expedition was 'stables' where a small group including an unforgetable experience and I look Profs. Finkelstein, Ussishkin, Halpern, forward to returning in 2002. Killebrew, Cline and I discussed the Deborah Cantrell horse's eating, drinking and sleeping habits, breeding procedures, birthing TimeScope kiosk at Ename, Belgium process, foal care, grooming needs, TimeScope Kiosks This teclmique of character-based stable vices, training conditions, interpretation has been used effectively psychological bonding tendencies and, irtual Reality technologies as a tool of public interpretation at of course, dung removal requirements. and 3D computer modeling archaeological sites in Europe and the An especially momentous day at will hopefully make some of U.S. At Megiddo, the extensively­ Megiddo was the visit of Lord and Megiddo's most important archae­ researched characters will be grouped Lady Allenby, both of whom are ological monuments and historical eras into a number of scenes, each set in acomplished equestrians. Lord Allenby come alive for visitors. The Megiddo particular historical periods. The is the current 'Lord of Megiddo' and Expedition has begun an ambitious characters range from an ancient served with the British cavalry. When public interpretation program in Judahite scribe and Israelite noble­ consulted about the various horse cooperation with the Israel Nature woman to a 19th-cent. Franciscan friar, issues we had been discussing, he Protection and National Parks rabbi, and village woman from Lejjun, enthusiastically confirn1ed the cribbing Authority and the Ename Center for to a 21 s1-cent. archaeologist, pilgrim, and pawing evidence on the troughs. Public Archaeology and Heritage and teenager from Kibbutz Megiddo. As he told me, "We agree on every­ Presentation in Belgium. The characters and virtual reality thing about the horses that were here­ TI1e most innovative aspect of this reconstructions are not intended as except the size." He favors smaller program is the installation of advanced mere entertainment. They are meant to horses in antiquity (under 14.2 hands). prototypes of the TimeScope system assist scholars, historians, cultural Upon reflection, I tend to agree. developed at the medieval site of administrators and public officials in My main concern was how the Ename in Belgium, which provides communicating the results of archae­ potentially 450 horses were watered visitors with a glimpse at "virtual ological and historical research to the inside the Megiddo fortress. Horses reconstructions" of excavated archae­ public in powerful, visual ways. The drink 15- 20 gallons of water a day in ological remains. In place of the Megiddo interpretive team, consisting hot weather. They also need water for traditional (and sometimes damaging) of representatives from the Megiddo washing off the sweat after exercise. physical reconstruction, this system Expedition, the Ename Center and the On our inspection tour of the 'Southern combines computer modeling and Israel Nat'] Parks Authority, is keenly Stables ' complex, we found a huge multi-media presentation with real­ aware of the difficulty, and importance, stone basin behind the granary, time video of the exposed remains. of conveying a multiplicity of stories partially hidden in the grass. It seemed Two TimeScope kiosks containing and perspectives about Megiddo, a si te perfect for watering two or three horses video monitors are currently planned that is venerated not only by people in at once. It was in the right location, for installation in Area L. The 'stables' Israel, but also by pilgrims and visitors of Stratum IV A and the famous Palace from all over the world. Revelations from Megiddo is 6000 of Stratum V A-IVB, first The TimeScope kiosks in Area L published by the Megiddo Expedition. revealed by Yadin's excavations in the are part of a larger program for the tel Editors-in-Chief: Israel Finkelstein, 1960s and furtl1er uncovered during the encompassing 14 additional structures Baruch Halpern and David Ussishkin.