Archaeology Archive

January 1, 2012

New Old First Temple Period Bulla

Ma'ariv is reporting the discovery of a First Temple period bulla with an inscription reading גבעון למלך which I guess means, “Gibeon, for the king.” Gabriel Barkay suggests that it represents taxes paid by the residents of Gideon to...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 6:31 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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December 28, 2011

Early Bronze Age Burial Excavated In Syria

The Syrian Arab News Agency is reporting the discovery of an Early Bronze Age burial in the village of Sousan, 12 kilometers west of Ein al-Arab, Aleppo governorate. Excavators date the burial to c. 2150-2250 BCE. SANA Photograph He [Director...

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December 22, 2011

Emmett L. Bennett, Jr 1918-2011

It is with sadness that I learned that Emmett L. Bennett, Jr. died on December 15th. A giant among classicists, Bennett was the author of over 60 works including ten books. Abnormal readers know that while my principal research focus...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 10:52 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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December 15, 2011

“What We Have Here Is Failure To Communicate”

Back in September I quoted from a report on recent work on the Gezer water system. In that report I expressed concern about the reference to “the time of Abraham.” Yesterday, having read my post, Gary Myers sent me an...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 11:13 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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December 1, 2011

Confusing News On An Amenhotep III Statue

The Telegraph, The Washington Post and even Fox News are reporting that archaeologists have uncovered a massive quartzite stature of Amenhotep III at Luxor. The Telegraph headline is typical, “Statue of Amenhotep III, King Tut's grandfather, found.” But exactly when...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 3:41 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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October 25, 2011

The Preliminary Gezer Report – Now Read

I took a few minutes last night to read the preliminary report on the renewed Gezer excavations that I mentioned yesterday. I found two things abnormally interesting. The first item that struck me was this concerning a “short wall” associated...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 12:35 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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October 6, 2011

Visit Old Virtual Amarna

This from the Virtual Amarna Project's homepage: The Official Website of the Amarna Project The ancient Egyptian city of Tell el-Amarna (or simply Amarna) was the short-lived capital built by the ‘heretic’ Pharaoh Akhenaten and abandoned shortly after his death...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 4:21 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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September 29, 2011

A Practicum In Historiography

Shirley and I are listening to the lecture portion of a course on History of the World to 1500 CE. Richard Bulliet of Columbia University taught the course a couple of years ago. While there are exceptions, Bulliet’s lectures are...

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September 27, 2011

Another New Old City In Turkey

“Lost city found in Dardanelles, Turkey: Older than Troy,” so says the National Turk. I assume the headline and the article means older than Troy I which it at ~7000 years old it certainly is. At first I thought this...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 8:45 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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September 26, 2011

The Seymour Gitin Distinguished Professorship

Sy Gitin was my boss at Gezer. He went on to great things and I when on to other things. But we have remained in (very) occasional contact and I consider him a friend. Well, the W. F. Albright Institute...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 9:23 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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September 17, 2011

British Museum Online Database

Be sure to check out the British Museum’s searchable online database but be sure to schedule a lot of time for this abnormally interesting site. It will be hard to stop searching once you start. I’ve only looked a small...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 6:42 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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September 16, 2011

On The Gezer Water System

There are two new and interesting news items on the Gezer Water system (one link serves both). Here’s a sample, Gezer Water System Expedition, a joint project of NOBTS [New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary] and the Israel Nature and Parks...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 3:54 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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September 14, 2011

Mari In Trouble

To look upon its remains [Mari, Tell Hariri] today, however, one would see a slow tragedy in the making. Its exposed walls are gradually eroding away, melting back into the natural landscape. Some of its excavated remains are now unrecognizable....

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Posted by Duane Smith at 1:57 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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September 4, 2011

The Lead Codices And The Bibliobloggers

Robert Cargill makes several important points about the so-called “Jordon Lead Codices” and about Tom Verenna's video on them and their debugging. None of Bob’s observations is more interesting than this. If you have not been following this case, Bibliobloggers...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 1:47 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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September 2, 2011

The Meyers On Archaeology

At internet speeds this is rather late but yesterday archaeologists Eric and Carol Meyers of Duke gave an abnormally interesting interview about things Biblical and things archaeological. If you haven’t watched it, your 49 minutes, 20 seconds will be well...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 3:37 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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August 25, 2011

Was The Horse Domesticated 9,000 years Ago?

Archaeologists working at a Neolithic site at al-Maqar in Saudi Arabia think so. I need to see a little more. Unattributed BBC Photo. While there may have better evidence, a figurine of a horse, however amazing, is not necessarily evidence...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 7:49 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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July 20, 2011

The Ziyaret Tepe Excavation

The Ziyaret Tepe Excavation has a great blog by excavation director Timothy Matney of the University of Akron. Ziyaret Tepe is an important Late Assyrian site. So far, Matney’s posts have combined interest and fun. I’ve added the Ziyaret Tepe...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 12:51 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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July 15, 2011

Rollston on ‘Priests’ or ‘Priest’ in the Mariam (Miriam) Ossuary

Christopher Rollston has another interesting post on the Mariam (Miriam) ossuary inscription in which he argues for reading the final few words khn mm’zyh mbyt ‘mry, “priest of (from) Ma’aziah from Beth ‘Imri, rather than khnm m’zyh mbyt ‘mry, “priests...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 2:44 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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July 6, 2011

Rollston On The Mariam Daughter of Yeshua’ Ossuary

Like me, Christopher Rollston finds the final words of the inscription, dbyt ‘mry, 'of the house of ‘Imry,' “very interesting.” Also like me, he doesn’t seem to have any explanation for these words. Unlike me, he has an abnormally interesting...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 11:55 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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July 1, 2011

Aramaic Cuneiform Tablets From Tal Mabtouh Sharqi?

Yes, there are a very few tablets in cuneiform script where the language of the text is Aramaic. More common are Akkadian cuneiform tablets with Aramaic dockets written on their edge. The real question is, are recently discovered cuneiform tablets...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 1:12 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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June 29, 2011

On The Miriam Ossuary

See Robert Cargill’s post and the posts and other stuff he links to. I think at this point he has the most complete discussion of this ossuary and its intriguing inscription. Perhaps I’ll have something of my own to say...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 8:02 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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June 27, 2011

Pre-12th Century Levels At Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus

Peter M. Fischer and his team have posted a report on “The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2011: Excavations at Dromolaxia Vizatzia / Hala Sultan Tekke (preliminary report).” For me, the haematite cylinder seal is abnormally interesting but everything else is...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 2:02 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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The Custom of the Land

From Gilgamesh Tablet II:30-41: They set bread before him, They set beer before him. He looked uncertainly, then stared, Enkidu did not know to eat bread, Nor had he ever learned to dronk beer! The Harlot made ready to speak,...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 10:12 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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June 20, 2011

New Old Late Bronze Age Fortress On Cyprus

From a University of Cincinnati news release: A recent find by a University of Cincinnati archeologist suggests an ancient Cypriot city was well protected from outside threats. That research, by UC’s Gisela Walberg, professor of classics, will be presented at...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 3:51 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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June 1, 2011

Just How Old Are These Houses?

And did a few millennia get lost in translation? Okay, which is it? Do these houses date back to the 4th century or the 11th century BCE? Or are we really talking about millennium rather than centuries? Reporting on remarks...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 8:16 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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May 31, 2011

New Old Statue of Amenhotep III Found

During a routine excavation at the funerary temple of the 18th Dynasty king, Amenhotep III (c. 1390-1352 BC), at Kom el-Hettan area on Luxor’s west bank, the mission of the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project unearthed...

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May 24, 2011

What To Do?

Shirley and I are putting together a little exhibit for our local public library that will feature some of the pots I discussed in my old Friday Pot Blogging series. It will include a few other things archaeological plus some...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 2:45 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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May 12, 2011

A Well Aged Wine

I enjoy a small class of wine every evening. I normally drink the cheep stuff but once in a while, I’ll splurge on something whose vantage is indicated in years rather than days. But this is ridiculous. Archaeologists have discovered...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 10:22 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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April 27, 2011

Finkelstein On The Politics Archaeology Of Jerusalem

Israel Finkelstein writes, “In the Eye of Jerusalem’s Archaeological Storm: The City of David, Beyond the Politics and Propaganda” for The Forward, Archaeological activity in Jerusalem has been sucked into a whirlwind of conflicting political agendas, and the site commonly...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 3:13 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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April 15, 2011

Lewis Binford (November 21, 1930 – April 11, 2011)

Lewis Binford died on Monday of this week. Here’s part of what the Southern Methodist University had to say about Lewis Binford. Lewis R. Binford, SMU Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, died April 11 in Kirksville, Mo. During his 40-year career...

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Titles Only From Here On

April 9, 2011

Quotation Of The Day

March 24, 2011

New Project at Byblos

March 8, 2011

Homer Can’t Live By Naveh and Powell Alone

March 7, 2011

An Abbreviated Public Service

March 6, 2011

The Egyptian Throne

February 20, 2011

Mud Brick Construction In Egypt

February 2, 2011

Greek Fonts

February 1, 2011

Biblical Studies Carnival Is Up

January 26, 2011

New Old Or Old Old?

January 20, 2011

More On Old Snails

January 14, 2011

Finkelstein And The Role of Archaeology (And Texts)

January 2, 2011

These Books Deserve A Loving Home

December 29, 2010

A Lesbian Amphora From Tel Qudadi

December 13, 2010

New Old Temple Discovered In Syria

December 9, 2010

What’s In A Name?

December 7, 2010

Finkelstein and Qeiyafa

December 4, 2010

Old Photos From Palestine and Environs

December 2, 2010

More On Hazor

November 10, 2010

Four Stone Hearth – The Abnormal Edition

November 8, 2010

Ramses III Inscription Found In Saudi Arabia

November 6, 2010

Four Stone Hearth - Nominations Are Now Open

October 18, 2010

New Ancient World Open Bibliographies Blog

September 29, 2010

Der Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae Online

September 14, 2010

Old Syrian Hawk Discovered

September 6, 2010

A 7-6th Century BCE Scarab With An “Ugaritic” Shin?

September 1, 2010

Moabite(?) Temple Discovered

Claremont Colleges Digital Library And What Isn’t In It

August 19, 2010

Four Stone Hearth - 1 Short of 100

August 15, 2010

The Hazor Law Tablet Fragments A Surface Find

August 12, 2010

The Phoenician City Of Aüza (re)Located(?)

August 6, 2010

Divine Kingship

August 5, 2010

Four Stone Hearth #98 Is Up

August 2, 2010

David, Jerusalem, And Other Underdetermined Questions

July 30, 2010

Archaeology And Computer Modeling

July 26, 2010

More(?) On The Hazor Fragments

July 22, 2010

Friends Of Tayinat

July 12, 2010

Old Snails

July 7, 2010

Kubaba

July 6, 2010

The Time Of My Life

June 26, 2010

Looting In Iraq

June 24, 2010

Answers and Questions and Real Questions

June 22, 2010

Do We Still Have This Problem?

June 17, 2010

Closing In On An Absolute Chronology Of Dynastic Egypt

June 16, 2010

Why I Am Thankful For Hershel Shanks

June 13, 2010

GT, BGT, GTY

June 12, 2010

Not Quite Squares

June 9, 2010

A Couple Of Overdue Archaeology Items

June 2, 2010

Ooops

May 30, 2010

Later Occupations Of Ras Shamra

May 27, 2010

Middle Assyrian “Cuneiforms” From Tell Qaber Abu al-Atiq

May 26, 2010

Water Systems In Text and Archaeology

May 19, 2010

Archaeomusicology

May 14, 2010

It’s All Turkish Archaeology To Me

May 10, 2010

The Discover of Cleopatra's Tomb: Is There News Or Is There No News?

May 7, 2010

Pictures, Drawing, Plans Please

May 2, 2010

Roman Pornography Halts Construction

April 23, 2010

Temple: Some Assembly Required

April 15, 2010

Four Stone Hearth Is Up, 90th Edition This Time

March 20, 2010

The Latest Anthropology Carnival Is Up

March 18, 2010

Another Book On My Reading List

March 3, 2010

History and Statistical Reasoning

February 22, 2010

A Big Wall Discovered in Jerusalem

February 19, 2010

Oh No, Not Again

February 17, 2010

Child Sacrifice at Carthage

February 1, 2010

Tales From Ancient Egypt: The Birth of Stories

January 27, 2010

Suppressing An Evil Thought About The Khirbet Qeiyafa Ostracon

January 14, 2010

The Ivory Shell Fragment From Kuntillet 'Ajrud

January 13, 2010

Rollston On The Qeiyafa Inscription

January 8, 2010

How Much Weight Can An Inscription Bear?

January 6, 2010

An In-depth Study

December 31, 2009

Four Stone Hearth #83 Is Up

December 30, 2009

Imaging The Khirbet Qeiyafa Ostracon

December 23, 2009

Biblical Archaeology In Perspective

November 21, 2009

Four Stone Hearth #80 Is Up

November 19, 2009

Statistically Orientated