Graham Philip
Durham University, Archaeology, Faculty Member
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Ancient Near East, Bronze and Iron Ages in Eastern Mediterranean (Archaeology), Syria (Archaeology), and 31 moreNear East Prehistory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Landscape Archaeology, Settlement archaeology, Remote Sensing (Archaeology), Iron Age, Hyksos, Tell el Daba, Egypt, Ceramic Technology, Anatolian Archaeology, Levantine Archaeology, Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant, Archaeology of the Levant, Near Eastern Studies, Hittite archaeology, Old Assyrian Karu/Colony Period in Anatolia, Mesopotamian Archaeology, Cultural interrelations in the eastern Mediterranean from the BA to the EIA, Syro-Palestinian archaeology, Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Levant, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Middle Bronze Age, Wine and Olive Oil Production, Amphorae, Trade, Mediterranean archaeology, and Antic Technologyedit
The workshop published here was intended to improve our understanding of the developments during the 6th through the mid-4th millennia BC. Accordingly, it was focused upon two key transitions. The first, the transition from the final... more
The workshop published here was intended to improve our understanding of the developments during the 6th through the mid-4th millennia BC. Accordingly, it was focused upon two key transitions. The first, the transition from the final phase of the Neolithic to the early phase of the Chalcolithic, is now generally dated to the early 5th millennium cal BC. The second, that from the Chalcolithic to the initial phases of the Early Bronze Age falls in the early centuries of the 4th millennium BC. The intervening period is occupied by a ...
Research Interests:
Originally coined to signify a style of pottery in southern Iraq, and by extension an associated people and a chronological period, the term" Ubaid" is now often used loosely to denote a vast Near Eastern... more
Originally coined to signify a style of pottery in southern Iraq, and by extension an associated people and a chronological period, the term" Ubaid" is now often used loosely to denote a vast Near Eastern interaction zone, characterized by similarities in material culture, particularly ceramic styles, which existed during the sixth and fifth millennia BC This zone extended over 2,000 km from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Straits of Hormuz, including parts of Anatolia and perhaps even the Caucasus. The volume contains twenty- ...
Research Interests:
Originally coined to signify a style of pottery in southern Iraq, and by extension an associated people and a chronological period, the term" Ubaid" is now often used loosely to denote a vast Near Eastern interaction zone,... more
Originally coined to signify a style of pottery in southern Iraq, and by extension an associated people and a chronological period, the term" Ubaid" is now often used loosely to denote a vast Near Eastern interaction zone, characterized by similarities in material culture, particularly ceramic styles, which existed during the sixth and fifth millennia BC This zone extended over 2,000 km from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Straits of Hormuz, including parts of Anatolia and perhaps even the Caucasus. The volume contains twenty- ...
Research Interests:
This paper extends consideration of developments in the 4th millennium BC to include an area which has hitherto lain outside discussions of ‘Uruk’ connections. While processes within Egypt are frequently seen as linked to developments in... more
This paper extends consideration of developments in the 4th millennium BC to include an area which has hitherto lain outside discussions of ‘Uruk’ connections. While processes within Egypt are frequently seen as linked to developments in southern Palestine, this explanation appears less satisfactory in the case of more northerly and inland parts of the Levant, wherein there exists substantial evidence for growing organizational complexity during the 4th millennium BC. The construction of a revised absolute chronology for developments in the Euphrates Valley, in combination with the availability of numerous new 4th millennium BC radiocarbon dates for sites in the northern Levant, provide an opportunity to review material culture, economic and settlement data. Such a project requires a distinction between specifically ‘Uruk-related’, and ‘generically northern’ factors, and requires discussion to move beyond purely morphological comparisons, to consider the ways in which northern ideas were recontextualized within Levantine cultural practices. The documentation of a distinctive developmental trajectory for the Levant suggests that the ‘Uruk world-system’, was but one of many potential routes to socio-economic complexity in ancient western Asia.
Research Interests:
Over the last century, scholars have proposed many models for understanding the rise of urbanism and the nature of urban society throughout the Mediterranean and the Levant. As part of this dialogue, the papers assembled here represent... more
Over the last century, scholars have proposed many models for understanding the rise of urbanism and the nature of urban society throughout the Mediterranean and the Levant. As part of this dialogue, the papers assembled here represent the result of a session held at the Society for American Archaeology meeting in New Orleans (April 2001) to explore recent paradigms for understanding the question of urbanism, specifi cally from a Levantine perspective. The aim of this session was to bring together scholars actively ...
Research Interests:
This is the first major overview of the EBA in Jordan. It attempts to look beyond the assumptions made in the traditional 'city-state' model which has dominated studies of the EBA in Palestine. This is the first version of this chapter,... more
This is the first major overview of the EBA in Jordan. It attempts to look beyond the assumptions made in the traditional 'city-state' model which has dominated studies of the EBA in Palestine. This is the first version of this chapter, which was written around 1997 --- the book took several years to appear. Readers should be aware that the revised and updated version of this chapter, which was published in 2008, is also available on academia.edu.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The 1993 season at Tell esh-Shuna completed excavation of Chalcolithic levels in Area D. These consisted of at least two major occupation phases~ possibly early Chalcolithic in date. Early and late EB I levels were excavated 'in Area A.... more
The 1993 season at Tell esh-Shuna completed excavation of Chalcolithic levels in Area D. These consisted of at least two major occupation phases~ possibly early Chalcolithic in date. Early and
late EB I levels were excavated 'in Area A. A significant dist'inct'ion exists between early and late EB I ceramic assemblages. Important differences may also exist 'in the nature of craft production some subsistence practices and possibly in architecture, between early and late EB I at Shuna. Further work on Building 1 has shown that it is a monumental structure of 2phases. The later phase is Hellenistic. The initial phase could be of first millennium date or may represent the Hellenistic reuse of an Early Bronze Age structure. At present we lack conclusive evidence either way. The function of Building 1is not clear at present.
late EB I levels were excavated 'in Area A. A significant dist'inct'ion exists between early and late EB I ceramic assemblages. Important differences may also exist 'in the nature of craft production some subsistence practices and possibly in architecture, between early and late EB I at Shuna. Further work on Building 1 has shown that it is a monumental structure of 2phases. The later phase is Hellenistic. The initial phase could be of first millennium date or may represent the Hellenistic reuse of an Early Bronze Age structure. At present we lack conclusive evidence either way. The function of Building 1is not clear at present.
Excavations continued at Tell esh-Shuna in 1992. In Area D a series of rectilinear buildings were exposed underlying Chalcolithic pits and open areas. In Area A several later EB I buildings including one potentially substantial example... more
Excavations continued at Tell esh-Shuna in 1992. In Area D a series of rectilinear buildings were exposed underlying Chalcolithic pits and open areas. In Area A several later EB I buildings including one potentially substantial example were uncovered. A midden area of this period included evidence relating to metallurgical activity. Overlying these entities were four very large walls that probably relate to an EB structure of monumental character. In Area F deposits produced quantities of EB III Khirbet Kerak ware. The sequence in Areas A and E was capped with the denuded remains of a very large Hellenistic building and burials of the same period. In Areas G and H well preserved remains of an unexpected late Roman-Byzantine settlement were revealed.
Metalworking debris, including broken ceramic vessels and metal prills, was recovered from a late fourth millennium BC context (late EB I), at Tell esh-Shuna in northern Jordan. Contrasting shapes, supported by differing evidence for the... more
Metalworking debris, including broken ceramic vessels and metal prills, was recovered from a late fourth millennium BC context (late EB I), at Tell esh-Shuna in northern Jordan. Contrasting shapes, supported by differing evidence for the application of heat, suggested that the material included examples of two different types of vessel, interpreted as crucibles and moulds. The latter were intended for the production of small rectangular copper ingots, rather than specific types of tool. Chemical analysis of the metal revealed this to consist of copper, containing around 2 wt % arsenic and nickel. The impurities indicate that the metal is unlikely to have derived from any of the copper deposits known in the southern Levant. This metal is different from the low impurity copper employed in the production of utilitarian artefacts during the EB I period, but bears a close resemblance to some of the nickel-arsenic rich metal used in the production of both tools and 'prestige' items during the preceding Chalcolithic. The unique nature of the Shuna assemblage suggests that the copper industry of the EBA may be rather more complex than has hitherto been assumed.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A considerable quantity of metalwork is now documented from 3rd millennium Be sites in the Carchemish region. Much of this originates in burial contexts making it clear that metal artefacts played an important role in the marking of... more
A considerable quantity of metalwork is now documented from 3rd millennium Be sites in the Carchemish region. Much of this originates in burial contexts making it clear that metal artefacts played an important role in the marking of status in mortuary contexts.
Research Interests:
This volume provides an illustrated catalogue of the metalwork (weapons, personal ornaments and tools) and metalworking evidence from the later Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Periods from the key site of Tell el-Dab'a XV a in the... more
This volume provides an illustrated catalogue of the metalwork (weapons, personal ornaments and tools) and metalworking evidence from the later Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Periods from the key site of Tell el-Dab'a XV a in the eastern Nile Delta. Through extensive discussion of both parallels and contrasts, the main groups of material are set in the context of the metalwork styles characteristic of both Egypt and the east Mediterranean during the first half of the second millennium BC.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Thirteen Syro-Palestinian copper-alloy weapons from good EB-MB and MB I contexts were analysed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, in order to amplify our knowledge of copper metallurgy around 2000 B.C. The results raise several... more
Thirteen Syro-Palestinian copper-alloy weapons from good EB-MB and MB I contexts were analysed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, in order to amplify our knowledge of copper
metallurgy around 2000 B.C. The results raise several important points regarding alloying practices, and the factors governing alloy selection. Regional differences in alloy use within the southern Levant during the EB-MB period are clarified, while a hitherto unsuspected alloy, leaded-bronze, appears at Hama, where it was used for MB I weapon types. Other groups of contemporary analyses are discussed, and an attempt is then made to consider the influence of non-technical factors on alloy selection.
metallurgy around 2000 B.C. The results raise several important points regarding alloying practices, and the factors governing alloy selection. Regional differences in alloy use within the southern Levant during the EB-MB period are clarified, while a hitherto unsuspected alloy, leaded-bronze, appears at Hama, where it was used for MB I weapon types. Other groups of contemporary analyses are discussed, and an attempt is then made to consider the influence of non-technical factors on alloy selection.
An academic directory and search engine.
Abstract The presence of hoards in the Bronze Age Levant is a phenomenon that has been largely overlooked. Although less striking than European hoards and concentrated on, rather than away from, settlements, their very existence requires... more
Abstract The presence of hoards in the Bronze Age Levant is a phenomenon that has been largely overlooked. Although less striking than European hoards and concentrated on, rather than away from, settlements, their very existence requires comment. The current article moves away from previous discussions of object‐typology and date, and attempts to show that apparently dissimilar groups of material represent different facets of a single phenomenon. A marked overlap between hoard material and that of contemporary graves ...
Research Interests:
The Mesopotamian floodplain was mainly formed from Holocene sediments of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. These rivers have been subject to changes in their courses as a response to a wide range of autogenic, allogenic and human... more
The Mesopotamian floodplain was mainly formed from Holocene sediments of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. These rivers have been subject to changes in their courses as a response to a wide range of autogenic, allogenic and human processes. As a result, intensive networks of abandoned channels were formed over time.
Most of the abandoned channels have highly-elevated levees because channels accumulate sediments which are then incorporated into the alluvial zone by the aggrading surface of the river belt (which results in the growth in height of the levee). However, several highly-elevated levees show, in specific reaches, series of breakdowns or transversal gaps across the levees (see figure below as an example). These gaps form a top view feature, which is readily apparent in satellite imagery. This feature resembles a baguette (i.e. a series of such gaps make the levee looks like a baguette) which is why we suggest this term to describe it.
This feature can be formed when the older channel levees were cut by flooding of the younger channel. In other words, when the relatively highly-elevated palaeochannel levees act as a barrier to the active channel water (flood or crevasse splay), water crosses the levees from several locations. Over time these locations become trenches and waterways, transferring water to the other side of the barrier (levee).
More than thirteen cases of the feature here termed “baguette levees” have been identified in the Mesopotamian floodplain in the present study; the formation of all instances can be explained in the same way. Recognising this feature can help identify palaeochannels and also give a good indication of the relative age of different channels (i.e., the cutter is younger than the cuttee).
Most of the abandoned channels have highly-elevated levees because channels accumulate sediments which are then incorporated into the alluvial zone by the aggrading surface of the river belt (which results in the growth in height of the levee). However, several highly-elevated levees show, in specific reaches, series of breakdowns or transversal gaps across the levees (see figure below as an example). These gaps form a top view feature, which is readily apparent in satellite imagery. This feature resembles a baguette (i.e. a series of such gaps make the levee looks like a baguette) which is why we suggest this term to describe it.
This feature can be formed when the older channel levees were cut by flooding of the younger channel. In other words, when the relatively highly-elevated palaeochannel levees act as a barrier to the active channel water (flood or crevasse splay), water crosses the levees from several locations. Over time these locations become trenches and waterways, transferring water to the other side of the barrier (levee).
More than thirteen cases of the feature here termed “baguette levees” have been identified in the Mesopotamian floodplain in the present study; the formation of all instances can be explained in the same way. Recognising this feature can help identify palaeochannels and also give a good indication of the relative age of different channels (i.e., the cutter is younger than the cuttee).
Research Interests:
This paper presents the main developments in settlement organization in the Orontes Valley around the modern city of Homs from the Neolithic through to the Islamic period. Data drawn from ten seasons of fieldwork undertaken by the project... more
This paper presents the main developments in settlement organization in the Orontes Valley around the modern city of Homs from the Neolithic through to the Islamic period. Data drawn from ten seasons of fieldwork
undertaken by the project “Settlement and Landscape Development in the Homs Region, Syria (1999-2010)” are used to delineate the main developments in settlement distribution and organization in each of three contrasting landscape units. Settlement change over time in each unit is considered in terms of its possible relationship to political and economic developments at a wider regional scale.
undertaken by the project “Settlement and Landscape Development in the Homs Region, Syria (1999-2010)” are used to delineate the main developments in settlement distribution and organization in each of three contrasting landscape units. Settlement change over time in each unit is considered in terms of its possible relationship to political and economic developments at a wider regional scale.
Research Interests:
Archaeological data tend to be gathered at the local level: human agency also operates at this scale. By combining data from multiple surveys conducted within a larger area, it is possible to use local datasets to obtain a perspective on... more
Archaeological data tend to be gathered at the local level: human agency also operates at this scale. By combining data from multiple surveys conducted within a larger area, it is possible to use local datasets
to obtain a perspective on regional trends in settlement, population, and human activity. Here we employ data derived from nine archaeological surveys in the northern and western regions of the Fertile Crescent (west and north Syria, SE Turkey, and northern Iraq) to show how local trends aggregate to create a
general proxy record of settlement and regional population. In addition, we use geoarchaeological data from a region extending from Homs in the west to northern Iraq in the east to outline historical trends in alluvial fill development. Both settlement and alluviation trends are then related to palaeoclimate proxy data from Soreq Cave and Lake Van. Settlement, geoarchaeological signatures and climate are then examined side by side in order to assess long-term human interactions.
to obtain a perspective on regional trends in settlement, population, and human activity. Here we employ data derived from nine archaeological surveys in the northern and western regions of the Fertile Crescent (west and north Syria, SE Turkey, and northern Iraq) to show how local trends aggregate to create a
general proxy record of settlement and regional population. In addition, we use geoarchaeological data from a region extending from Homs in the west to northern Iraq in the east to outline historical trends in alluvial fill development. Both settlement and alluviation trends are then related to palaeoclimate proxy data from Soreq Cave and Lake Van. Settlement, geoarchaeological signatures and climate are then examined side by side in order to assess long-term human interactions.
Research Interests:
This paper explores the possible links between rapid climate change (RCC) and social change in the Near East and surrounding regions (Anatolia, central Syria, southern Israel, Mesopotamia, Cyprus and eastern and central Sahara) during the... more
This paper explores the possible links between rapid climate change (RCC) and social change in the Near East and surrounding regions (Anatolia, central Syria, southern Israel, Mesopotamia, Cyprus and eastern and central Sahara) during the ‘long’ 4th millennium (~4500e3000) BC. Twenty terrestrial and 20 marine climate proxies are used to identify long-term trends in humidity involving transitions from humid to arid conditions and vice versa. The frequency distribution of episodes of relative aridity across these records is calculated for the period 6300e2000 BC, so that the results may be interpreted in the context of the established arid episodes associated with RCC around 6200 and 2200 BC (the 8.2 and 4.2 kyr events). We identify two distinct episodes of heightened aridity in the early-mid 4th, and late 4th millennium BC. These episodes cluster strongly at 3600e3700 and 3100e3300 BC. There is also evidence of localised aridity spikes in the 5th and 6th millennia BC. These results are used as context for the interpretation of regional and local archaeological records with a particular focus on case studies from western Syria, the middle Euphrates, southern Israel and Cyprus. Interpretation of the records involves the construction of plausible narratives of humaneclimate interaction informed by concepts of adap- tation and resilience from the literature on contemporary (i.e. 21st century) climate change and adap- tation. The results are presented alongside well-documented examples of climatically-influenced societal change in the central and eastern Sahara, where detailed geomorphological studies of ancient envi- ronments have been undertaken in tandem with archaeological research. While the narratives for the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean remain somewhat speculative, the use of resilience and adaptation frameworks allows for a more nuanced treatment of humaneclimate interactions and recognises the diversity and context-specificity of human responses to climatic and environmental change. Our results demonstrate that there is a need for more local environmental data to be collected ‘at source’ during archaeological excavations.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience, Levantine Archaeology, and 8 moreCypriot Archaeology, Saharan Archaeology, Ancient Civilization (Archaeology), Mediterranean archaeology, Abrupt Climate Change, Mesopotamia, Abrupt Drying, and Societal Adaptations to Abrupt Climate Change
This paper explores the possible links between rapid climate change (RCC) and social change in the Near East and surrounding regions (Anatolia, central Syria, southern Israel, Mesopotamia, Cyprus and eastern and central Sahara) during the... more
This paper explores the possible links between rapid climate change (RCC) and social change in the Near East and surrounding regions (Anatolia, central Syria, southern Israel, Mesopotamia, Cyprus and eastern and central Sahara) during the ‘long’ 4th millennium (∼4500–3000) BC. Twenty terrestrial and 20 marine climate proxies are used to identify long-term trends in humidity involving transitions from humid to arid conditions and vice versa. The frequency distribution of episodes of relative aridity across these records is calculated for the period 6300–2000 BC, so that the results may be interpreted in the context of the established arid episodes associated with RCC around 6200 and 2200 BC (the 8.2 and 4.2 kyr events). We identify two distinct episodes of heightened aridity in the early-mid 4th, and late 4th millennium BC. These episodes cluster strongly at 3600–3700 and 3100–3300 BC. There is also evidence of localised aridity spikes in the 5th and 6th millennia BC. These results are used as context for the interpretation of regional and local archaeological records with a particular focus on case studies from western Syria, the middle Euphrates, southern Israel and Cyprus. Interpretation of the records involves the construction of plausible narratives of human–climate interaction informed by concepts of adaptation and resilience from the literature on contemporary (i.e. 21st century) climate change and adaptation. The results are presented alongside well-documented examples of climatically-influenced societal change in the central and eastern Sahara, where detailed geomorphological studies of ancient environments have been undertaken in tandem with archaeological research. While the narratives for the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean remain somewhat speculative, the use of resilience and adaptation frameworks allows for a more nuanced treatment of human–climate interactions and recognises the diversity and context-specificity of human responses to climatic and environmental change. Our results demonstrate that there is a need for more local environmental data to be collected ‘at source’ during archaeological excavations.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
proved technically more challenging than work in the marl. As a result, systematic fieldwork could not proceed until the acquisition of high-resolution satellite image data, with accurate ground control. Subsequently, work has proceeded... more
proved technically more challenging than work in the marl. As a result, systematic fieldwork could not proceed until the acquisition of high-resolution satellite image data, with accurate ground control. Subsequently, work has proceeded through a combination of the examination of satellite imagery supported by ground observation.
Research Interests:
The article presents new evidence for activity of 4th and 3rd millennium BC date, from the basaltic landscape west of the Orontes River, near modern Homs, which provides an indication of the nature and extent of human activity at this... more
The article presents new evidence for activity of 4th and 3rd millennium BC date, from the basaltic landscape west of the Orontes River, near modern Homs, which provides an indication of the nature and extent of human activity at this time outside the main riverine basins. Through a consideration of the potential of the landscape, an analysis of the form, distribution and function of the main categories of structural evidence, and of the associated material culture, the article seeks to understand the nature of the activity undertaken in the area at this time. The material culture evidence is used to investigate the probable connections linking the communities exploiting this landscape with those in other parts of the Levant, including those occupying the marl landscape on the east side of the Orontes River. A consideration of contemporary activity in the Hauran, Jaulan and Negev, sets activity in the Homs basalts in the context of a region-wide increase in the exploitation of 'sub-optimal' landscapes, which lay beyond the prime agricultural areas.
Research Interests:
This paper reflects the two seasons of fieldwork undertaken in 2005 and 2006 by a small team in part of the Shin basalt region, or Wa’ar, as it is known locally, to the north-west of Homs. It builds upon initial work undertaken in the... more
This paper reflects the two seasons of fieldwork undertaken in 2005 and 2006 by a small team in part of the Shin basalt region, or Wa’ar, as it is known locally, to the north-west of Homs. It builds upon initial work undertaken in the basalt region as part of the Settlement and Landscape of the Homs Region Project (SHR Project). The work is focussed on understanding the development of the deserted village variously known as Khirbet Deir Salam or more usually Dar es-Salaam (‘House of Peace’ or ‘Place of Peace’).
Research Interests:
This paper reflects the two seasons of fieldwork undertaken in 2005 and 2006 by a small team in part of the Shin basalt region, or Wa’ar, as it is known locally, to the north-west of Homs. It builds upon initial work undertaken in the... more
This paper reflects the two seasons of fieldwork undertaken in 2005 and 2006 by a small team in part of the Shin basalt region, or Wa’ar, as it is known locally, to the north-west of Homs. It builds upon initial work undertaken in the basalt region as part of the Settlement and Landscape of the Homs Region Project (SHR Project). The work is focussed on understanding the development of the deserted village variously known as Khirbet Deir Salam or more usually Dar es-Salaam (‘House of Peace’ or ‘Place of Peace’).
Research Interests:
The Fragile Crescent Project (FCP) is analyzing the rise and decline of Bronze Age urban settlements and associated political and economic structures in the ancient Near East between ca. 3500 and 1200 BC. The Near East is a key area for... more
The Fragile Crescent Project (FCP) is analyzing the rise and decline of Bronze Age urban settlements and associated political and economic structures in the ancient Near East between ca. 3500 and 1200 BC. The Near East is a key area for urban development; but for too long the settlement record from Southern Mesopotamia has been taken as the paradigm for the entire region, and has provided the key data for the reconstruction of the processes of urbanism and state development.
Research Interests:
The first space mission to provide stereoscopic imagery of the Earth’s surface was from the American CORONA spy satellite program from which it is possible to generate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). CORONA imagery and derived DEMs are... more
The first space mission to provide stereoscopic imagery of the Earth’s surface was from the American CORONA spy satellite program from which it is possible to generate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). CORONA imagery and derived DEMs are of most value in areas where conventional topographic maps are of poor quality, but the problem has been that until recently, it was difficult to assess their accuracy. This paper presents a methodology to create a high quality DEM from CORONA imagery using horizontal ground control derived from Ikonos space imagery and vertical ground control from map-based contour lines. Such DEMs can be produced without the need for field-based ground control measurements which is an advantage in many parts of world where ground surveying is difficult. Knowledge of CORONA image distortions, satellite geometry, ground resolution, and film scanning are important factors that can affect the DEM extraction process. A study area in Syria is used to demonstrate the method, and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data is used to perform quantitative and qualitative accuracy assessment of the automatically extracted DEM. The SRTM data has enormous importance for validating the quality of CORONA DEMs, and so, unlocking the potential of a largely untapped part of the archive. We conclude that CORONA data can produce unbiased, high-resolution DEM data which may be valuable for researchers working in countries where topographic data is difficult to obtain.
Research Interests:
Satellite surveys in Syria have made use of imagery recorded some 30 years apart. By comparing the earlier pictures (Corona) with the later (Ikonos), sites captured on the former can be accurately located by the latter. The comparison... more
Satellite surveys in Syria have made use of imagery recorded some 30 years apart. By comparing the earlier pictures (Corona) with the later (Ikonos), sites captured on the former can be accurately located by the latter. The comparison also reveals the stark implications for archaeology as large parts of west Asian landscape change from a state of 'benign neglect'to active redevelopment. Based on their experience in the Homs survey, the authors have important advice to offer in the design and costing of surveys using satellite imagery.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Mapping in the Homs region of Syria has revealed a hitherto unrecognized staircase of at least 12 gravel terraces of the upper Orontes River. The terrace gravels overlie Pliocene lacustrine marl and have been calcareously cemented into... more
Mapping in the Homs region of Syria has revealed a hitherto unrecognized staircase of at least 12 gravel terraces of the upper Orontes River. The terrace gravels overlie Pliocene lacustrine marl and have been calcareously cemented into conglomerates, sometimes interbedded with cemented fine-grained alluvium. A tentative dating scheme, based on modelling the regional-scale surface uplift that has driven fluvial incision of ~ 400 m since the latest Miocene, and incorporating correlation with the dated terraces in the valley of the middle Orontes using height above the river, envisages terrace formation spanning at least the last 1.2 Ma.
Research Interests:
This report presents a summary of the methods and some preliminary results of fieldwork by an interdisciplinary research team studying the landscape history of the upper Orontes Valley near Homs in western Syria. The particular focus of... more
This report presents a summary of the methods and some preliminary results of fieldwork by an interdisciplinary research team studying the landscape history of the upper Orontes Valley near Homs in western Syria. The particular focus of the project is to document long-term inter-relationships between settlement and landscape in two adjacent but divergent regions. Geomorphological fieldwork on the Pleistocene and Holocene environments is considered first, with discussions focussing on the terraces of the River Orontes and the associated artefact material. Next, the geo-correction of satellite imagery and its profitable use in conducting fieldwork is outlined. What follows are some initial thoughts and results obtained for each region through three seasons of extensive and intensive fieldwork survey as guided by remote sensing methods. For the Southern Area these results are revealing differences in the densities of ‘off- site’ surface material. In the basalt region of the Northern Area satellite imagery has simplified methods of site detection. The report concludes with some preliminary observations on the main trends of settlement history that are emerging from the data.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This report describes the results of the first and second seasons of field work by an interdisciplinary research team studying the landscape history of the upper Orontes Valley near Homs in western Syria. Initial discussions address the... more
This report describes the results of the first and second seasons of field work by an interdisciplinary research team studying the landscape history of the upper Orontes Valley near Homs in western Syria. Initial discussions address the value of survey data to Syrian archaeology, the research aims of the project and describe the survey area. The project methodology, which includes a combination of both extensive and intensive survey methods, is outlined, and the use of satellite imagery as a means of site location discussed. Work on geomorphological processes and off-site artefact distributions has facilitated the development of sampling strategies for intensive surface collection planned for 2002 and 2003. A test core has established that pollen is well-preserved in the silts of Lake Qattine, which appear to offer a west Syrian palaeoenvironmental sequence. Preliminary work in the basalt terrain west of Homs has allowed the refinement of methodologies for the mapping and analysis of cairns and field systems which predominate in this area, and has highlighted the threat resulting from current bulldozing. The report concludes with some preliminary observations on the main trends as these are emerging from the data.
Research Interests:
Abstract: This report presents a summary of the methods and some preliminary results of fieldwork by an interdisciplinary research team studying the landscape history of the upper Orontes Valley near Homs in western Syria. The particular... more
Abstract: This report presents a summary of the methods and some preliminary results of fieldwork by an interdisciplinary research team studying the landscape history of the upper Orontes Valley near Homs in western Syria. The particular focus of the project is to document long-term interrelationships between settlement and landscape in two adjacent but divergent regions.
Research Interests:
Abstract Declassified satellite photographs are becoming an increasingly important archaeological tool. Not only are they useful for residue prospection and, when in stereo pairs, digital elevation model (DEM) generation, they can also... more
Abstract Declassified satellite photographs are becoming an increasingly important archaeological tool. Not only are they useful for residue prospection and, when in stereo pairs, digital elevation model (DEM) generation, they can also provide large-scale temporal snapshots that provide essential information on landscape change. Importantly, in some instances, declassified photographs may be the only available record of archaeological residues that have subsequently been eradicated.
Research Interests:
In common with all domains of remote sensing, residues indicative of past human activity can only be detected if they exhibit some form of identifiable contrast with their surroundings. Unlike many other domains these residues do not... more
In common with all domains of remote sensing, residues indicative of past human activity can only be detected if they exhibit some form of identifiable contrast with their surroundings. Unlike many other domains these residues do not exhibit consistent spectral signatures. Archaeological spectral responses are commonly expressed as subtle deviations from their surrounding matrix. This is true for crop marks, soil marks and thermal anomalies.
Abstract: This report describes the results of the first and second seasons of field work by an interdisciplinary research team studying the landscape history of the upper Orontes Valley near Homs in western Syria. Initial discussions... more
Abstract: This report describes the results of the first and second seasons of field work by an interdisciplinary research team studying the landscape history of the upper Orontes Valley near Homs in western Syria. Initial discussions address the value of survey data to Syrian archaeology, the research aims of the project and describe the survey area.
Research Interests:
Despite the multitude of burial, cremation and disposal options now available in modern society, current western attitudes to death often bring with them expectations of ‘normality’. There is a general belief that, despite the distances... more
Despite the multitude of burial, cremation and disposal options now available in modern society, current western attitudes to death often bring with them expectations of ‘normality’. There is a general belief that, despite the distances of time and space that separate us, there will still be elements within ancient burial traditions that we can recognise, behaviour that we can easily interpret as being respectful towards the dead. Many of the beliefs that underpin these expectations of ‘normality’ or ‘respect’, draw substantially on Judaeo-Christian traditions, which took shape in the Levant1 during the latter half of the 1st millennium BC and 1st millennium AD. These beliefs differ substantially from those of past societies in the region, as witnessed by references in the Old Testament (Isaiah 65.2-6), which highlight the difficult relationship between the requirements of monotheism and the traditional cult of the dead. The ‘Invisible Dead’ Project, carried out at Durham University between 2012-2014 and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, has sought to chart the long-term development of attitudes to the dead, from c. 4000 BC down to 400 AD (Chalcolithic to the end of the Roman period), through an examination of documentary and archaeological evidence for the form, scale, and significance of mortuary practices. This paper aims to presents some initial results from the project. We will explore some of the emerging trends in treatment of the human body and wider developments in society, economy and religious belief. We also seek to consider the ways in which scholarly attitudes to the dead, as an object of study, have impacted upon the kind of questions asked of the material and the various lenses through which burial has been examined, in particular by researchers working on different periods. As this paper will demonstrate, burial practices and the beliefs behind them differ across space and time, and the treatment of human remains in the past cannot simply be understood as a direct equivalent of ‘burial’ as understood today
Research Interests:
This paper presents the results of a large-scale analytical program undertaken on Neolithic ceramics from the Homs region, the Beqaa, and Northern Lebanese Coast. Like other parts of the Northern Levant, a burnished ware tradition is... more
This paper presents the results of a large-scale analytical program undertaken on Neolithic ceramics from the Homs region, the Beqaa, and Northern Lebanese Coast. Like other parts of the Northern Levant, a burnished ware tradition is found across these regions from the very introduction of ceramics to the area. Through the 6th and 5th millennia BCE, however, two distinct provinces form. To the south, in Lebanon and the Homs area, burnished wares continue to be produced, whereas to the north and east painted traditions take hold. What first appears a seemingly simple matter of local preference endures, and these areas are set on differing trajectories, resulting in the development during the Bronze Age of a fairly rigid stylistic and technological boundary between what have traditionally been termed ‘Syrian’ styles to the north and ‘Palestinian’ styles to the south. This study integrates an archaeometric approach with traditional macroscale studies to track the development of ceramic technologies, modes of production and decorative traditions in the Late Neolithic of the Central Levant. The resulting data provides deeper insight into key influences on the development of later ceramic traditions of the region which in turn enhances our understanding of the formation, maintenance and remodelling of distinct regional assemblages and their meaning in the pre-classical Levant.
Research Interests:
This is the final overview paper from a special issue of Levant - entitled Ceramics, Society, and Economy in the Northern Levant: an integrated archaeometric perspective.
Research Interests:
A review of recent synthetic studies dealing with the Late Bronze Age suggests that ceramic data play a relatively minor role in such texts, a point confirmed by the paucity of substantial articles on ceramic topics in the main regional... more
A review of recent synthetic studies dealing with the Late Bronze Age suggests that ceramic data play a relatively minor role in such texts, a point confirmed by the paucity of substantial articles on ceramic topics in the main regional journals. This forms a marked contrast to the effort devoted to ceramic studies both during fieldwork and in excavation reports. A review of the manner in which ceramic data is presented in such reports suggests that while areas of genuine innovation can be identified, the detailed information provided in many fieldwork monographs is not optimally aligned with the needs of those undertaking higher-level synthetic studies. It is suggested that this may reflect a continuing adherence to methods for dealing with pottery that took shape in the mid-20th century, when scholars’ expectations of what could be achieved through pottery remained modest. It is suggested that there is an urgent need to revise both field and publication procedures, so that ceramic data is able to fulfill its potential as a major contributor of information on past societies.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Philip, G. and Williams-Thorpe, O. (2001) 'The production and consumption of basalt artefacts in the southern Levant during the 5th-4th millennia BC : a geochemical and petrographic investigation.', in Archaeological Sciences ’97 ; proceedings of the conference held at the University of Durham, 2-4 September 1997. Oxford: Archaeopress, pp. 11-30. BAR International Series. (939)more
Research Interests:
Les propriétés chimiques et pétrographiques de préparations dérivées de seize récipients en basalte datant du Chalcolithique au Bronze Ancien I ont été étudiées lors de leur observation au microscope et à la fluorescence X. Le but était... more
Les propriétés chimiques et pétrographiques de préparations dérivées de seize récipients en basalte datant du Chalcolithique au Bronze Ancien I ont été étudiées lors de leur observation au microscope et à la fluorescence X. Le but était de comparer ces résultats avec ceux obtenus lors d'analyse de morceaux de basalte de sources diverses afin de savoir si la confection de ces mêmes récipients était purement locale, ou, au contraire, le fait d'un centre unique de production. Il a été démontré que des récipients découverts à Sal ...
Research Interests:
... Graham Philip ist „Senior Lecturer“ an der Universität Durham, ... DATUM, UNTERSCHRIFT / DATE, SIGNATURE. BANK AUSTRIA CREDITANSTALT, WIEN (IBAN AT04 1100 0006 2280 0100, BIC BKAUATWW, BLZ 11000), KONTO-NR. ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Philip Graham. The beginnings of specialized production and exchange in the Ancient Near East : current work in Britain. Durham, 15th January 1994.. In: Paléorient, 1994, vol. 20, n°1. pp. 141-143
Research Interests:
Copyright© 2000 Sheffield Academic Press Copyright to individual chapters remains the property of the authors Published by Sheffield Academic Press Ltd Mansion House 19 Kingfield Road Sheffield SI 19AS England www. SheffieldAcademicPress.... more
Copyright© 2000 Sheffield Academic Press Copyright to individual chapters remains the property of the authors Published by Sheffield Academic Press Ltd Mansion House 19 Kingfield Road Sheffield SI 19AS England www. SheffieldAcademicPress. com Typeset by Sheffield ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Archaeologists have generally viewed the appearance of Khirbet Kerak Ware (KKW) in the southern Levant in the early 3rd millennium BC in terms of a movement into the area of population groups of east Anatolian origin. However, there are... more
Archaeologists have generally viewed the appearance of Khirbet Kerak Ware (KKW) in the southern Levant in the early 3rd millennium BC in terms of a movement into the area of population groups of east Anatolian origin. However, there are serious theoretical and empirical objections to this position. It is suggested that by concentrating upon KKW as a macro-level phenomenon, scholars have neglected to consider the existence of significant inter-community distinctions in the scale and manner in which KKW was employed. This paper offers an alternative view which sees KKW as a material resource, knowledge of which was linked to participation in previously existing coastal networks of communication, the adoption or rejection of which was linked to socio-economic conditionals prevailing in specific areas of the southern Levant.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
New Agendas in Remote Sensing and Landscape Archaeology in the Near East is a collection of papers produced in honour of Tony James Wilkinson, who was Professor of Archaeology at Durham University from 2006 until his death in 2014. Though... more
New Agendas in Remote Sensing and Landscape Archaeology in the Near East is a collection of papers produced in honour of Tony James Wilkinson, who was Professor of Archaeology at Durham University from 2006 until his death in 2014. Though commemorative in concept, the volume is an assemblage of new research representing emerging agendas and innovative methods in remote sensing. The intention is to explore the opportunities and challenges faced by researchers in the field today, and the tools, techniques, and theoretical approaches available to resolve them within the framework of landscape archaeology. The papers build on the traditional strengths of landscape archaeology, such as geoarchaeology and settlement pattern analysis, as well as integrating data sources to address major research questions, such as the ancient economy, urbanism, water management and the treatment of the dead. The authors demonstrate the importance of an interdisciplinary approach for understanding the impac...
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Engineering and Database
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
contemporary textual documentation from the second millennium BC onwards. In a first main section the author gives an overview of the history of the use of metals up to the sixth century BC, and then surveys the evidence site by site,... more
contemporary textual documentation from the second millennium BC onwards. In a first main section the author gives an overview of the history of the use of metals up to the sixth century BC, and then surveys the evidence site by site, beginning with Cayonii near the mines at Ergani Maden in the seventh millennium BC, and ending with Cavustepe in Urartu. There are clear plans illustrating the location of workshops and finds relating to metal production within the various sites. In a second main section, the equipment and tools used in the production of metal are discussed according to typology, and illustrated by clear maps and tables showing geographical and chronological distribution. A brief concluding chapter (translated into Turkish) is followed by a detailed catalogue, list of abbreviations and bibliography. The plates consist of large numbers of excellent drawings mixing ink outlines and shaded sections with what seems to be pencil shading to indicate texture (or is this very fine ink stippling?); in some cases the original drawings from Schliemann's publications have been used. The drawings are certainly clearer, more consistent and more informative than photographs would have been. There is no index, but the list of contents is detailed and the catalogue and illustrations generally follow the order of discussion in the second part of the text. PI. 81 ff. at the end of the plates section are not catalogued; they depict groups of metalwork and pottery found together in workshops or hoards and actually illustrate the first section of text. Unfortunately, there is no cross-reference from the plates or catalogue to discussion of an illustrated piece so that references, other than in the main context, will be lost and are in any case difficult to find. For example, the 'files' on pi. 35 are discussed on p. 145; two of them were found in the Kiiltepe karum for which the dates are given on p. 49. Note that a bifacial stamp seal from Masat Hoyiik has mistakenly been included among the moulds on pi. 58:10.
Research Interests:
On 2 August 2019, the eve of the 5th anniversary of the attacks on Sinjar by the Islamic State (IS), RASHID International, Yazda and the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa Project (EAMENA) released the results of... more
On 2 August 2019, the eve of the 5th anniversary of the attacks on Sinjar by the Islamic State (IS), RASHID International, Yazda and the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa Project (EAMENA) released the results of their investigation into cultural heritage destruction during the genocide against the Yazidis, in a report entitled <strong>'Destroying the Soul of the Yazidis: Cultural Heritage Destruction during the Islamic State's Genocide against the Yazidis'</strong>. Out of the total of 68 sites reported destroyed we consider 16 sites in the Bahzani/Bashiqa area and 8 in the Sinjar area to which access was possible and which could be documented. Discussions of the genocide committed against the Yazidi people by IS from 2014 onwards have generally focused on murder, slavery and sexual exploitation. In this report we analyze the destruction of Yazidi tangible and intangible cultural heritage as a significant facet of the Islamic State...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Despite the multitude of burial, cremation and disposal options now available in modern society, current western attitudes to death often bring with them expectations of ‘normality’. There is a general belief that, despite the distances... more
Despite the multitude of burial, cremation and disposal options now available in modern society, current western attitudes to death often bring with them expectations of ‘normality’. There is a general belief that, despite the distances of time and space that separate us, there will still be elements within ancient burial traditions that we can recognise, behaviour that we can easily interpret as being respectful towards the dead. Many of the beliefs that underpin these expectations of ‘normality’ or ‘respect’, draw substantially on Judaeo-Christian traditions, which took shape in the Levant1 during the latter half of the 1st millennium BC and 1st millennium AD. These beliefs differ substantially from those of past societies in the region, as witnessed by references in the Old Testament (Isaiah 65.2-6), which highlight the difficult relationship between the requirements of monotheism and the traditional cult of the dead. The ‘Invisible Dead’ Project, carried out at Durham University...
Research Interests:
During the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 6500–4000 BP), the Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia saw the earliest development of cities anywhere in the world. Climate and environmental factors are generally considered to be... more
During the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 6500–4000 BP), the Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia saw the earliest development of cities anywhere in the world. Climate and environmental factors are generally considered to be significant in these changes because in pre‐industrial societies they directly relate to food production and security. The emergence of cities also coincides with a decoupling of settlement and climate trends, suggesting urbanism may have enhanced the adaptive capacity of societies to withstand changing climatic conditions. Urban forms followed a variety of different trajectories, with a much more sporadic and episodic history in the dry farming plains of the North and West of the study region compared to the stable build‐up in the irrigated South. Although models dealing with urban growth have emphasized the differential access to agrarian resources as a key driver in promoting hierarchical social systems, climate has rarely been explicitly discussed. In contrast, so‐called “collapse” events brought about by extreme, but short‐lived, climate changes such as droughts have been blamed for declines in urban and rural populations, social complexity, political systems, and entire empires. However, the extent to which these “collapses” are visible in the archeological record, let alone how far they can be attributed to climate changes, is a matter of intense debate. The archeological and historical record, the variegated environmental conditions, and the deep time perspective on complexity available, make the Fertile Crescent an ideal laboratory for assessing causal links between urban formations and climate fluctuations
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Remote Sensing, Cultural Heritage, Heritage Studies, and 7 moreCultural Heritage Conservation, Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage, Satellite remote sensing, Cultural Heritage Management, Remote sensing and GIS applications in Landscape Research, Geosciences, and Geospatial Analysis
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Satellite surveys in Syria have made use of imagery recorded some 30 years apart. By comparing the earlier pictures (Corona) with the later (Ikonos), sites captured on the former can be accurately located by the latter. The comparison... more
Satellite surveys in Syria have made use of imagery recorded some 30 years apart. By comparing the earlier pictures (Corona) with the later (Ikonos), sites captured on the former can be accurately located by the latter. The comparison also reveals the stark implications for archaeology as large parts of west Asian landscape change from a state of ‘benign neglect’ to active redevelopment. Based on their experience in the Homs survey, the authors have important advice to offer in the design and costing of surveys using satellite imagery.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Abstract: Thirteen Syro-Palestinian copper-alloy weapons from good EB-MB and MB I contexts were analysed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, in order to amplify our knowledge of copper metallurgy around 2000 BC The results raise... more
Abstract: Thirteen Syro-Palestinian copper-alloy weapons from good EB-MB and MB I contexts were analysed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, in order to amplify our knowledge of copper metallurgy around 2000 BC The results raise several important points regarding alloying practices, and the factors governing alloy selection. Regional differences in alloy use within the southern Levant during the EB-MB period are clarified, while a hitherto unsuspected alloy, leaded-bronze, appears at Hama, where it was used for MB I ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Histories of academic institutions are tough undertakings. On the one hand, they contribute to understanding the advances in knowledge and changing attitudes that are the stuff of Forschungsgeschichte as well as to more general cultural,... more
Histories of academic institutions are tough undertakings. On the one hand, they contribute to understanding the advances in knowledge and changing attitudes that are the stuff of Forschungsgeschichte as well as to more general cultural, social, and even political, history. On the other hand, they must be more than amplified versions of school or college registers (although readers will expect the basic information that is in those publications). In particular, they must nowadays avoid the pitfalls and cover-ups of almost determinist presentations of ...
Research Interests: Turkey, Cyprus, Online, History of Archaeology, Greece, and 3 moreOxford, Crete, and Cambridge DELTA
A considerable quantity of metalwork is now documented from 3rd millennium Be sites in the Carchemish region. Much of this originates in burial contexts making it clear that metal artefacts played an important role in the marking of... more
A considerable quantity of metalwork is now documented from 3rd millennium Be sites in the Carchemish region. Much of this originates in burial contexts making it clear that metal artefacts played an important role in the marking of status in mortuary contexts. As the material was probably manufactured in the area, it ought to reflect local pattems of demand, and in recent years our knowledge has increased to the point at which it should be possible to determine whether there existed styles and practices which were distinctive to the ...
Research Interests:
This joint Syrian-British multidisciplinary, multi-period archaeological survey project, studies an area of marl landscape east of Lake Qatina. Geomorphological work has shown that the marls are overlain by outcrops of cemented fluvial... more
This joint Syrian-British multidisciplinary, multi-period archaeological survey project, studies an area of marl landscape east of Lake Qatina. Geomorphological work has shown that the marls are overlain by outcrops of cemented fluvial gravels of Pleistocene date, which fill former channels of the al-Asi river, and which are closely associated with activity of Palaeolthic date. Preliminary analysis of cores from Lake Qatina indicates that while the northern end of lake provides evidence for consistently lacustrine conditions for the last ...
Research Interests: Geography and Archaeology
proved technically more challenging than work in the marl. As a result, systematic fieldwork could not proceed until the acquisition of high-resolution satellite image data, with accurate ground control. Subsequently, work has proceeded... more
proved technically more challenging than work in the marl. As a result, systematic fieldwork could not proceed until the acquisition of high-resolution satellite image data, with accurate ground control. Subsequently, work has proceeded through a combination of the examination of satellite imagery supported by ground observation. 3 We now feel that we have done sufficient fieldwork to be confident of our ability to link features visible on the imagery to broad categories of remains that can be identified on the ground, and can say ...
Research Interests: Near Eastern Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Levantine Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Ancient Near East, and 6 moreRemote Sensing (Archaeology), Roman Syria (Archaeology), Burial mounds (Archaeology), Settlement archaeology, Early Bronze Age Archaeology, and Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant
This paper reflects the two seasons of fieldwork undertaken in 2005 and 2006 by a small team in part of the Shin basalt region, or Wa'ar, as it is known locally, to the north-west of Homs. It builds upon initial work undertaken in... more
This paper reflects the two seasons of fieldwork undertaken in 2005 and 2006 by a small team in part of the Shin basalt region, or Wa'ar, as it is known locally, to the north-west of Homs. It builds upon initial work undertaken in the basalt region as part of the Settlement and Landscape of the Homs Region Project (SHR Project). The work is focussed on understanding the development of the deserted village variously known as Khirbet Deir Salam or more usually Dar es-Salaam ('House of Peace'or 'Place of Peace').
Research Interests:
In common with all domains of remote sensing, residues indicative of past human activity can only be detected if they exhibit some form of identifiable contrast with their surroundings. Unlike many other domains these residues do not... more
In common with all domains of remote sensing, residues indicative of past human activity can only be detected if they exhibit some form of identifiable contrast with their surroundings. Unlike many other domains these residues do not exhibit consistent spectral signatures. Archaeological spectral responses are commonly expressed as subtle deviations from their surrounding matrix. This is true for crop marks, soil marks and thermal anomalies. The challenge is to collect imagery when the contrast between archaeological residues and ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
50 days free download: https://elsevier.proofcentral.com/en-us/landing-page.html?token=f1111077m828f6ea71070aeef7a33e A recent petrographic study of ceramic jars from Giza imported into Egypt during the 4th Dynasty of the Pyramid Age (c.... more
50 days free download: https://elsevier.proofcentral.com/en-us/landing-page.html?token=f1111077m828f6ea71070aeef7a33e A recent petrographic study of ceramic jars from Giza imported into Egypt during the 4th Dynasty of the Pyramid Age (c. 2613–2494 BCE) identified the original production zone as the Lebanese coast generally between Beirut and Tripoli, including the region of Byblos. The jars and their contents were imported to Egypt by maritime trade expeditions conducted at the behest of the Egyptian state. This study analyses a selection of these ceramic samples using ICP-AES and -MS for comparison with published data from the region of Byblos. The results not only confirmed the underlying petrography, but together with new evidence from Lebanon suggests the vessels likely belonged to specialised workshop production in the Byblos environs and were made specifically for export to Egypt. The finding sheds new light on the relationship between the Egyptian state and the polity of Byblos in the Early Bronze Age, indicating the presence of standardised local production and commodity procurement mechanisms tailored to the needs of a large trade entity. This relationship in turn delivered significant prestige and status to local elites in an environment of competitive local peer-polity interactions.
Research Interests:
50 days free download: https://elsevier.proofcentral.com/en-us/landing-page.html?token=f1111077m828f6ea71070aeef7a33e A recent petrographic study of ceramic jars from Giza imported into Egypt during the 4th Dynasty of the Pyramid Age (c.... more
50 days free download: https://elsevier.proofcentral.com/en-us/landing-page.html?token=f1111077m828f6ea71070aeef7a33e A recent petrographic study of ceramic jars from Giza imported into Egypt during the 4th Dynasty of the Pyramid Age (c. 2613–2494 BCE) identified the original production zone as the Lebanese coast generally between Beirut and Tripoli, including the region of Byblos. The jars and their contents were imported to Egypt by maritime trade expeditions conducted at the behest of the Egyptian state. This study analyses a selection of these ceramic samples using ICP-AES and -MS for comparison with published data from the region of Byblos. The results not only confirmed the underlying petrography, but together with new evidence from Lebanon suggests the vessels likely belonged to specialised workshop production in the Byblos environs and were made specifically for export to Egypt. The finding sheds new light on the relationship between the Egyptian state and the polity of Byblos in the Early Bronze Age, indicating the presence of standardised local production and commodity procurement mechanisms tailored to the needs of a large trade entity. This relationship in turn delivered significant prestige and status to local elites in an environment of competitive local peer-polity interactions.
Research Interests:
This paper presents the results of a large-scale analytical program undertaken on Neolithic ceramics from the Homs region, the Beqaa, and Northern Lebanese Coast. Like other parts of the Northern Levant, a burnished ware tradition is... more
This paper presents the results of a large-scale analytical program undertaken on Neolithic ceramics from the Homs region, the Beqaa, and Northern Lebanese Coast. Like other parts of the Northern Levant, a burnished ware tradition is found across these regions from the very introduction of ceramics to the area. Through the 6th and 5th millennia BCE, however, two distinct provinces form. To the south, in Lebanon and the Homs area, burnished wares continue to be produced, whereas to the north and east painted traditions take hold. What first appears a seemingly simple matter of local preference endures, and these areas are set on differing trajectories, resulting in the development during the Bronze Age of a fairly rigid stylistic and technological boundary between what have traditionally been termed ‘Syrian’ styles to the north and ‘Palestinian’ styles to the south. This study integrates an archaeometric approach with traditional macroscale studies to track the development of ceramic technologies, modes of production and decorative traditions in the Late Neolithic of the Central Levant. The resulting data provides deeper insight into key influences on the development of later ceramic traditions of the region which in turn enhances our understanding of the formation, maintenance and remodelling of distinct regional assemblages and their meaning in the pre-classical Levant.