Tel Erani, Israel: Report of the 2018 Season and Its Background

En el mes de julio de 2018, un equipo de investigadores del Instituto de Historia Antigua Oriental “Dr. Abraham Rosenvasser” en el marco del Proyecto PICT-Raíces 2015-2943, participó en las excavaciones de la campaña arqueológica realizada en Tel Erani, Israel. Este sitio, excavado desde la década del ‘50 del siglo pasado, es clave para comprender las relaciones entre el sur de Palestina (Levante meridional) y Egipto durante la Edad del Bronce Antiguo IB (segunda mitad del IV° milenio a.C.), pues se ha hallado una presencia significativa de cultura material egipcia, incluyendo un tiesto con un serekh del rey Narmer, así como también cerámica de un estilo local característico, llamada Erani C, que ha podido ser identificada en el delta del Nilo (Tell el-Farkha) y en tumbas protodinásticas, como la denominada U-j de Abidos. Parte de estos hallazgos se relaciona con la presencia de por lo menos dos murallas superpuestas que posiblemente rodeaban la totalidad del tel, de aproximadamente 25 ha, por lo que se trataría de uno de los asentamientos fortificados más tempranos de Palestina. En la campaña del año 2018 se excavaron dos áreas: el Área D3, donde abunda el material egipcio junto con elementos locales, y el Área P-Q, correspondiente a una de las zonas donde se encuentran las fortificaciones. Los resultados de esta última campaña indican que estas murallas serían anteriores a la fase egipcia, es decir el Bronce Antiguo IB1, pero luego, durante el Bronce Antiguo IB2, las relaciones entre ambas regiones se habrían intensificado, con la posibilidad de que los egipcios hayan pasado a tener un rol más activo en Tel Erani.In July 2018, a team of researchers from the Institute of Ancient Near Eastern History “Dr. Abraham Rosenvasser”, in the framework of the Project PICT-Raíces 2015-2943, participated in the excavations at Tel Erani, Israel. Tel Erani, excavated since the 1950’s, is a key site to understand the relations between southern Palestine (Southern Levant) and Egypt during the Early Bronze IB (second half of the 4th millennium BC), since a significant presence of Egyptian findings has been found, including a sherd with a serekh of King Narmer. Furthermore, pottery of a characteristic local style, called Erani C has been found, identified also at the Nile Delta (Tell el-Farkha) and in proto-dynastic tombs, such as U-j in Abydos. Parts of these finds are related to at least two overlapping fortification walls that possibly surrounded the entire tel which occupied approximately 25 ha. This would be one of the earliest fortified settlements in southern Palestine. In the campaign of 2018, two areas were excavated: Area D3, where Egyptian material is abundant along with local elements, and Area P-Q, corresponding to one of the areas where the fortifications are located. The results of this last campaign indicate that these defensive walls would be prior to the Egyptian phase, i.e. during the Early Bronze IB1. During the late phase, Early Bronze IB2, the relations between both regions would have intensified, with the possibility that the Egyptians have played a more active role at Tel Erani

Satellite Remote Sensing Analysis of the Qasrawet Archaeological Site in North Sinai

North Sinai is of significant historical interest primarily because of its role since late prehistoric times as a land bridge between Egypt and the Levant. Access to this region is challenging due to its harsh geography and security concerns. Remote sensing constitutes a convenient method for archaeological prospection and monitoring over such regions with its low cost (relative to ground based sensing techniques), global coverage, and high temporal and spatial sampling. This paper describes part of a study to revisit a number of sites investigated during the North Sinai Survey (1972–1982) with very high resolution optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite imagery. These were acquired throughout the summer of 2017 in the framework of a European Space Agency research project. The Synthetic Aperture Radar data includes Spotlight and Staring Spotlight modes of the TerraSAR-X mission, while the optical imagery was acquired by the Pleiades mission. The TerraSAR-X data were processed to derive filtered amplitude and consecutive coherence time series. The results of the TerraSAR-X data processing, and the pan-sharpened Pleiades data were compared with the results of the North Sinai Survey to detect possible additional buried structures in the radar data, or newly excavated sites in the optical data. While the analysis is still ongoing, results are reported here of the Qasrawet archaeological site, which was partially investigated by the North Sinai Survey expedition, but assumed to cover a much larger area. Herein, a number of newly excavated structures are apparent in the remote sensing data. The similarity of features in both the TerraSAR-X and Pleiades data suggest that all structures are surface residues, and therefore, that the subsurface mapping capabilities of the TerraSAR-X data in this area are limited. The utility of both data types for archaeological site monitoring are discussed

Handaxes and Cleavers on Flakes of Silicified Limestone at Nahal Barak, Southern Negev and Possible Connections to the Arabian Peninsula Acheulian

Abstract. The current study reports the discovery of a new production site of handaxes and cleavers on flakes at Nahal Barak in the southern Negev Desert, Israel. The Nahal Barak site complex is located immediately below and around a conglomerate outcrop of Pliocene-Early Pleistocene age. The outcrop consists of large boulders of coarse-grained silicified limestone, originally of Middle Eocene age, that were used as giant cores for producing large flakes which in turn were modified into handaxes and cleavers. Handaxes and cleavers on large flakes made from coarse-grained raw materials are quite rare in the Levant and are currently confined to the Middle Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya’aqov in the Hula Valley. Recent extensive fieldwork in western and central Arabia has revealed production sites for handaxes and cleavers on large flakes from coarse-grained materials such as andesite and rhyolite. These bifacial tools were made on large flakes, produced from giant cores by a distinctive knapping method. The technological characteristics of the Nahal Barak sites show similarities with Acheulian sites in western and central Arabia, especially with the Saffaqah sites near Dwadma where production of coarse-grained handaxes and cleavers from giant andesite cores was documented. This observation implies on cultural connections between the southern Negev region and the Arabian Peninsula during the Lower Palaeolithic period.Résumé. La présente étude fait état de la découverte d'un nouveau de production de bifaces et de hachereaux sur éclats à Nahal Barak, dans le sud du désert du Néguev, en Israël. Le site de Nahal Barak est situé immédiatement en contrebas et aux alentours d'un affleurement de conglomérat datant du Pliocène-Pléistocène ancien. L'affleurement site se compose de gros blocs de calcaire silicifié à grain grossier d’âge Eocène moyen. Ces blocs ont été utilisés comme nucleus « géants » (« giant cores ») pour la production de grands éclats ultérieurement transformés en bifaces et hachereaux. De tels outils sur matériau à grain grossier sont rares au Levant ; ils ne sont connus actuellement que dans le site Acheuléen moyen de Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, dans la vallée de la Hula. Des recherches de terrain extensives menées récemment dans l'ouest et le centre de l'Arabie ont révélé des sites de production de bifaces et hachereaux sur grands éclats provenant de matériaux à grain grossier tels que l'andésite et la rhyolite. Ces outils bifaciaux ont été fabriqués sur de larges éclats, produits à partir de nucléus « géants » selon une méthode de taille particulière. Les caractéristiques technologiques des assemblages provenant de Nahal Barak présentent des similitudes avec ceux provenant des sites acheuléens d'Arabie occidentale et centrale, en particulier avec les sites de Saffaqah près de Dwadma, dans lesquels la production de bifaces et hachereaux à partir de nucleus « géants » en andésite à grain grossier a été identifiée. Des connexions culturelles entre le sud du Néguev et la péninsule arabique au cours du Paléolithique inférieur peuvent alors être envisagées

New excavations at Tel Erani : the Early Bronze Age I fortification walls and early urbanisation in the Southern Levant

Fortification walls and other buildings discovered during renewed excavations at Tel Erani (Tell esh-Sheikh el-Areyni) shed new light on the beginnings of urbanisation in the Southern Levant during the second half of the fourth millennium BC

Cardiovascular Efficacy and Safety of Bococizumab in High-Risk Patients

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