Table of Contents for Near Eastern Archaeology 87.3 (September 2024)
Pp. 144–149: “Spanish Archaeology in the Near East in the Twentieth Century,” by Jordi Vidal
The Spanish archaeological presence in the Near East was very scarce during most of the twentieth century. The excavations carried out at Shechem, Mogaret Dalal, El-Khiam, or Khirbet Arair were made possible by isolated efforts from outside the academic sphere. It was not until the 1980s that universities began to organize excavations and consolidate the Spanish presence in the region. The arrival of democracy, the reorganization of university research, and the availability of greater economic resources were the main elements that allowed this consolidation.
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Pp. 150-157: “The Current Study of the Ancient Near East in Spain: Trends and Context,” by Agnès Garcia-Ventura and Josué J. Justel
In the nineteenth century in Spain there was a growing interest in the civilizations of the East—those located to the east of the Mediterranean. However, in Spain this interest did not translate into a consolidation of cuneiform studies in academia as it had done in other countries. In this article we offer some clues to help understand these two circumstances by providing an overview of the study of the ancient Near East in the Iberian Peninsula. In our analysis we shall pay special attention to Spain, and also highlight the connections with its neighbor Portugal and with the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, where this field of studies has expanded notably in recent decades.
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Pp. 158-167: “Tell el-FarÊ¿ah: New Archaeological Research on the Iron Age IIA in the Central Mountains of Palestine,” by Juan Luis Montero Fenollós
Building upon research conducted by Father Roland de Vaux, former director of the Ecole biblique in Jerusalem, between 1946 and 1960 at Tell el-Farʿah northeast of Nablus (Palestine), a new international and collaborative archaeological project began in 2017. This project is led by the University of A Coruña, the Nova University of Lisbon, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Palestine. Tell el-Farʿah, perhaps the ancient biblical city of Tirzah, is a crucial site for the history of the Northern Kingdom. Currently, three excavation seasons (2017–2019) have revealed new, preliminary data concerning Iron Age IIA. These data, particularly the absolute dating related to a house of period VIIb, is of notable significance. A survey was conducted in the Wadi el-Farʿah to gain a better understanding of Tell el-Farʿah in its regional context. Additionally, a pilot project focusing on restoration and enhancement completed the overall work.
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Pp. 168-177: “The Archaeology of Tyre: The Joint Lebanese, Spanish, and Polish Excavations in the Phoenician Homeland,” by MarÃa Eugenia Aubet, Francisco J. Núñez, and Ali Badawi
Archaeological activities in Tyre have been carried out for more than twenty-five years thanks to the collaboration between Lebanon, Spain, and, for the last three years, Poland. This has made this project the longest running of all those active in the country. Two sites have been the focus of attention: the Iron Age cemetery of al-Bass and the acropolis of the ancient island, each with its particular characteristics and difficulties. The project not only analyzes two different sites, but also covers the city’s history from its foundation in the third millennium BCE to today. Although still under development, the results have enabled Tyre to regain its position in the Levant and the Mediterranean. This project is also a haven for side projects that have opened new avenues of research.
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Pp. 178-187: “The Spanish Archaeological and Archaeobiological Mission at Sharjah (SAAMS): Al Madam–al Khudairah Project; Life in the Oasis–Death on the Hills,” by Carmen del Cerro-Linares
The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid has been working since the mid-1990s at the Iron Age village of al Madam located in the interior of the Oman peninsula, in the Emirate of Sharjah (UAE). In 2019 we received permission to excavate a necropolis in the municipality of al Khudairah (Sharjah), opening a new potential for the study of the funerary world of ancient Magan, as this area was called in the Mesopotamian texts. With the permission of the local authorities, and so as to balance study of the village with that of the necropolis, our team expanded and added a permanent contingent of archaeobiologists to our roster. Thus in February 2020 began the Spanish Archaeological and Archaeobiological Mission at Sharjah (SAAMS) and a new project: the “Al Madam–al Khudairah Project: Life in the Oasis–Death on the Hills.â€
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Pp. 188-193: “Archaeological Excavations in Iraqi Kurdistan: Unveiling New Evidence on the Development of Complex Societies in Northern Mesopotamia at Gird Lashkir (Erbil),” by Miquel Molist, Aziz Zebari, and Anna Bach
This article presents the development and main results of a project underway in present-day Iraqi Kurdistan. The excavations and studies carried out at the Gird Lashkir site, on the plain near the course of the Tigris River, make it possible to contribute significantly to our understanding of the historical evolution of the period from the fourth to the second millennium in northern Mesopotamia. At the chronological level, it focuses on the stratigraphic data and the characterization of the habitat in the complex societies of the third millennium cal BCE. As required by the current development of the discipline, the studies are interdisciplinary and with broad cooperation among researchers from institutions of different nationalities, particularly from Iraqi Kurdistan itself.
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Pp. 194-208: “Wild and Domesticated Fauna in Desert Regions of the Near East: The Case of Saruq al-Hadid (UAE),” by EloÃsa Bernáldez-Sánchez, Esteban GarcÃa-Viñas, Myriam Seco-Ãlvarez, José Luis Ramos-Soldado, Mansour Boraik, Ya’aqub Youssef, Javier Dantas-Cayuela, and Eduardo Ferrer-Albelda
The authors present the results of the archaeozoological studies of the 2019–2020 archaeological field seasons conducted in Saruq al-Hadid (Dubai, UAE) by the University of Seville and the Andalusian Institute of Historic Heritage (Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico, IAPH). We analyzed two large assemblages of animal bone remains and, through the archaeozoological analysis, observed differences between two cultural and taphonomical contexts at the site. In the oldest levels—dated between the Bronze Age and Iron Age I—hunted animals predominate, while data from the Iron II period show a higher frequency of domesticated species. These differences suggest a change in the use of the environment, related to changes in the culture and/or the climate, as well as the human activity that originated each deposit.
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Pp. 209-210: “Mundo Antigo em Resenha (MAR): Bringing Spanish-Portuguese Scholarship in Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies to the Greater Academic Community,” by Thais Rocha da Silva
This article discusses the trajectory of studies about the ancient Near East and Egyptology within the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world. It argues that linguistic barriers also contributed to their remaining peripheral. Scholars in these regions have produced significant work in their fields, yet their contributions often remain isolated and underrecognized. The journal Mundo Antigo em Resenha (MAR) addresses this gap by publishing reviews of recent works in Spanish and Portuguese on topics related to antiquity. MAR aims to promote visibility and inclusivity and help researchers to develop connections. By fostering dialogue and collaboration, MAR seeks to enrich the scholarship about ancient Egypt and the Near East from Luso-Hispanic and Latin American communities, making it more accessible and impactful.
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