tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78419147054799653772024-03-05T11:27:02.683+03:00Adventures with Yo and MoShamed into joining the 21st century by our younger ACOR colleagues, we have established a blog to chronicle our adventures in academia, archaeology, and the Mediterranean. We hope to post regular updates and musings about our life in the Middle East, Canada and the U.S.MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-46849123102891877952010-12-05T22:04:00.011+02:002010-12-05T22:17:10.217+02:00A symposium, lecture and more travel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh259pvnQ71rMRR4BMxep9s92oWwyJRXewEfahCnSyxbWW61irPgb-7PRuSWVFv2cywApNFv3F4KcETtFPyX0uiNZK16xIakE9knyJ3gHJSLKr3Ql3VWrHemm-MnX7dlbhXmlafFkNzOhU/s1600/Archaeologies+of+Text.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 98px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh259pvnQ71rMRR4BMxep9s92oWwyJRXewEfahCnSyxbWW61irPgb-7PRuSWVFv2cywApNFv3F4KcETtFPyX0uiNZK16xIakE9knyJ3gHJSLKr3Ql3VWrHemm-MnX7dlbhXmlafFkNzOhU/s400/Archaeologies+of+Text.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547293308115176754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">For those interested in text, archaeology and ethics, a symposium, <span style="font-style: italic;">Archaeologies of Text: Archaeology, Technology, and Ethics</span>, organized by Mo and a colleague at Brown:</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://proteus.brown.edu/archaeologiesoftext/8482"> http://proteus.brown.edu/archaeologiesoftext/8482</a></span><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/YORKER%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" >And then later this week, Mo lectures at the Harvard Semitic Museum<br /><a href="http://www.semiticmuseum.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k66717&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup115733">http://www.semiticmuseum.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k66717&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup115733</a></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_A9cht_Xygz-SMGlsFur9CKYWM-1PHJzBapTclasKf1rr8_1U52KaG4WWn9IJKuoTE5O15KH7s6PgyQo71j9mvknOyk51IiKI3UufWXnclfR4oqT17lErYK3oUTiGfxqwPoDgcczZM8/s1600/Invoice.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 378px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_A9cht_Xygz-SMGlsFur9CKYWM-1PHJzBapTclasKf1rr8_1U52KaG4WWn9IJKuoTE5O15KH7s6PgyQo71j9mvknOyk51IiKI3UufWXnclfR4oqT17lErYK3oUTiGfxqwPoDgcczZM8/s400/Invoice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547293645164159394" border="0" /></a>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-17342110259841865222010-11-10T17:23:00.004+02:002010-11-10T17:31:56.550+02:00Next on the Schedule....<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Someone is very busy these days!</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hejuzr6Vj1wQLN2TEqeY5_YDfbc4RkJMqeBEvGpNgrDCGvD8jNu8GuhqD_MwUg8jCqjsL25gm0h9FTK2HK8gyT4FsSN7AVSrOkmOwZUgBQ-P5agszv9wvY6qMzAuJvWLcFWSX7aP3z0/s1600/MulticultFlyer_Kersel+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 310px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537943496582777234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hejuzr6Vj1wQLN2TEqeY5_YDfbc4RkJMqeBEvGpNgrDCGvD8jNu8GuhqD_MwUg8jCqjsL25gm0h9FTK2HK8gyT4FsSN7AVSrOkmOwZUgBQ-P5agszv9wvY6qMzAuJvWLcFWSX7aP3z0/s400/MulticultFlyer_Kersel+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs652t2PgcUUuKs_z5U3NKu2rYwKp9qZ5uEnc-ZuAYbhW-MPe6MU54nQInpSYbKdxRk7X_nNJKDGxAZPg66k9UC8fU1nHhncpzJvJNg5b2zki1jIcbEyj5qkjoBp126dE1ps2N6tVadBI/s1600/BusinessCafe-Kersel+%25284%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537943505526154338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs652t2PgcUUuKs_z5U3NKu2rYwKp9qZ5uEnc-ZuAYbhW-MPe6MU54nQInpSYbKdxRk7X_nNJKDGxAZPg66k9UC8fU1nHhncpzJvJNg5b2zki1jIcbEyj5qkjoBp126dE1ps2N6tVadBI/s400/BusinessCafe-Kersel+%25284%2529.jpg" /></a>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-3190686255850881842010-10-25T22:05:00.004+03:002010-10-25T22:39:30.235+03:00Looting in the Holy Land<p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We</span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">have been very poor bloggers, of late, we know. After the excavations at Marj Rabba, Mo began her new position and has been busily preparing new classes, grading and generally going full tilt</span>. <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Meanwhile, Yo recently finished accompanying an Oriental Institute tour to Israel, and now remains in Jerusalem. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">But recently a program concerning the problems of looting was released on al-Jazeera (English) news. This included interviews of colleagues and locals, including Mo, who comes in at about 36:00 (not wearing a hat!).<br /><br /><object width="680" height="410"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0NY0JF9VBQ8"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src ="http://www.youtube.com/v/0NY0JF9VBQ8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="680" height="410"></embed></object><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Note the lovely backdrop of Marj Rabba and students, including some from Brown University, University of Connecticut and more! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">You can find the program at: </span><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/2010/10/201010591416403822.html">http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/2010/10/201010591416403822.html</a></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span> </p>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-83388017191752407492010-07-27T19:58:00.031+03:002010-07-31T19:46:41.970+03:00Mid-way at Marj Rabba 2010<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We have just passed the halfway point for the Marj Rabba excavation season, and our team is making wonderful progress. The architectural preservation is quite good, and the flint, pottery and animal bones are plentiful. We have an amazing team that puts in long days of work, starting at 5 am, six days a week</span><span style="font-size:130%;">.<br /><br /></span><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPripXmkkmBzVY45PxBy8jQywInA1Xpi09S_y_dmj1cOP1f-sAQnlSvHRxsxaltBi4wSeACYLPIPPVveZz-lF3z2mHNWEnRAQLq4MPm4VGJWGZeu96i0ekEetAvM7V9NEG2zt9iuQnAaI/s1600/DSCN4630.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500018416215080738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPripXmkkmBzVY45PxBy8jQywInA1Xpi09S_y_dmj1cOP1f-sAQnlSvHRxsxaltBi4wSeACYLPIPPVveZz-lF3z2mHNWEnRAQLq4MPm4VGJWGZeu96i0ekEetAvM7V9NEG2zt9iuQnAaI/s400/DSCN4630.JPG" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;">Some of our readers know very well what working on an excavation entails (indeed, some might be the very people who introduced us to the routine and different field methods!) But for those who have never worked on an excavation, we thought that we could run down the daily routine. </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">In order to avoid the hottest part of the day, we start very early; Mo and Yo get up at 4 am, so that we have our own gear together (hats, water, cameras, etc). This year we are staying at a college in Karmi'el called ORT Braude, a small engineering college.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 286px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500023251571030370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcARYLc1OqmWj2iq-73ovT2QhcQfK8PhnyFAa6C-p-Z_OYr8ljgX8iakXsZ6SZK70MSp0l0ZY-8-hY1XacImpiGT0ZEjrUfFLn8DjVHCd_55LS6louGv6WQUfnHMTagE5zdisKP4ICMM/s400/ORT+Braude.jpg" /> <span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">ORT Braude campus</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">We walk over to where we park the vehicles, which is near the dormitory rooms. After collecting empty buckets, water jugs and gear for the field, we <em>hope</em> everyone arrives by our 5 am departure. A quick 10 minute drive through the winding roads leading to Yodefat takes us to Marj Rabba, where our rented container containing the tools is stationed. At this point the sun is just about to rise, but by the time we get the tools out and walk them up to the site, there is just enough light to begin working. </span><br /></span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEo5BfdG-xKtfbtp27pu8WDlJxl3Xu_XC9S1oWqZYtHO-_AxbESlwZ4vSXLCsSZNi0jXuMyv5o3o65NWc-wO7Y-uP0tzHte0J84RKEaU_3mAYe9QimKNU68DNyCEIQXkgt972oCGN-IQ/s1600/early+am+admin+discussion.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500016654393221954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEo5BfdG-xKtfbtp27pu8WDlJxl3Xu_XC9S1oWqZYtHO-_AxbESlwZ4vSXLCsSZNi0jXuMyv5o3o65NWc-wO7Y-uP0tzHte0J84RKEaU_3mAYe9QimKNU68DNyCEIQXkgt972oCGN-IQ/s400/early+am+admin+discussion.jpg" /></a></span><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;">MP and Mo discussing bucket tags and the day's goals</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5YBeF-0hFWaYZzwCCPBdXkCLfpBSJiytPnrcAT-asfPMfqHS0ew0g8rrKeWs5ro3BhKZ_f2IIR01FSyuhrC29i0iPqalrFRZWUSTCBnKZziekQRpuFmUiMtoRVSnxlmaJJZVY6Ws440/s1600/early+am+excavation.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500016650580023346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5YBeF-0hFWaYZzwCCPBdXkCLfpBSJiytPnrcAT-asfPMfqHS0ew0g8rrKeWs5ro3BhKZ_f2IIR01FSyuhrC29i0iPqalrFRZWUSTCBnKZziekQRpuFmUiMtoRVSnxlmaJJZVY6Ws440/s400/early+am+excavation.jpg" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Pre-dawn excavations.<br /></span><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Like last year, we often have some fog up on our hill, and we can hear the peacocks from Kibbutz Yodefat as we discuss our plans for the day.<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnl9PEGXWShvAZLNDtf4IXFR-xgqAcTHOJXKH5Nw-6tHiHoHHh_bm1e0I4AOW9RJi6r-NWrGQBE6ogarfSwODXWVIq0P2wXjKiIibT0VXXlzhrtMWkvFg2C4gbnVmBaHA2oLo33uD7Kc/s1600/mo+in+the+mist+7_27_2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500022974389915810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnl9PEGXWShvAZLNDtf4IXFR-xgqAcTHOJXKH5Nw-6tHiHoHHh_bm1e0I4AOW9RJi6r-NWrGQBE6ogarfSwODXWVIq0P2wXjKiIibT0VXXlzhrtMWkvFg2C4gbnVmBaHA2oLo33uD7Kc/s400/mo+in+the+mist+7_27_2010.jpg" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> Mo in the mist</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">This year we have opened four new 5 x 5 meter squares, plus two half squares (2.5 x 5). We have some walls that are not doing quite what we expected (rectangular rooms are standard for the Chalcolithic, but these are not so clear - yet!).</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tHNtNFbHjnxNHvkqXsVvthKagwU7zd3EGl34q_sZRNVT9AzgBcy-T96qZrZxu-qkxWBLwB44MzGSPmF4R6HgFfjS-PpruFn3vUAduToGmhE8MbtDR659lUAhLoG4g-c1VvJOaKBrVqo/s1600/Photo+No+9+sqs+F1-F2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500027878728740610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tHNtNFbHjnxNHvkqXsVvthKagwU7zd3EGl34q_sZRNVT9AzgBcy-T96qZrZxu-qkxWBLwB44MzGSPmF4R6HgFfjS-PpruFn3vUAduToGmhE8MbtDR659lUAhLoG4g-c1VvJOaKBrVqo/s400/Photo+No+9+sqs+F1-F2.jpg" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">We work until 8:30, when we stop for breakfast under the nearby olive trees, which includes a variety of sandwiches, veggies, cookies and beverages prepared at the ORT Braude cafe which we pick up on our way out. A little after 9 we go "back to the salt mines", until 11, when we have a short fruit break. By 12:30 we are wrapping things up - taking elevations, sweeping up the excavation areas, collecting the buckets and bone bags, and moving the equipment back to the container, so that we can finish by 1 pm. The day goes by very quickly, usually, but we are all tired.<br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Because we are sieving 100% of the current excavation areas, we get quite dirty as the dust is unavoidable. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">We then head to a restaurant where we have "lunch" - a large hot meal - and can relax. We finally return to ORT Braude by about 3 pm for showers, some quiet time or a nap. </span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vlFjCXNhY6UGVPZN4Ebf0UnZ7A-Y1eLwQbi0GDuWskJkdVyB75cIOZum_Dtnb_qnp0bbuOsdt5iPsovkoMQNKYaMSPdql_gDq6fAtOmyhszTX4Rtf0AgWxAB3CPHuFW2u2CW9UOTt2k/s1600/sieving.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500030107626795586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vlFjCXNhY6UGVPZN4Ebf0UnZ7A-Y1eLwQbi0GDuWskJkdVyB75cIOZum_Dtnb_qnp0bbuOsdt5iPsovkoMQNKYaMSPdql_gDq6fAtOmyhszTX4Rtf0AgWxAB3CPHuFW2u2CW9UOTt2k/s400/sieving.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQbulRegzLk-Qm87e9j8VKfkvv0bFizCo-N5fUo8GcJMMUC89767tGwwGO-ZJeWhxwJulC8tpfNRhnw6MnCe1olYsUx1-sGTD8b68rl2pjVaZILS7eMUSJdxMP2wO7H18o4RnFQNCMCk/s1600/pottery+washing.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500020477156976962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQbulRegzLk-Qm87e9j8VKfkvv0bFizCo-N5fUo8GcJMMUC89767tGwwGO-ZJeWhxwJulC8tpfNRhnw6MnCe1olYsUx1-sGTD8b68rl2pjVaZILS7eMUSJdxMP2wO7H18o4RnFQNCMCk/s400/pottery+washing.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-family:times new roman;">Pottery washing time near the dormitories at ORT Braude.</span></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">But wait, there's more! All of the pottery, flint and animal bone needs to be washed, then dried, then returned to the bags. At 5 or 5:30 we reconvene to wash this material culture, to bag up the dry material from the day before, and to make day plans for the next day. By 7 we are done, and have a light meal. </span><br /></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">At the end of each week, we have short tours of the different areas so that we all know what is going on each area. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Here we see MP discussing their amazing progress in square B1, where they moved unimpeded by walls or other architecture. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZOSiLwd0DitKpHKCFicbMYeFZdjXzz3nzVxAtdVSiNn9V67ACR_cRbT0Vn6E-gad_VAXUKzAOuV3Sn2FAubE4r7YsVzhFUHOi5OVQukLYd8LDx3G9r_C4G-k2JbsjHHRE18ssXJmKNY/s1600/site+tour+w+Max+Price+sq+B1+July+30.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500049648988500290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZOSiLwd0DitKpHKCFicbMYeFZdjXzz3nzVxAtdVSiNn9V67ACR_cRbT0Vn6E-gad_VAXUKzAOuV3Sn2FAubE4r7YsVzhFUHOi5OVQukLYd8LDx3G9r_C4G-k2JbsjHHRE18ssXJmKNY/s400/site+tour+w+Max+Price+sq+B1+July+30.jpg" /></a> </span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-family:arial;">And below we see A "C" H discussing the results of their area, where a profusion of architectural remains will prove a challenge to understand!</span> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8DN2bIR4fMaN_8oyKBC4gQ-IskXmlzv3uUvSjnPcDmWz-zMRsPltLbVGAMNlL79BXTAFJwY9LL1aC4w_dpz6FAR16mOnr_oLXxB-WyBtuqsWHpY5kIrYcfG48nH1rSGQPaFYYQ6_beo/s1600/site+tour+with+Chad+July+30-3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500022412683618610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8DN2bIR4fMaN_8oyKBC4gQ-IskXmlzv3uUvSjnPcDmWz-zMRsPltLbVGAMNlL79BXTAFJwY9LL1aC4w_dpz6FAR16mOnr_oLXxB-WyBtuqsWHpY5kIrYcfG48nH1rSGQPaFYYQ6_beo/s400/site+tour+with+Chad+July+30-3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Some of us are finished (that is, wiped out!) by about 9 pm, while others go out and sample the club life in Karmi'el. Ok, perhaps not so many go out clubbing in Karmi'el. We aren't so sure that there is any clubbing in Karmi'el. A major annual 3 day dance festival just ended here in Karmi'el, but as most events began late at night, our group seemed a bit too tired for this entertainment</span>.</span><br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Of course, if we did more clubbing, or at least visited the dance festival, we might have seen our resident celebrity, staying at ORT Braude</span>.</span></span><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuGryap1lkLllUgf4DV1f8TDPu-v5soAomaWjlDZ1BmuJtuwMwzabFtVrE7fFM8L-dB1yb75xJC_CDi63fTIi9sbfwRJCPGOL3lImuToN4EQhtqDk1Hbpdk_zy22cf8O4UuT4wL1yRSs/s1600/samantha_fox.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 378px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500020469628008530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuGryap1lkLllUgf4DV1f8TDPu-v5soAomaWjlDZ1BmuJtuwMwzabFtVrE7fFM8L-dB1yb75xJC_CDi63fTIi9sbfwRJCPGOL3lImuToN4EQhtqDk1Hbpdk_zy22cf8O4UuT4wL1yRSs/s400/samantha_fox.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yes, we were told that Samantha Fox was staying on the ORT Braude campus while we were here. She was </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">in Karmi'el for the dance festival, but we didn't see her. We hope her room had some AC, because rumor has it that spandex can be quite hot in humid weather.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> We are now in the home stretch and beginning the "big push", where we hope to expose some floor or surface levels corresponding the architecture, to understand the area outside of the architectural complex, and to recover some carbonized remains. Wish us luck as we attempt to pull all of this together in only about 10 days of excavation time!</span><br /></div></div></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /></span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-51253658423124284152010-07-07T19:39:00.006+03:002010-07-07T20:53:05.198+03:00Al-Jib Heritage Exhibition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1S_4feG-PfJPdigKsuOPHPGKpJrm7_3CJFSmt0l3Oc2qPOGuPHnAZfAWH_Rt8YDjQaedEXpjGIYbWTsMZ90OrBUnaKUILBnD59oXDNCFibRa9g9eivHM4p3Ek1RFbsLWkagSnCIs0J4/s1600/DSCN0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1S_4feG-PfJPdigKsuOPHPGKpJrm7_3CJFSmt0l3Oc2qPOGuPHnAZfAWH_Rt8YDjQaedEXpjGIYbWTsMZ90OrBUnaKUILBnD59oXDNCFibRa9g9eivHM4p3Ek1RFbsLWkagSnCIs0J4/s400/DSCN0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491217722804510466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Yesterday Prof P and Mo visited the Al-Jib Heritage Exhibition in the Al-Jib Womanly Centre. Al-Jib is a Palestinian village in the West Bank where the ancient biblical site of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gibeon</span> is thought to be located. During the early Iron Age, a massive wall was constructed around the crown of the hill of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gibeon</span> and a huge pool was cut in the rock just inside the wall. The pool is over 10m deep and has a spiral staircase of 79 steps cut into the walls of the pool, continuing downwards into a tunnel that provides access to a water chamber 24m below the level of the city.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV4dup8vaUKMekqUHrrsAPk5izhgZWcYIr-o7gjMP2pBUpqQVjyG8ZOpKODhleYmdF9a2WldtpIV4MpIwcMtTyNzAsxgD7kEq-fNWRO9PQEa_Gh9upIQ-Qy6kvYFrq8cktfKXkJLXsnU/s1600/DSCN0021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV4dup8vaUKMekqUHrrsAPk5izhgZWcYIr-o7gjMP2pBUpqQVjyG8ZOpKODhleYmdF9a2WldtpIV4MpIwcMtTyNzAsxgD7kEq-fNWRO9PQEa_Gh9upIQ-Qy6kvYFrq8cktfKXkJLXsnU/s400/DSCN0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491218763025122226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">It is thought that this structure is the "pool of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gibeon</span>" mentioned in the Bible (<i>2 Samuel 2:13</i>). Recently the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> (PACE) was awarded an Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (from the US Department of State) grant to establish some small community museums in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ramallah</span> area. The Al-Jib Heritage Exhibition is one of these museums.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UIQJZZGgrqEsAEJ8wDqy20qIbsewyvN4HyRUxyRaddUk966UjBB5bxKuwHF5iTWUdryykC8GYFOAK27hANFdQf9vO7D15FzDO4MdR0fvAjgMO4D202e5gXN_X-ZYA5HyziWNNNmcXX4/s1600/DSCN0015.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UIQJZZGgrqEsAEJ8wDqy20qIbsewyvN4HyRUxyRaddUk966UjBB5bxKuwHF5iTWUdryykC8GYFOAK27hANFdQf9vO7D15FzDO4MdR0fvAjgMO4D202e5gXN_X-ZYA5HyziWNNNmcXX4/s400/DSCN0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491217737092163426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">This is the director of PACE with Prof P - explaining some of the highlights of the museum. Last summer Prof P and Mo went to visit the potential museum sites with PACE and this year we did a follow-up.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xetAaYhkD-1J1c9KtiCMIr5ylDrqhNq_zCPGOuw1AHzWspFwuzE2nTDOUKiF6O5DxPCyAg04F-mXmTZJwNZFz5UuHag4f2oNNzNJ4o0n6ZGRNa_KE1cx6PPaHB1x0oIB8k0tMOu9HdA/s1600/DSCN0007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xetAaYhkD-1J1c9KtiCMIr5ylDrqhNq_zCPGOuw1AHzWspFwuzE2nTDOUKiF6O5DxPCyAg04F-mXmTZJwNZFz5UuHag4f2oNNzNJ4o0n6ZGRNa_KE1cx6PPaHB1x0oIB8k0tMOu9HdA/s400/DSCN0007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491217731681540530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">The exhibit is made up of artifacts from the site, some ethnographic material and some local handicrafts made by the women from the Womanly Center. Some of the artifacts are donated by the local villagers.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2tmKqzqiwepWQWFEziVVxEFybguS_rSofyoCTVnG0ei-ftnu3fdMeo6XwJt6L7uwnwYQHY7jeqM0zhWN-RAXmVP5RPkV08Sz3vvyIr1Rb6UfMZZA1P_-ivF_6crV4yGqkdd7-GmZf1M/s1600/DSCN0018.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2tmKqzqiwepWQWFEziVVxEFybguS_rSofyoCTVnG0ei-ftnu3fdMeo6XwJt6L7uwnwYQHY7jeqM0zhWN-RAXmVP5RPkV08Sz3vvyIr1Rb6UfMZZA1P_-ivF_6crV4yGqkdd7-GmZf1M/s400/DSCN0018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491217751639953650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Any good visit to the West Bank involves many cups of tea and coffee and usually some sweets.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmFz-7NfvxQ5L_RBgWk2aowS-CJyqYJx27Seip0YhNvFqmAVfYrAHskwybGBAkH0Hv4J-WdYhjJA9Hj7pu2GQrZSR2W9U66hMUnQ773h5-i-FOpLS9rW1-rj7ywGIMhHEUC2nM_l3NdE/s1600/DSCN0017.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmFz-7NfvxQ5L_RBgWk2aowS-CJyqYJx27Seip0YhNvFqmAVfYrAHskwybGBAkH0Hv4J-WdYhjJA9Hj7pu2GQrZSR2W9U66hMUnQ773h5-i-FOpLS9rW1-rj7ywGIMhHEUC2nM_l3NdE/s400/DSCN0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491217742237101762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">On this visit we were treated to a strange jelly and chocolate pudding concoction and more coffee!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxarbTOJLqvGTrNqrt9hTGaSK9lnuW7gmOvsOAZQW4LB_r-AMU7TgEKBRrCXGwaqHw14bVSp4J82Lusrp6U7gKNBSXMmsvnclN9gzgkRm4Lwuf5spLC5DEXy0Z8EqNExoPid1xCnwbjdM/s1600/DSCN0014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxarbTOJLqvGTrNqrt9hTGaSK9lnuW7gmOvsOAZQW4LB_r-AMU7TgEKBRrCXGwaqHw14bVSp4J82Lusrp6U7gKNBSXMmsvnclN9gzgkRm4Lwuf5spLC5DEXy0Z8EqNExoPid1xCnwbjdM/s400/DSCN0014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491220531910554322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">This image is for our pal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">JE</span> who is doing a study on museums, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">groundstone</span> and the work of women in the Middle East.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGYHkfn_7GMe15WFTFFf4LcI3B9D50hD6eiWLIGOS8qly84xRqKTq_97hwWCQZXnYTqU0qeecd2xrTG3Iaavmip4_ZmIAPbPU-SYP9F7nJyASME1VQaecUD5EW72BBDfL-7aIDQS7M6A/s1600/DSCN0004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGYHkfn_7GMe15WFTFFf4LcI3B9D50hD6eiWLIGOS8qly84xRqKTq_97hwWCQZXnYTqU0qeecd2xrTG3Iaavmip4_ZmIAPbPU-SYP9F7nJyASME1VQaecUD5EW72BBDfL-7aIDQS7M6A/s400/DSCN0004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491222425707688626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">As many of your know traveling to the West Bank can be long and involved. We leave you with some of the graffiti on the wall near the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ramallah</span> check point. Tomorrow we leave for Marj <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Rabba</span> in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Karmi'el</span> region - look for more posts on the dig in the coming days/weeks!</span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-50796632363758033612010-07-04T07:33:00.006+03:002010-07-04T08:29:27.960+03:00Mo's new job!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS67hsyYGifdomML9lYe5dAG5paN06R-5rGDypzUheSiZ1fjbhYgcfToNlIUF3TnXkue_E7wuyN6dEc1NaBT3nvNu05eFZXEdqbyxAR-FGk16eBPQe4El5T11GHQoKfy0jOzPCK5R7xlQ/s1600/DePaul+University.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS67hsyYGifdomML9lYe5dAG5paN06R-5rGDypzUheSiZ1fjbhYgcfToNlIUF3TnXkue_E7wuyN6dEc1NaBT3nvNu05eFZXEdqbyxAR-FGk16eBPQe4El5T11GHQoKfy0jOzPCK5R7xlQ/s400/DePaul+University.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489908768384670162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Wow - two blog posts in two days, what is the world coming to?? On July 1 Mo finished her postdoc at the Joukowsky Institute at Brown University (sad)<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ5NUYrGiaN8hPhS_rgopa2d7YqcJZPD3M09aBcSqAVdyKLmbcBrMgkUuYYQ-t604KR2BmgcWT53wYcvHk80LbXLVhtDkduJJI_A6-YhSwFQcSledPojKabM7SgnF4HS4kUnQ6n1XQDU/s1600/1_Joukowsky_John-Abromowski1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 357px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ5NUYrGiaN8hPhS_rgopa2d7YqcJZPD3M09aBcSqAVdyKLmbcBrMgkUuYYQ-t604KR2BmgcWT53wYcvHk80LbXLVhtDkduJJI_A6-YhSwFQcSledPojKabM7SgnF4HS4kUnQ6n1XQDU/s400/1_Joukowsky_John-Abromowski1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489909286068090258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">and started her new job as an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at DePaul University (happy). There is no small amount of irony in the fact that Mo is ending up in an anthropology department while Yo works at the Oriental Institute with its near eastern archaeological emphasis.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMW-oJHxy7jotFTRNoNS8fFhoqu-uZAWuDLVEc1i0pALJAZg5yBv3Pc654v047ctUjhNkayyWCclZG6kaESzjviTZoCZCpy9kBAtwk2V2_saTe6o0TA-dXUqGol8pEWaBWKzMvIZ4cTc/s1600/profilePromoMay08_lg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 357px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMW-oJHxy7jotFTRNoNS8fFhoqu-uZAWuDLVEc1i0pALJAZg5yBv3Pc654v047ctUjhNkayyWCclZG6kaESzjviTZoCZCpy9kBAtwk2V2_saTe6o0TA-dXUqGol8pEWaBWKzMvIZ4cTc/s400/profilePromoMay08_lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489909986096908242" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">With over 25,000 students, DePaul is one of the largest private universities where the focus is on teaching.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzDygr5qRgLWso3dXbFo1O8NFMrLhQRDeRIHseB19GhQixwsd5e6x774_hhYBmuSQb1xM5qhdzUsVUslqhnJGP-hjqVIGCgH4ZrhZzEXYvbx2l7gRnUnzFlScIsp9YRBoNaBwbnjXPUU/s1600/library.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzDygr5qRgLWso3dXbFo1O8NFMrLhQRDeRIHseB19GhQixwsd5e6x774_hhYBmuSQb1xM5qhdzUsVUslqhnJGP-hjqVIGCgH4ZrhZzEXYvbx2l7gRnUnzFlScIsp9YRBoNaBwbnjXPUU/s400/library.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489909975552243778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">They have a nationally ranked service-learning program, which integrates the service concept into the curriculum. This means lots of work with the Chicago community. This is similar to the program that Mo completed at UGeorgia where much of the time was spent out and about in the Georgia countryside in small towns and cities working with local communities.<br /><br />DePaul is on the quarter system, so the academic school year is broken up into 4 sections, rather than 3 like the semester/term system. In the Fall Mo will be teaching two sections of Intro to Archaeology and a Museum Anthropology class. In the Winter she'll be back in Jordan doing the <span style="font-style: italic;">Follow the Pots</span> project and then she'll teach again in the Spring.<br /><br />When Mo got the job - crazy niece LL told people "Did you know that my Aunt is going to be a real live professor?" Unlike previous jobs where Mo was a fake. It's good to be a real live professor, with a real live job and a condo in an excellent city.<br /></span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-74447920457583100642010-07-03T21:02:00.008+03:002010-07-03T21:57:39.931+03:00The few, the hardcore, the insane - extreme archaeologists in the Badia<span style="font-size:130%;">Come for a holiday at Maitland's Mesa:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8k-RrAXvONIHjry6oAhR-h7Sk_f0RkSuQJVgb-kojm64z60_bd8qzNQJ2O2i2JLbvf0E8xPc5NCnk61MCd0eXO4E1xckOyPzqy-ADn_bRCvmSVczuisyPL78pyxoO1W7HiJpHjsss6Y/s1600/DSCN4238.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8k-RrAXvONIHjry6oAhR-h7Sk_f0RkSuQJVgb-kojm64z60_bd8qzNQJ2O2i2JLbvf0E8xPc5NCnk61MCd0eXO4E1xckOyPzqy-ADn_bRCvmSVczuisyPL78pyxoO1W7HiJpHjsss6Y/s400/DSCN4238.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489750657092462226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">See camels, who are just passing through the area on their way to who knows where??</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2kRzUxvcf6fEqBr6Kf-Hpez4Ee_uKkVmy9WREZ5KkytkoYl-aehCSXpA4iCYtBSDlIgCTXqU89gqU2Lgx5OGoZ7Ja3RFmbpjfqDkCmdFQ84IV9XQ5T975q-N1qSYJZIWjrSqWoJpUp0/s1600/DSCN4247.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2kRzUxvcf6fEqBr6Kf-Hpez4Ee_uKkVmy9WREZ5KkytkoYl-aehCSXpA4iCYtBSDlIgCTXqU89gqU2Lgx5OGoZ7Ja3RFmbpjfqDkCmdFQ84IV9XQ5T975q-N1qSYJZIWjrSqWoJpUp0/s400/DSCN4247.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489750667717364242" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Live in comfortable tents amid the ruins.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4dMkxW84cONVpv1xhV97NcDglB0Ws86KVlUB_E98V4bhhQn0Qc6rsGdXq1tKcfUrVyJ6pyKByldSOtXja2PD33P1DfPRNvN6caibRMkCtJus-XIODf3-W5ZpEkSWyNhca6wAhDACwTM/s1600/IMG_1118.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4dMkxW84cONVpv1xhV97NcDglB0Ws86KVlUB_E98V4bhhQn0Qc6rsGdXq1tKcfUrVyJ6pyKByldSOtXja2PD33P1DfPRNvN6caibRMkCtJus-XIODf3-W5ZpEkSWyNhca6wAhDACwTM/s400/IMG_1118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489753831262029090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Cook out in the open using the back of a truck as a food prep area. Drink warm yucky beer. And give up showering for 20+ days!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TDFqqZuHyf9GcXgtwgxAvE_Hwm4sGrOqa1rh0GqnLsH_ykJnkDwhxd6N5vu9kA9fpScwExlYK0w_rV1Vrxx58lQhqr-QCAXcQtTOATf9CgX68dcKTc9iWgB2EBKXn0IpmTIhkZfLFHY/s1600/DSCN4471.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TDFqqZuHyf9GcXgtwgxAvE_Hwm4sGrOqa1rh0GqnLsH_ykJnkDwhxd6N5vu9kA9fpScwExlYK0w_rV1Vrxx58lQhqr-QCAXcQtTOATf9CgX68dcKTc9iWgB2EBKXn0IpmTIhkZfLFHY/s400/DSCN4471.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489750685960019954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Eat unidentifiable meat from cans.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGJR3vlzFOsZJzFGUfKwVcyeWEXqB4Ae2dEfjbjkEa0fPcMNEdZ2I-P3AoG6L-qIJqOrm5uo006Lyo6c-9osNnroKymvgA4YmLsmtbGmb3OyAbB2bO-ATbvmpfaC7wiFCkGpd9ocMGXI/s1600/DSCN4375.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGJR3vlzFOsZJzFGUfKwVcyeWEXqB4Ae2dEfjbjkEa0fPcMNEdZ2I-P3AoG6L-qIJqOrm5uo006Lyo6c-9osNnroKymvgA4YmLsmtbGmb3OyAbB2bO-ATbvmpfaC7wiFCkGpd9ocMGXI/s400/DSCN4375.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489750678075418066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Experience sandstorms, and flies (1000s of flies) - desert living is brutal.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-OW38_3XumEzq2KV5Y_iPGukktKjsq00GSCBsTn0ufX4YonY5G15RhfmouFeV8261n4xZuQQ9g3GCGrjm4-HEin5yBCtz-TrgI048A8zB_whjU6npOkyADC4Bp_xTffnhKsI6GqEGQA/s1600/IMG_1723.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-OW38_3XumEzq2KV5Y_iPGukktKjsq00GSCBsTn0ufX4YonY5G15RhfmouFeV8261n4xZuQQ9g3GCGrjm4-HEin5yBCtz-TrgI048A8zB_whjU6npOkyADC4Bp_xTffnhKsI6GqEGQA/s400/IMG_1723.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489753843272021410" border="0" /></a>Usually the sky is blue - not sand coloured.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />The archaeology was great!<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FkNGn7ShvMrDbZaadx7znmjmi5ceo-GzIHJ9qkoJ5oIn4WMRGeDVAjq80BkCJ4KNvlMF3N81rSTwzzyOKhXhu3zldKu7RC6uiPfYWomuYgBbuOXmG-GwL3UlhdH8LuFsDMAb60QhH8o/s1600/DSCN4285.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FkNGn7ShvMrDbZaadx7znmjmi5ceo-GzIHJ9qkoJ5oIn4WMRGeDVAjq80BkCJ4KNvlMF3N81rSTwzzyOKhXhu3zldKu7RC6uiPfYWomuYgBbuOXmG-GwL3UlhdH8LuFsDMAb60QhH8o/s400/DSCN4285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489753826434816882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">50+ Cairns - the tail of a tower tomb</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;">We recorded 300+ structures associated with a "landscape of the dead". We still don't really know the dates for this site but we are working on that angle of investigation. Prof G. found a bunch of PPN (pre-pottery neolithic) lithic scatters and manufacturing sites and we actually found some pottery (less than 10 pieces) that may or may not be Chalcolithic (4500-3600 BCE).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuL7OTyuYwlr68vv6B4BQEH0wYvoq3w-IFtbYMRIxGU4e5wh3M8s0NRUtCgusWGoFYfizXW1g6eDH_PNlrwaRCCQQ65t_DyDOFdnEReyRo4Uy73-z3Voq6aNPlq89wXzW88s1QgxLBs-Q/s1600/IMG_1184.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuL7OTyuYwlr68vv6B4BQEH0wYvoq3w-IFtbYMRIxGU4e5wh3M8s0NRUtCgusWGoFYfizXW1g6eDH_PNlrwaRCCQQ65t_DyDOFdnEReyRo4Uy73-z3Voq6aNPlq89wXzW88s1QgxLBs-Q/s400/IMG_1184.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489747918003082930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Yo spent a lot of time as the stick monkey (the guy standing around deciding where to put the prism for the total station to read) and Mo spent a lot of time drawing rocks.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBmUfbk8Q-HlZVy2RdLGYtFb3_5EGNU2F6gyDnYmvZFwV0pUyK-aKCZDsriXUUcXctEto2j8O-Qk6LOwl6tBoheEIjjJDS3H_k_m18JXyQ54Cdl0VKRdW3QwT30-SK_SzTUFnOEZEtJE/s1600/IMG_1645.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBmUfbk8Q-HlZVy2RdLGYtFb3_5EGNU2F6gyDnYmvZFwV0pUyK-aKCZDsriXUUcXctEto2j8O-Qk6LOwl6tBoheEIjjJDS3H_k_m18JXyQ54Cdl0VKRdW3QwT30-SK_SzTUFnOEZEtJE/s400/IMG_1645.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489747953393425234" border="0" /></a>Looks kind of like a pile of rocks . . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPKsD4i0aDWzZptJFrVxpIsz9TpMIK1btq8XtMmEa6kBCiyiP3X2yRQnV_FpZPJkfmklCgaRJNu7riRQwxjFcHmW8SuYotRBFnucgVrTpucz9IRyNH-9DkF7-qW3-50kCgRal-CIwokc/s1600/IMG_1644.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPKsD4i0aDWzZptJFrVxpIsz9TpMIK1btq8XtMmEa6kBCiyiP3X2yRQnV_FpZPJkfmklCgaRJNu7riRQwxjFcHmW8SuYotRBFnucgVrTpucz9IRyNH-9DkF7-qW3-50kCgRal-CIwokc/s400/IMG_1644.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489747949765699746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Student L spent most of her days pushing the button on the total station - we are pretty sure that she has decided that archaeology is not her calling. In the end we were defeated by two days of sandstorms, which collapsed our shade. We returned to ACOR in Amman - to showers, to cold beer, to fresh food and to a nice bed courtesy of our very good friend BAP.<br /><br />After a brief visit to Petra we crossed over to the other side and are now prepping for our next adventure.</span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-61548486786224229712010-06-05T19:04:00.009+03:002010-06-05T22:41:11.079+03:00Back on the Blog<span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVFw_RJ9tyAW_lC0vWbfK5-1fzVQzkpbyhcQKfXl_0wA6LtzoH01kKFE7tQGpnhUh6nCiv500pzIXyBNH698VOkEj2j0Q2CmUsBATbZumxxWZ7ztfESF35VQck9rgZz87juF2pCdIido/s1600/Maitland's+Fort.JPG">Day one - packing the truck!</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3HPcFq5w_WkkVcN8yAMH2XRoR5YOMOP6seIJccymcQxrWU8PlRj_DtyRgTLk50ja6dz38TjpAsHQCz8hCIdR-dWAzT3-zQljBybdEYigSpvJ2cVEYVFEuiGIFGZFTAbkUz2tjLRtht4/s1600/DSCN0036.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479368704061199282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3HPcFq5w_WkkVcN8yAMH2XRoR5YOMOP6seIJccymcQxrWU8PlRj_DtyRgTLk50ja6dz38TjpAsHQCz8hCIdR-dWAzT3-zQljBybdEYigSpvJ2cVEYVFEuiGIFGZFTAbkUz2tjLRtht4/s400/DSCN0036.JPG" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc92vRLLj-Kmtckv90kO0gwQSp9eMboywPScbTAyT9yrAYUOKA5o8uM1ZSV8JX5HNlpmbvP54aPQ1d1BhIJBvIs4zYpr3_DLVpOQJV0Kq6bwRRQvYLifLEL-bxWnFWrb6PmVErjdJvl4/s1600/DSCN0037.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479368698707846178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc92vRLLj-Kmtckv90kO0gwQSp9eMboywPScbTAyT9yrAYUOKA5o8uM1ZSV8JX5HNlpmbvP54aPQ1d1BhIJBvIs4zYpr3_DLVpOQJV0Kq6bwRRQvYLifLEL-bxWnFWrb6PmVErjdJvl4/s400/DSCN0037.JPG" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">We are off to Maitland's Mesa tomorrow. That means packing up a truck with all the provisions 4 people will need for 4 weeks. Here are two images of our intrepid crew - Prof. G, student L and Yo. In these pictures everyone looks pretty clean and happy, we'll see how they look a month from now. We will be eating all things from cans for the next month, not showering and swatting a lot of flies.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVFw_RJ9tyAW_lC0vWbfK5-1fzVQzkpbyhcQKfXl_0wA6LtzoH01kKFE7tQGpnhUh6nCiv500pzIXyBNH698VOkEj2j0Q2CmUsBATbZumxxWZ7ztfESF35VQck9rgZz87juF2pCdIido/s1600/Maitland's+Fort.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479370169797953554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVFw_RJ9tyAW_lC0vWbfK5-1fzVQzkpbyhcQKfXl_0wA6LtzoH01kKFE7tQGpnhUh6nCiv500pzIXyBNH698VOkEj2j0Q2CmUsBATbZumxxWZ7ztfESF35VQck9rgZz87juF2pCdIido/s400/Maitland's+Fort.JPG" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">We will also be mapping a very interesting mortuary landscape out in the panhandle of Jordan (the eastern desert near the Iraq/Saudi border). This is the site - Maitland's Mesa, which is a basalt capped mesa in the middle of nowhere. But of course at some point in time people were living there.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EYBQtLHXEEJ80Irh75W5QNfiHkUvzAkbMqwrdJc38n-UKlSYTBc_58-_rkYmQtkXV08uTZor6PHpYggA8pyOr8uzW_HUnOLkLrxEXXObub1RnX-A1u3NDOU6Kg9arKPWIWhaPkxKISA/s1600/Maitland's+Fort+circles.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479370184368560242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EYBQtLHXEEJ80Irh75W5QNfiHkUvzAkbMqwrdJc38n-UKlSYTBc_58-_rkYmQtkXV08uTZor6PHpYggA8pyOr8uzW_HUnOLkLrxEXXObub1RnX-A1u3NDOU6Kg9arKPWIWhaPkxKISA/s400/Maitland's+Fort+circles.JPG" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">You can see here the outlines of what we think are animal (think sheep/goat) pens that surround the base of the mesa; some are probably mortuary structures as well. Part of our job will be to record these features and draw them and look for artifacts, which will help date them.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzs32AL6QtN4GOHTKOu0daF6jEtNqHn7h44N7zOWlK-pPNYSBlQk5WGXLVEmQ-t5_J8cXHZ7j0it89V0It8GvLj2gZjsBmsKntYyBwt8QwO4ZnmWs_Cncf9uP3AK3LzarAeue7shpSj8/s1600/Maitland's+Fort+circle2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479370172691035410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzs32AL6QtN4GOHTKOu0daF6jEtNqHn7h44N7zOWlK-pPNYSBlQk5WGXLVEmQ-t5_J8cXHZ7j0it89V0It8GvLj2gZjsBmsKntYyBwt8QwO4ZnmWs_Cncf9uP3AK3LzarAeue7shpSj8/s400/Maitland's+Fort+circle2.JPG" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">This is what an enclosure (perhaps a burial chamber or some other structure) looks like up close. So we'll be off of the grid for the next month and then we'll update our adventures in the eastern desert! At the end of the month, and after a brief foray into the wonderful world of Petra, we are off to Israel for another season at Marj Rabba. Stay tuned for future updates.</span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-91476854549290208772010-03-24T00:08:00.003+02:002010-03-24T00:22:14.436+02:00Reviving the blog<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We've had one very busy year, and we'll tell you about some of this over time. As far as our blog is concerned, we've been sad gits, its true! We'll try to do better.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">In the meantime, here's the announcement about something interesting taking place soon!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKGLnCFw2cd8pZAz-BbJtFHqlqqWngYRf9EFmyDU2dXSbSJ1XJ6gM4PLjfVWloPh70vjaPYH21-FGqKPjSFtZ9DElkrKypl2j6gxjYyBspM9071lXHk7ouPQX3kh4Avv3ow7nvZPU5Hk/s1600-h/Poster-Morag-small-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKGLnCFw2cd8pZAz-BbJtFHqlqqWngYRf9EFmyDU2dXSbSJ1XJ6gM4PLjfVWloPh70vjaPYH21-FGqKPjSFtZ9DElkrKypl2j6gxjYyBspM9071lXHk7ouPQX3kh4Avv3ow7nvZPU5Hk/s400/Poster-Morag-small-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451957583491097378" border="0" /></a>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-89371897537246489822009-11-06T05:36:00.054+02:002009-11-17T06:09:39.941+02:00Seein' it All Small<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SjVemaCwsVJ4VuD2CUkuXs4RbjRfl2RERApd3pVR_bDenscIWKSae1O_CLQC3cmD6PwPWFCN7G3YKC85HxNvFqm9zg1vhawPZ4agJxM0e97y9PFEKl03c4nGkc-fLyVJjlecf3t5Pow/s1600-h/safed_cropped2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SjVemaCwsVJ4VuD2CUkuXs4RbjRfl2RERApd3pVR_bDenscIWKSae1O_CLQC3cmD6PwPWFCN7G3YKC85HxNvFqm9zg1vhawPZ4agJxM0e97y9PFEKl03c4nGkc-fLyVJjlecf3t5Pow/s400/safed_cropped2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402166901315226802" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >After the field season this summer and before returning stateside, the Mo and Yo sho made pilgrimage to a local theme park. We had visited this place before, back in 2004, when it first opened. We were curious to see what has changed at <strong>Mini Israel</strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >, an outdoor theme park with scale (mostly 1:25) models where you can "See It All Small".</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ></span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><div style="font-family: arial;" face="arial"> </div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtH6TX2Z6ZcIMwSl08rx3nIALDce8KVK28lhBAtyzrJd2j0uFP_UGMKW7eyLtd3D0OovpBFG7eJhRxStwkubIA18eipim28bsYNCx-ScNAFQy9e8XptoZV5CEEOvSRgEwccl3GPVfMzR4/s1600-h/MI+overview+w+Latrun+in+background.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtH6TX2Z6ZcIMwSl08rx3nIALDce8KVK28lhBAtyzrJd2j0uFP_UGMKW7eyLtd3D0OovpBFG7eJhRxStwkubIA18eipim28bsYNCx-ScNAFQy9e8XptoZV5CEEOvSRgEwccl3GPVfMzR4/s400/MI+overview+w+Latrun+in+background.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402158628486210610" border="0" /></a></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The park is set just at the foothills before the ascending road to Jerusalem, near the Latrun Monastery, and just across from the IDF "Tank Museum", which is also represented in miniature form at Mini Israel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrEDvDfj6D53qB8cSwfZOERwcEA5WhHmwv2PU2EVP5JJimfI-et7f09K88pqdX9XnyUwbjhfFJyhYK4pWvq44PEIuGv8zOjFnbg1WCX8La0CU8HMJwLTB6ABxwI5HXZr_QS7OwDQKtzg/s1600/DSCN2026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrEDvDfj6D53qB8cSwfZOERwcEA5WhHmwv2PU2EVP5JJimfI-et7f09K88pqdX9XnyUwbjhfFJyhYK4pWvq44PEIuGv8zOjFnbg1WCX8La0CU8HMJwLTB6ABxwI5HXZr_QS7OwDQKtzg/s400/DSCN2026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404916953293374962" border="0" /></a><br />After paying a not-insignificant entrance fee, the visitor enters through turnstiles opening onto an outdoor plaza; to the right, one can pick up maps, an umbrella (to shelter one from the boiling heat of the coastal plain), or rent a covered golf cart.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtY0jmuEyY0ZkrxaI8UqPyyjYfIfIwtld90R0_8v2pIlFwVAhMitC8vK9cM3q6p-OzzvAd8qcjFUkDD4WeuFVsUgdfFSTb8hkgiHyznBAIWKxMUJ5RnEdPZWYYiWjOTCRPYJ0c9UEwmmI/s1600-h/DSCN0081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtY0jmuEyY0ZkrxaI8UqPyyjYfIfIwtld90R0_8v2pIlFwVAhMitC8vK9cM3q6p-OzzvAd8qcjFUkDD4WeuFVsUgdfFSTb8hkgiHyznBAIWKxMUJ5RnEdPZWYYiWjOTCRPYJ0c9UEwmmI/s400/DSCN0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402093145449972482" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">To the right is a cafeteria and the gift shop.<br /><br /></span> </span></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><div style="font-family: arial;" face="arial"> </div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Miniature models are the primary attraction -- representations of archaeological, historical and industrial places in Israel (actually, two places are in the Palestine autonomous territory). The models are meticulously made with great attention to detail, then set in miniature mountains, next to lakes, along streams according to their geographic situation in reality. Miniature plants are reputed to be local, indigenous species.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUEWSN_k57BcoiWda35tVBJOFd2z6tsZLCozD52WCMvY9P3Ht5bKTRgfwMQCclvamPlAM19nP5NQKgktVJqWARlKVKyxaGh-S5qBjXB_Le3yVzCHhHBe-nywrnfQ2WVcAP6uhlUqJ31Y/s1600-h/mini+flora+at+MI.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUEWSN_k57BcoiWda35tVBJOFd2z6tsZLCozD52WCMvY9P3Ht5bKTRgfwMQCclvamPlAM19nP5NQKgktVJqWARlKVKyxaGh-S5qBjXB_Le3yVzCHhHBe-nywrnfQ2WVcAP6uhlUqJ31Y/s400/mini+flora+at+MI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402158625045897170" border="0" /></a><br />Visitors follow black topped paths snaking their way through this open area, leading first along the shore of the Mediterranean, where models of ships and docks<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBbfT4b5K7j8ANRBTedQBPUiugG3GBn0olx9vZcb0GODm2G5cBtBKoVoadMVAG_jcRctiHkreCucZwn7IvZHwWpj197lQ4R5BFUSH1Yj5cAOUnprrHKXgZWj0SE_7uPtk7Eiu1JuzZFM/s1600-h/DSCN1945.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBbfT4b5K7j8ANRBTedQBPUiugG3GBn0olx9vZcb0GODm2G5cBtBKoVoadMVAG_jcRctiHkreCucZwn7IvZHwWpj197lQ4R5BFUSH1Yj5cAOUnprrHKXgZWj0SE_7uPtk7Eiu1JuzZFM/s400/DSCN1945.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401457421435681410" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">are just meters from imitation Caesarea.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAVUpgGZU-megTFRMf5HeIj5Jua1zThepgmdwPTDCXwnC5Swlw4ejwGpIGcyc1aBUC8M4zRMdLIzag_exnpoqx_jT47wk4WY8hWORvmjbVqjP0wMkc1nMN0TsqgWXMlOQH3feLsq3pNA/s1600-h/DSCN0095.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAVUpgGZU-megTFRMf5HeIj5Jua1zThepgmdwPTDCXwnC5Swlw4ejwGpIGcyc1aBUC8M4zRMdLIzag_exnpoqx_jT47wk4WY8hWORvmjbVqjP0wMkc1nMN0TsqgWXMlOQH3feLsq3pNA/s400/DSCN0095.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402093883169628786" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Although the facsimiles of these buildings and sites appear to be careful copies, their relationship to each other is not; there is a general north-south and east-orientation, but the relative distance and proximity between sites is not represented. In fact, the site is in the shape of the Star of David (well, sort of - that's the intent anyway).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXxJrEfYbdtqk5fPec9psOsNzSpSfUfKXgS-p3zsVQKz2LHS5-QU0Gy7UaKcDh9LP83DVPU5xBBRO_iZzhdk4tUynauGO-YoO3A2Iw6CQiZmFjIeeB34An9v9IDdauBfWRne9paYEp3I/s1600-h/mini+israel+map+of+park.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXxJrEfYbdtqk5fPec9psOsNzSpSfUfKXgS-p3zsVQKz2LHS5-QU0Gy7UaKcDh9LP83DVPU5xBBRO_iZzhdk4tUynauGO-YoO3A2Iw6CQiZmFjIeeB34An9v9IDdauBfWRne9paYEp3I/s400/mini+israel+map+of+park.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401461388283742626" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></span></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><div style="font-family: arial;" face="arial"> </div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><div style="font-family:arial;"> </div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Since we visited years ago, some things have changed. Most of the sites we saw before are still there. Tel Dan, Haram esh-Sherif, Western Wall, the Egged bus museum (which doesn't actually exist!).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTvQ405BnIarQBOzhAPK4eeA3TOL5TQoaXk_guBUMiZipzSAgx-1G63cpDS1OmFWp5QkBhA3eXVGQE9CFrHLA_mlMg2Cb7gmi6Njr2zIIXNi-Bd7CmwEPVg8cn4fSo-xJbifi29HrwZQ/s1600-h/egged+museum.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTvQ405BnIarQBOzhAPK4eeA3TOL5TQoaXk_guBUMiZipzSAgx-1G63cpDS1OmFWp5QkBhA3eXVGQE9CFrHLA_mlMg2Cb7gmi6Njr2zIIXNi-Bd7CmwEPVg8cn4fSo-xJbifi29HrwZQ/s400/egged+museum.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402158626245990994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU_2Rlyg94QNSu-PINyL_gWXWseSFOlG0_rS_Qn7599tXzXeEf4jrqtVWuITwyNgPhPt_IXC2XBSH9PNJjxjbnWXBpCP9xUku3KTiwGv_zWTkIYPUsoAwLdgC420opyz3q-oYFfyhOdY/s1600-h/egged+museum+blown+up+bus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU_2Rlyg94QNSu-PINyL_gWXWseSFOlG0_rS_Qn7599tXzXeEf4jrqtVWuITwyNgPhPt_IXC2XBSH9PNJjxjbnWXBpCP9xUku3KTiwGv_zWTkIYPUsoAwLdgC420opyz3q-oYFfyhOdY/s400/egged+museum+blown+up+bus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402158636646492482" border="0" /></a><br />Some things haven't changed - miniature lakes and seas are generally dry or in some state of disrepair. The planes at the airport continue to jerkily cruise around on the ground.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuU3KpqBtyXiHQNc2I6hhNA_76nhWyYwX8VCXEY2IMo7ka7NqphcWTO6Ym9_9U9MqrcYAjhQaneXWncehH_dP8IY-_YFa21IfGsvLGsrTPEoSMg7a-lPkc9bTBckiBa3ehGtBRuunf08/s1600-h/DSCN0198.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuU3KpqBtyXiHQNc2I6hhNA_76nhWyYwX8VCXEY2IMo7ka7NqphcWTO6Ym9_9U9MqrcYAjhQaneXWncehH_dP8IY-_YFa21IfGsvLGsrTPEoSMg7a-lPkc9bTBckiBa3ehGtBRuunf08/s400/DSCN0198.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402093142249193410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The same archaeological sites are represented, including the Middle Bronze gate at Tel Dan....</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpv0oy152me2p9RsMJRLbD2Hz9v1TogPZnI58EoS0wD5yU_kk8ZVFRs8fXNxTpIQNn28tYU7Vehryb4GdiNLh0OLJuRBsKy-YnbkGNIxYV6LxFpfWVRe7OtRrCYauAhywj1tylXznR2dw/s1600-h/DSCN0052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpv0oy152me2p9RsMJRLbD2Hz9v1TogPZnI58EoS0wD5yU_kk8ZVFRs8fXNxTpIQNn28tYU7Vehryb4GdiNLh0OLJuRBsKy-YnbkGNIxYV6LxFpfWVRe7OtRrCYauAhywj1tylXznR2dw/s400/DSCN0052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402093888084719938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">...what we believe is a generic archaeological excavation near the Mediterranean shore....</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRBp1bopISZQRjV3Pogrrr2CXc-BBB33cA-cd68-4yqC1BqD4-AoPm57JV1bg_PZX_m5zIQFLOoWAWUJf0avXJK4CoaIRYpr6KpkCtULWeO88TNdNlNAZ2zmrNIswgmeSvlbhSc8rp1c/s1600-h/DSCN0079.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRBp1bopISZQRjV3Pogrrr2CXc-BBB33cA-cd68-4yqC1BqD4-AoPm57JV1bg_PZX_m5zIQFLOoWAWUJf0avXJK4CoaIRYpr6KpkCtULWeO88TNdNlNAZ2zmrNIswgmeSvlbhSc8rp1c/s400/DSCN0079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402093885563325714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">... the Dome of the Rock...</span><br /><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgml2p_ps9QnCa0Sgdjb-XDnlTDU0jAxHQVjT3-Rx5jxBUGHjSRG5VsxlnZ8hHeswIX7TUkHyO-wBs3kbymhSTwPPCaHixl-Kx2q22IAdL3jpPZLr5ggSb5XRL5L4JhYGJKbeKZcvC2c/s1600-h/DSCN0130.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgml2p_ps9QnCa0Sgdjb-XDnlTDU0jAxHQVjT3-Rx5jxBUGHjSRG5VsxlnZ8hHeswIX7TUkHyO-wBs3kbymhSTwPPCaHixl-Kx2q22IAdL3jpPZLr5ggSb5XRL5L4JhYGJKbeKZcvC2c/s400/DSCN0130.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402093877719372338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">and the western wall.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZe0YUYnGix4QTRjmwCX64xxHaowPYe2-EXQB2gZvp_GrZRg1LM5XtcXGKSybsIuh560MJU5zlYdWzrLgWXUVKJ6cFu5QSquWXk8s5um4Z0iOTPvErHmVR1-ojAuCkY6d0drbSWY-lp4/s1600/western+wall+MI.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZe0YUYnGix4QTRjmwCX64xxHaowPYe2-EXQB2gZvp_GrZRg1LM5XtcXGKSybsIuh560MJU5zlYdWzrLgWXUVKJ6cFu5QSquWXk8s5um4Z0iOTPvErHmVR1-ojAuCkY6d0drbSWY-lp4/s400/western+wall+MI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404916951860224082" border="0" /></a>The bedouin camp is still represented, with everyone in traditional garb, including the women with water containers circulating around the camp tirelessly on their track.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ1SCEu2ujlyZ1ir4hek-c7vDpT2XeMTtdJbEgxZpShxNv6C7YviKjdAzr18ApDwGa-if4PIKwHhjget28tvKcHxRn1vkYlAEq-rlsODVUCA2ltj7XtaUhXlfDwmAWcG02FFRBi_yl5M/s1600/bedouin+camp+MI.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ1SCEu2ujlyZ1ir4hek-c7vDpT2XeMTtdJbEgxZpShxNv6C7YviKjdAzr18ApDwGa-if4PIKwHhjget28tvKcHxRn1vkYlAEq-rlsODVUCA2ltj7XtaUhXlfDwmAWcG02FFRBi_yl5M/s400/bedouin+camp+MI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404916944929760466" border="0" /></a>And the Palestine Archaeological Museum, known as the Rockefeller, exists, still decontextualized from the East Jerusalem surroundings.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDk7HhcPLq0SqRaMnZEU-7_iNMnuE6SBjb-xTB1lUX7tEBvIXqrNDeFom3Kswp5dcRVdBhhLM0Awxxz2E5yTU2OrCc3UM1zFOydjm0kgYAG9evavVJyUhaSqQo1Ax84DsiQo2Q5NMMJs/s1600/palestine+arch+museum+MI3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDk7HhcPLq0SqRaMnZEU-7_iNMnuE6SBjb-xTB1lUX7tEBvIXqrNDeFom3Kswp5dcRVdBhhLM0Awxxz2E5yTU2OrCc3UM1zFOydjm0kgYAG9evavVJyUhaSqQo1Ax84DsiQo2Q5NMMJs/s400/palestine+arch+museum+MI3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404916941716640850" border="0" /></a>But other things are new. Most striking are various representations of industry giants of Israel: Sonol (gas), Prigat (juice), Tnuva (milk products), Arkia and El Al (airlines), as well as international conglomerates such as Yoplait and Coca-Cola.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FzHjWtk4S77Y73ubMtVgW9UJPmhiPzRORC9pj751wDDdNF_gpUHHBrZTJ2h9JrdO4vgwUlUQO5V1Lo_0d8zK0XJ4_SwdL-MxCPEI35uJ0gMdjbmcYlMg7pwPF5uq48PdVSQwkYgqWmE/s1600-h/DSCN0097.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FzHjWtk4S77Y73ubMtVgW9UJPmhiPzRORC9pj751wDDdNF_gpUHHBrZTJ2h9JrdO4vgwUlUQO5V1Lo_0d8zK0XJ4_SwdL-MxCPEI35uJ0gMdjbmcYlMg7pwPF5uq48PdVSQwkYgqWmE/s400/DSCN0097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402093152559501938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The gift shop has changed rather dramatically. When it first opened, there was only one way out of the park - through the gift shop. Sale items in the old gift shop were a very eclectic array of kitsch, similar to what is available in many shops in the Old City. The new gift shop, which is no longer the exit from the park, is 'nicer', in that there is less kitsch, but sort of boring, in that it consists primarily of Ahava products (it seems Ahava probably bought the shop, or is a major owner) -- you know, salves, emollients, balms, unguents, lubricants, mud, salts and moisturizers. It looks more like the part of the department store you (well, Mo & Yo anyway) try to zip through quickly before someone spritzs you with something stinky.</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><div face="arial"> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><div face="arial"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Anyway, the question is this: Why does this appeal? If these places are nearby, why see the 'fake' miniature version rather than the original? Why represent a gas plant, but not the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Megiddo, or Bet Shean?<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><div> </div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_BteCzbyC4hPmevTY2BvSEKWNP_RXM7ZP70mB0zAFI31h4MdkkbVChYSouU5V18n6FW2ZhTNiYxY925gKAn2n9S0sJiOzWhyYfnJD4fjIw_1oNqOodoCgV91mtaZCNtmWyz9r79x0bY/s1600-h/DSCN0200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_BteCzbyC4hPmevTY2BvSEKWNP_RXM7ZP70mB0zAFI31h4MdkkbVChYSouU5V18n6FW2ZhTNiYxY925gKAn2n9S0sJiOzWhyYfnJD4fjIw_1oNqOodoCgV91mtaZCNtmWyz9r79x0bY/s400/DSCN0200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402093157709978098" border="0" /></a>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-15503205863020481622009-10-02T01:57:00.006+03:002009-10-02T15:02:47.299+03:00A Weekend in Maine<div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Yo and Mo rejoined forces for a long weekend last week; Yo visited Mo in her fancy digs at the JIAAW, and then they traveled up the coast toward Maine. We had never been to New Hampshire or Maine before, and the weather couldn't have been more inviting. With beautiful weather, a red rental car and lobsters waiting, we left for Maine on Friday.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span> </div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Coastal New Hampshire was beautiful, and I think neither of us realized that NH had such beautiful beaches. Here we stopped to enjoy the sun and surf.</span><br /></div><br /><p><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770088662240578" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9vVVGgs6ZeD7JGmGE_OFnY_G5FONLvRlx5X0zwW8-u0yTBbNvCEsYaDvPHxBYcq0VreU5k39HLfDUpPEO33psjkxL0220I-rQnTmmLH2tOl5W2e2E8qMIIVCDu0CUakZPSAh3sQOlCA/s400/DSCN0002.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770084042715794" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamb9R7LAouEAS1Oyh2CVXNUct1tIjgA-0fSoI9VM2rbnDBgOcJZ957W_MwtrQ7gx2FRUYcNv7OS2zjGo_rFse3BzpRdybnEctrKuXGb-k4ecx5I0sMiZLtlRBUWK6zbymFTxzSjCakBc/s400/DSCN0001.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We had to turn around at one point, deciding that we should have stopped at Petey's Lobster Shack when we had the chance. We were not disappointed. Here's Mo with her double soft shell lobster platter (which Yo ate half of, along with his own lunch!).</span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770097680465858" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LMVWSdexgt_49x4eHVo2lSSaUmgEQYqwv1BGyIBXE9QP1Y0we4ge2-_HclMO6604Gz1F-N0XgepYEgwUicNOwklR8g5L6dI1st9jKmZ-IjXG_O6rDx5Cc8OQysMmjO1mSZPgE6IOofk/s400/DSCN0003.JPG" border="0" /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" >Not quite sure what to do with TWO huge lobsters. Mo was fine with eating the lobster until it came to the green stuff and then she gave up.</span><br /></div><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770105361171730" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIVuIcW8l9WzNxO13oU7GYbmM_edQauR5Nz9zaePVO2nDqc_6PeN81KYu7eY77MRe4i_-elTh6Ljrn0GE2Fl8-Crb0FT4DS7mCHChsriy8-vdkCbNu9ttca8PDNW_4Ck8BWUX6H6KJQ0/s400/DSCN0004.JPG" border="0" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">After we did our part in contributing to the depletion of oceanic protein, we continued up the coast to southern Maine. After a pleasant evening with our hosts C and C, and a fine sleep, we all went for a long walk on the beach the next morning, collecting sand dollars, sea glass and chasing H. around. Here we all are on the beach.<br /></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fu-aUivZYJqVb8jSjm8cM8QoXJ_WnJX0CZVGKhw-vvmp9veTKCAI_j8KT1vuunnqcfer0xVx4O56-H_QzeJW3svtrQF2N1X6anEW5bHx_Evre1-nbJRgU3N0eKTxPfXMam0x_ZUZE8Q/s1600-h/DSCN0015.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770685983647922" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fu-aUivZYJqVb8jSjm8cM8QoXJ_WnJX0CZVGKhw-vvmp9veTKCAI_j8KT1vuunnqcfer0xVx4O56-H_QzeJW3svtrQF2N1X6anEW5bHx_Evre1-nbJRgU3N0eKTxPfXMam0x_ZUZE8Q/s400/DSCN0015.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRTfSCl2SlJ-9r8LhU3Gd52slth-0Pxydpq4heGMFgPS5lKNk9BexHfal74NzByVryGeF1AnojBqyojKI5D_uqrWZCdumktWqdfuXuLwwGevk3gmxQ-7yrbHndsOYV4IjUUgOBUdz2d8/s1600-h/DSCN0014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770677655061698" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRTfSCl2SlJ-9r8LhU3Gd52slth-0Pxydpq4heGMFgPS5lKNk9BexHfal74NzByVryGeF1AnojBqyojKI5D_uqrWZCdumktWqdfuXuLwwGevk3gmxQ-7yrbHndsOYV4IjUUgOBUdz2d8/s400/DSCN0014.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ366r8_tVUzTT5pdNcSNFJyQmL9RRm7un3zHH4UgfXpXeEB5L166R06BMDP9EjC7-1mlRfbb_zmtl0XnOJ93m0T5_GJ6YG85mg75ocpkQEBJQcx6BDcIe69lJ9HLnkmzlaWRNlqzLVc/s1600-h/DSCN0011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770668560053410" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ366r8_tVUzTT5pdNcSNFJyQmL9RRm7un3zHH4UgfXpXeEB5L166R06BMDP9EjC7-1mlRfbb_zmtl0XnOJ93m0T5_GJ6YG85mg75ocpkQEBJQcx6BDcIe69lJ9HLnkmzlaWRNlqzLVc/s400/DSCN0011.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQO3Banbah8xMpIx5h35OAp2KQ1Jcy8ZyAS_kfhJr7fmSgqNIa92Y9NPEIZ8mEB4mLo6F6zvv74SQyxWHAVMaFkTF4jWNhYbOBhVRFovczp-LOf8rzf2TJ4MePGDraNLYZS0f1NBURxco/s1600-h/DSCN0012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770664006461586" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQO3Banbah8xMpIx5h35OAp2KQ1Jcy8ZyAS_kfhJr7fmSgqNIa92Y9NPEIZ8mEB4mLo6F6zvv74SQyxWHAVMaFkTF4jWNhYbOBhVRFovczp-LOf8rzf2TJ4MePGDraNLYZS0f1NBURxco/s400/DSCN0012.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD5Twq3LqHgJeLBer56STtXbPE-ULBl04kaIQfA5uyspiHUyFz9QjJZg7IctnKztoaUUTBNlr9s_RMXN4_ydfVx1BCV9oXlMskvsSzjwXG-nwS6ZMPjhAZavpOB-JFSPgNFvIqaGVwVo/s1600-h/DSCN0009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770659121552754" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD5Twq3LqHgJeLBer56STtXbPE-ULBl04kaIQfA5uyspiHUyFz9QjJZg7IctnKztoaUUTBNlr9s_RMXN4_ydfVx1BCV9oXlMskvsSzjwXG-nwS6ZMPjhAZavpOB-JFSPgNFvIqaGVwVo/s400/DSCN0009.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We spent part of Saturday exploring Portland, but Mo left the camera in the car so there are no images of that adventure. Nor are there any images of Yo's adventure with some bad scallops, but you wouldn't want any images of that . . .<br /><br />Sadly, we did have to leave on Sunday, but since it started raining then anyway, it was time. </span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-57478885616595657472009-08-21T20:00:00.003+03:002009-08-21T20:21:15.820+03:00Travel Advisory . . .<div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bRvcd69Mgu76xydI11As2Gh_lPuZCkpvAcNbHM_mQNohdmZtRWewx5LnK6AjjlYYQVPAzaY5rgv7oi12bYfNYG2I6WbCjfgH5t5PD_et9Ew2kRJ1zHhdpNctQg1iRUFpFEzpyL5vwpY/s1600-h/DSCN0200.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bRvcd69Mgu76xydI11As2Gh_lPuZCkpvAcNbHM_mQNohdmZtRWewx5LnK6AjjlYYQVPAzaY5rgv7oi12bYfNYG2I6WbCjfgH5t5PD_et9Ew2kRJ1zHhdpNctQg1iRUFpFEzpyL5vwpY/s400/DSCN0200.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372463693831806322" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Usually we don't have great excuses for our long silences in the blogosphere, but this week we actually do. In the next week we will move 4 times, in 3 different countries, so we won't be posting. After packing up our excavation and ourselves after three months away we leave Tel Aviv tomorrow morning at 5:30am. We arrive back in Toronto around 1:00pm and will hopefully be picked up by our amazingly kind family (LL, MRK and BDL) where we will be whisked off to the anthropology department at U Toronto, so we can pack up Mo's office. On Monday we'll pack up our car (assuming it still works. . .) and drive from Ingersoll to Chicago, where we will begin packing up our apartment. Our landlady, after sprucing the place up, sold it in July and we have to be out by September 1. On Wednesday we'll pick up the Uhaul and move across Hyde Park to another condo. Thursday and Friday will be unpacking and shipping boxes to Providence in advance of Mo's move to Brown the following Tuesday. Then we will collapse, oh sorry start teaching a class and get back into the work a day world in the lives of archaeologists. The entire time we are sure to be wishing that we were in the field, except maybe Jordan where the memory of no running water, electricity, cellphone reception and the flies still looms large. We'll be back in touch in September. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, fantasy;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, -webkit-fantasy;">And just in case you were wondering, the monkey is still with us and has been a great help in Turkey, Jordan, the PA and Israel. More monkey tales to come . . .</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsrNx9q99wkDbKwQn0nv4QoCddNZog2MWH5dWcU9l17SefEC_D6SCEyff4BaxbFtSZkQSriDoUN26BEnkdgFBhMbx8S_csJYCksvdJSgUX0wcCnQovoyQfjzBH4XMY_nurbLlI_6h5fI/s1600-h/Monkey+drawing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsrNx9q99wkDbKwQn0nv4QoCddNZog2MWH5dWcU9l17SefEC_D6SCEyff4BaxbFtSZkQSriDoUN26BEnkdgFBhMbx8S_csJYCksvdJSgUX0wcCnQovoyQfjzBH4XMY_nurbLlI_6h5fI/s400/Monkey+drawing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372467594286233906" /></a>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-35068590367211692002009-08-16T08:45:00.020+03:002009-08-22T00:28:27.230+03:00Marj Rabba: End of Season Highlights<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">After five weeks of living in double-wide trailers, the small team working at Marj Rabba dispersed, some to continue work on the excavated material back in Jerusalem, some back to North America, some back to their homes in Sakhnin. Only a small area was exposed, but we consider it a very successful season</span>. <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Although we are very excited about the walls, architectural features and finds, we will try to rein in our enthusiasm over dirt and rocks and stick to the highlights. </span><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370591140972067122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISxrhEEaqSwavWSHDAP69oIjqmN9w4m2XcMEW0zYzPOCg9WRGE87H1lkBlKQTxwKRqulsQu08EtChivBvG2Qxr-6w5GVphGJVfIbOBCPVb-6P3ARKmBRvU4uoSpEm8TEFKZYfKma80pI/s400/title+slide+marj+rabba.jpg" /> <span style="color:#ffff00;">Marj Rabba in December, 2008</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">First, we were confronted with a field that looked very different from the lush green grass when we visited the site back in December.</span> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">That was then. When we returned in July, we were confronted with thistles and weeds, taller than Yo or Mo in places. Bad conditions for laying out squares. The solution? </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Cows and goats! They did an admirable job, those hungry quadrapeds, but they don't exactly rush, so we also resorted to a weedeater. That, however, lasted only a little more than an hour before it was kaput.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">With our squares laid out in two areas (west is the large rock pile, east is the field), we discovered walls and other architecture in all three squares of the east section (where the tall grass was). The remains of the stone walls indicate well-built walls, and the other stone features were inside, presumably inside a room. In the photo below, you can make out the wall running acroos the top of the picture; on the right side is a curvilinear structure that presumably continues into the unexcavated area on the right (east). We aren't sure what the curving structure is, but its intriguing and we're looking forward to complete excavations in that area next year. </span><br /><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyUcb8WmfrU_tscG_06bhf7DGrtkR8g0yc_W2obHtQTP8jqfzyOdWO_z8rOvpTX7Mb95SmiFqQGVjhjqspwzDgBFAgRTncQuQYDCoEVvK2aIgL9YnbPjr0rLkw8XcUG1QBu4TlZByGFA/s1600-h/squares+d1+%26+D2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372433730291583906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyUcb8WmfrU_tscG_06bhf7DGrtkR8g0yc_W2obHtQTP8jqfzyOdWO_z8rOvpTX7Mb95SmiFqQGVjhjqspwzDgBFAgRTncQuQYDCoEVvK2aIgL9YnbPjr0rLkw8XcUG1QBu4TlZByGFA/s400/squares+d1+%26+D2.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">In the square to the west, still inside of the room, this intriguing structure initially looked like this:</span><br /></p><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372437016925995346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDI4Xl22COQr5uH7I2SgoYFvsdjeDBTAW-tJTFozG5BG0VgVW2GLnuhi-mFGxQw0M_FgXJbHcSBtGqbKrErYpYCwXq4EHsSlUiu7FIDivR-qzG3Z3Zlc1vuB7eGYiN9h6C9_LXm-uUEBY/s400/oval+feature+sq+C1.jpg" /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"> But once we finished excavating the interior, it turned out to be a well built stone pit, perhaps a silo. Here, it is in the top of the picture below, built up against the bedrock, just below the wall (and near the corner of the two walls).<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4TFC0bIS7tdUi_kt06v0C4RMMDqchik5wVhOPJ-p9xloUQYlcB0RYDhilflb6tpbri5Hx0xN0Z7SxNISqpuO_K7rfi-SnYVmk5PJDEKUqrbiZkEiZ93ZkT78Hdf7MciU38e8y-82ZZo/s1600-h/square+C1+with+silo.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372438150967387202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4TFC0bIS7tdUi_kt06v0C4RMMDqchik5wVhOPJ-p9xloUQYlcB0RYDhilflb6tpbri5Hx0xN0Z7SxNISqpuO_K7rfi-SnYVmk5PJDEKUqrbiZkEiZ93ZkT78Hdf7MciU38e8y-82ZZo/s400/square+C1+with+silo.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"> Here's a close-up view.<br /></span></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKJdITBy5p6i4tv9MbWgvxPSXDFY7IvaSezkWiFHebP3kaesKWAk9KKyBzlMHB0fimp2rRX78lau0sdzaHnuLthV1OpqsiseyfxBUrf9pynK5g3D87iEPbVA3CCy0LjgylpfubHy17vo/s1600-h/silo.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372439270477462802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKJdITBy5p6i4tv9MbWgvxPSXDFY7IvaSezkWiFHebP3kaesKWAk9KKyBzlMHB0fimp2rRX78lau0sdzaHnuLthV1OpqsiseyfxBUrf9pynK5g3D87iEPbVA3CCy0LjgylpfubHy17vo/s400/silo.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Sometimes when you need shadow for photography, you can just line up some archaeologists to get the job done.</span><br /></p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370590264190570322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK6xukL_f0iexIztJnwsKSTduldXeL4otm3su-QGdmYEVlRf6dtenoCqqyotBMm8vptM0mRxwG-j5_GFqtGkMGxutw1VSlW13-319h5qt_mf3VY7Q0XuIFk7jCO6PJSyMZhffD9Q6zBc/s400/making+shade.jpg" /> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Other times, you might have to bribe them with suckers!</span></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370590257766327842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuNUZ-nu51_Ifhwhs6Dd_G5ffvf0XRAv53zBoAq4W4n7kG6YJ6lodIC8NDF4GnVOHW6oE6m0BmYZkoXxi4qnKKWnYr_n_onTuyBoipqjqQkRBya9HLGVNgihPJukf6I0TB48CimjH4CY/s400/lollies.jpg" /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Of course it isn't all architecture. We found buckets of pottery, flint debris and tools, and well-preserved animal bone. Here is a photo of some possible "Hula ware" pottery, with the tell-tale wave incisions; whether or not this pottery really comes from the Hula valley, or merely is a style, is something we must determine.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370590248908058866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhPA-qVv_vKo0fmqcW6PgJs9PBPPOGV7qzQ1Y-Og_H2Wb4OmNXYEMoNZgPkVKuxeVz-S8IVumAUpOVPCyY1ggbsFYcD2vIcJQ-Y9tnF7SPWRwPL0x442enfn-s4ZMc4q5vhL2BoEYH6k/s400/hula+ware.jpg" /> </span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We even found things we didn't expect! No, those aren't Mentos.</span> </p><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZiIpqhQ26sfn3yBAO0gizmh84sLLEixXymu4DtikHZERzxfeu80Yk2KAi36RcYiNZa5NeUlCSf8wFd_lF-89p87eE-J2_VnKvgErebh0uVRAybXJkeNljLmGaXzRjvQh6IySq-BX9Aw/s1600-h/snake+eggs.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370591131592083026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZiIpqhQ26sfn3yBAO0gizmh84sLLEixXymu4DtikHZERzxfeu80Yk2KAi36RcYiNZa5NeUlCSf8wFd_lF-89p87eE-J2_VnKvgErebh0uVRAybXJkeNljLmGaXzRjvQh6IySq-BX9Aw/s400/snake+eggs.jpg" /></a><strong><br /><span style="color:#ffff00;">SNAKE EGGS! Yumm. (Okay, maybe lizard eggs.....)</span></strong><br /></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Over in the west area, things were much more difficult. We wanted to try to understand why these piles of rocks were left there, and when. We started by placing a trench across the wall that was visible on top of the pile of rocks. </span><br /></div><div align="left"><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAP5oYMRVI_GAosg7dLSGKI1pvP0n36nvHy7p4M293SYLrZ8BOW8Xlm3T8ebbsHyFRFVQqipLT4qbGBQPcgMxlFvbcwZYF92SzH96qnZJhonGjmSlNueeff_nlAltK0bmq2xlroDiyWXs/s1600-h/mo+steph+%26+brittany+in+west.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370590269767067826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAP5oYMRVI_GAosg7dLSGKI1pvP0n36nvHy7p4M293SYLrZ8BOW8Xlm3T8ebbsHyFRFVQqipLT4qbGBQPcgMxlFvbcwZYF92SzH96qnZJhonGjmSlNueeff_nlAltK0bmq2xlroDiyWXs/s400/mo+steph+%26+brittany+in+west.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Mo and students SS and BJ debating how to tackle the west rock pile. The trench was about 2 meters by 10 meters, cutting across the rock pile east-west, and thus both sides of the wall.</span><br /><br /><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2XPhXillceI16LAqiKEV-e8vmoZIelx1iidYBpXJs6RK1M_MWfrXnwOgFC-hEM3R8zZCZ_7dvOnei0RrvnQzMH-HxDMrWywO2qnu8hr0EUc2qVnN6O_kfiSYJ4xYOFinMxS-mVLWY1E/s1600-h/trench+1+looking+south.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372443061972174194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2XPhXillceI16LAqiKEV-e8vmoZIelx1iidYBpXJs6RK1M_MWfrXnwOgFC-hEM3R8zZCZ_7dvOnei0RrvnQzMH-HxDMrWywO2qnu8hr0EUc2qVnN6O_kfiSYJ4xYOFinMxS-mVLWY1E/s400/trench+1+looking+south.jpg" /></a> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">This was hard work, digging through rocks. About 5% was sediment, the rest was small to medium sized limestone rocks, placed there by people for reasons we hoped to determine. However, there were very few artifacts: some Chalcolithic sherds and flints, and a few late Roman or Byzantine sherds. Either could easily work there way down between the rocks over millennia. In the end, our beautiful trench exposed bedrock below the well built wall, but remain unsure what to make of the wall, or the pile of rocks. Visiting archaeologists ranged in opinion; one was sure in his gut that its Chalcolithic (we liked to hear this!), but others believed that it must be much later. Yet there is almost nothing later to date the structures.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"><br />Below, this is Trench one, looking to the west; the wall is at the top, and bedrock is what the scale and north arrow are resting on.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Q6wDhLXPfmwmXlOSttvTOkutkVO-7FGYY0pSfc0u8Qh493ZbEvcnzpwSU7AYAPHey727DFv902QwH6ptPTowBHRC8ErWVdgL71dCWJiRaOarGkoNa_7T5NHZjYKKV1qvBDplY-pGnsU/s1600-h/trench+1+looking+west.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372451168744551074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Q6wDhLXPfmwmXlOSttvTOkutkVO-7FGYY0pSfc0u8Qh493ZbEvcnzpwSU7AYAPHey727DFv902QwH6ptPTowBHRC8ErWVdgL71dCWJiRaOarGkoNa_7T5NHZjYKKV1qvBDplY-pGnsU/s400/trench+1+looking+west.jpg" /></a> <div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">The other side of the trench looked similar - mostly rock, and not many clues as to how it came to be there or why. </span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Finally, at the end of the season, we needed to try to protect both the site as well as any visitors (cow, person or goat). We sandbagged most exposed features.<br /></span><br /></div><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370591125093063298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdicnu2AthklU2hp7P1ITeHVBju1yaA0E8JZU5JU_tTN5LAPyq5AnaY-koImgAtd9wUeehZC-LUA4KNhLz-5qsjbHYnuGL5jYch6ScNvFrh-1dTJo0DH2r844flqGSTr51OwC1ipDMYI/s400/sandbagging.jpg" /></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Then, we covered the excavate areas with plastic, sediment and rocks. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370589139062142946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTVNaqFIDkJMthiP_NtcXvDu7ML3ldd-Vdy9MsMjD13pXjHd54ELb1YWH2Wb7itYnfyAXzpS6eyo_xCLNsOIEsoIVpSJtmCuEiYKjza8wXS-JPEmMt7mHg69b3BivQKzdTfQoTJl9b4M/s400/barbed+wire.jpg" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Finally, we bought fencing to keep animals and people out, primarily so that they wouldn't hurt themselves if they didn't notice the excavated squares. </span></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLVAXttm6E5W7j9lMPnweVnENqUQRtmsTk1n0GX6NJhf8hLEdjiFyonQlqChy91MIvSLyGg5ovjCaiQ0QHtTn5a2uZFhhBrOUNu8o-21nZoAVaycY5SgUUbB8XKvoxIBL5zt-B9dMNgk/s1600-h/fencing.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370589171174782658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLVAXttm6E5W7j9lMPnweVnENqUQRtmsTk1n0GX6NJhf8hLEdjiFyonQlqChy91MIvSLyGg5ovjCaiQ0QHtTn5a2uZFhhBrOUNu8o-21nZoAVaycY5SgUUbB8XKvoxIBL5zt-B9dMNgk/s400/fencing.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We even bought a sign for our fencing. We fully expect that only the sign will remain by next year....</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSQo8qsqQ2jUUceRSJDM4wWRMfTqKgrlbBL9l1K1lzx96pJt6OSht7vJx2FM3SY2oe9DQMG-HJ0A2izzrPrsyvLLrUsEwObbDc4TI2IdeCJ4PQ1JobEwDzrGHDHk5VeO6ruQawePdf5g/s1600-h/fenced+with+sign.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370589163955084530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSQo8qsqQ2jUUceRSJDM4wWRMfTqKgrlbBL9l1K1lzx96pJt6OSht7vJx2FM3SY2oe9DQMG-HJ0A2izzrPrsyvLLrUsEwObbDc4TI2IdeCJ4PQ1JobEwDzrGHDHk5VeO6ruQawePdf5g/s400/fenced+with+sign.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Then we had to find someone to move the container back to Jerusalem. Look at this strong guy, almost independently putting the two ton container on the back of the truck -- and in white pants too!</span><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktzeHZpdd14pnICDsZ4NkTVpxOQfUcYAJc1OKK2Pdq1tEXrpbSQZvpvGNOMoKOeC4c1N31PezCc7EKuLLZuH0YXuA_cRd7MEgV9T7vkAP2XgbBTyGSp9YGBvLN-50JAL0UXsKZZsUY5k/s1600-h/container+onto+truck.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370589151493866754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktzeHZpdd14pnICDsZ4NkTVpxOQfUcYAJc1OKK2Pdq1tEXrpbSQZvpvGNOMoKOeC4c1N31PezCc7EKuLLZuH0YXuA_cRd7MEgV9T7vkAP2XgbBTyGSp9YGBvLN-50JAL0UXsKZZsUY5k/s400/container+onto+truck.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="left"><p></p><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370591136115903218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PYquIfA_DOYb1yb1BaIJktj0wF-za2s2VoUbdD6p02jHueit23m8EZb4X_0Vnf1-VZSbg60vFZXv1ndU83X58Jl2vjoTZE2wf5-4DShanSnS5GqrdSmeaQdM1Vh58KBD0fWSzOwLnH4/s400/the+crew.jpg" /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"> Thanks to the "because we're professionals" of Marj Rabba for so much hard work, early mornings and boiled eggs. </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-32114837600996879582009-08-12T07:07:00.002+03:002009-08-12T07:23:20.328+03:00Finishing the season<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pWm4NWY4eRtR6EmS9SuOLCpek7V9Ccfwku3XjbhvMiCAv-o-M626nQgMnlNm7UzrVn-VjzUgDkAX4RlecxO5m_opjls0lq7Xbpc_XeZ2iaW21G51j0Igp1zCxZLyD8mKkc3Ap9t_ApQ/s1600-h/mo+in+action.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368927825055356898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pWm4NWY4eRtR6EmS9SuOLCpek7V9Ccfwku3XjbhvMiCAv-o-M626nQgMnlNm7UzrVn-VjzUgDkAX4RlecxO5m_opjls0lq7Xbpc_XeZ2iaW21G51j0Igp1zCxZLyD8mKkc3Ap9t_ApQ/s400/mo+in+action.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Typically, closing down excavations</span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">at the end of season can be terribly hectic and even chaotic. The end of our season went was not nearly so frenetic as some, but then, we are a small excavation with great students and volunteers. Still, we have been very busy chasing after a truck with our shipping container, closing the excavation areas, and re-organizing ourselves in Jerusalem. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">We will return with more photos and stories soon!</span></div>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-64537645569624457232009-07-17T18:12:00.006+03:002009-07-18T10:08:20.478+03:00Where to Dig??<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:large;">We pick a place to dig based on survey, landscape and any information we have been given by local landowners, shepherds and archaeologists. In this area our colleague DS (Northern Chalcolithic expert) had identified the site as part of a survey in this region. Once we have the field cleared (by goats or modern machine - see previous post) we lay a grid and then start to dig. This is the early stage of square L1:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALtDzkyyCX_k3i1_UkeTAiJoI47rNLX-NgDmb3yNosNitzWyeEcq5Di6RYebUVA9qP0JZGAoP398ovq3wp9xGWHdLf6-yqPFzwkr9I103yTxDFNayAtcvYdZg7adJ2LdFdaB1tIxAEes/s1600-h/DSCN0046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359680602431232466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALtDzkyyCX_k3i1_UkeTAiJoI47rNLX-NgDmb3yNosNitzWyeEcq5Di6RYebUVA9qP0JZGAoP398ovq3wp9xGWHdLf6-yqPFzwkr9I103yTxDFNayAtcvYdZg7adJ2LdFdaB1tIxAEes/s400/DSCN0046.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:large;">In addition to the students we have three workmen from the nearby village of Sahknin. They have been working in L1 and so has Mo. We speak a mixture of Arabic, Hebrew and English in the square and usually we can come to an understanding, although Mo is not always sure what it is. Last week had a conversation about one of the guys getting married: either he was getting married or meeting with a Russian prostitute, turns out he did actually get married. </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9A_SWIClNfuM5IboWEFHfUsfMNPG9zg28hj6sVVMvhrEZEOcuDcO_xlf-Lhk14pteVtU8yRRUjHc6c_G5TR_am0Uonx0E_tQQY0xGi569Nc2Jb2ee8mIbFVCaxjteVtku_4knvdEOBk/s1600-h/DSCN0047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359680592567514466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9A_SWIClNfuM5IboWEFHfUsfMNPG9zg28hj6sVVMvhrEZEOcuDcO_xlf-Lhk14pteVtU8yRRUjHc6c_G5TR_am0Uonx0E_tQQY0xGi569Nc2Jb2ee8mIbFVCaxjteVtku_4knvdEOBk/s400/DSCN0047.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:18;">During the course of day we collect up all of the pottery (broken pieces of pots) and flint and basalt and take it back to where we are living to "process" - that means we wash, record and sort all of the finds. Below is a bucket of pottery ready to go back to the lab. </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLsllVlp3WBAM5-xbfSKGt-GSqUPIqt2ItX_Lfcc73XTjAzs5bcRFN51Ub9Z76dUuI8czr_dkRw31EUEX9oelukemgLxfLbbtIN0LScb9bWs8ATvzh9IeaTRltKIb4aYfvFk5LwJGs8g/s1600-h/DSCN0048.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359680587193616706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLsllVlp3WBAM5-xbfSKGt-GSqUPIqt2ItX_Lfcc73XTjAzs5bcRFN51Ub9Z76dUuI8czr_dkRw31EUEX9oelukemgLxfLbbtIN0LScb9bWs8ATvzh9IeaTRltKIb4aYfvFk5LwJGs8g/s400/DSCN0048.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">In order to entice people to pottery wash, which actually isn't that much fun, we put out coffee and tea. Not that the coffee is that great - Elite - a famous Israeli brand that I think only our pals J and M enjoy.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfzPFZfU-9phYs3n3scUoi2hwS0GQpiOgsJLXLSpDl-hk43ymPC2AfINoeyyEhExwi9oayG3EMTJbkpLExx9wkZzl2PLljSwHHglnkUtfTmFOlTF8tJ5XKMWjpo2TgmTFTm1zIfZw8iU/s1600-h/DSCN0033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359449904334644770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfzPFZfU-9phYs3n3scUoi2hwS0GQpiOgsJLXLSpDl-hk43ymPC2AfINoeyyEhExwi9oayG3EMTJbkpLExx9wkZzl2PLljSwHHglnkUtfTmFOlTF8tJ5XKMWjpo2TgmTFTm1zIfZw8iU/s400/DSCN0033.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Here we are bagging up the dry pottery from the pervious day. Sometimes there are some interesting nuggets in the very dirty pottery - painted decoration, incisions and appliques. At times it is a bit like a treasure hunt, but mostly it is just a tedious part of the life of an archaeologist. Pottery washing is a good time to sit around and talk about the days events, or how we are going to proceed the next day and how we could improve on aspects of the recording system or excavating methodology. We try to be as inclusive as possible and ask for and encourage input from the students (both positive and negative). Sometimes we just argue about the merits of Harry Potter - preparing one of the students (AB) for her year in Cambridge. Or we just discuss the differences between Americans and Canadians, apparently there are many.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2R7HOnaA_rFKBcM-wRSABLYGSikoB7zzqe_-bbkbMduXIdumSxgU9YdP7xZmkNaiu8MLzRNX5FR4OnWwOGgXTP3Mdw6wKrkL_OLW5qDZPvOw9v0YCSTev8kajoILN6r-BhxOC1Dc7V30/s1600-h/DSCN0032.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359449900085609298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2R7HOnaA_rFKBcM-wRSABLYGSikoB7zzqe_-bbkbMduXIdumSxgU9YdP7xZmkNaiu8MLzRNX5FR4OnWwOGgXTP3Mdw6wKrkL_OLW5qDZPvOw9v0YCSTev8kajoILN6r-BhxOC1Dc7V30/s400/DSCN0032.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">We have had a great couple of weeks. Everyone cheerfully carries out their assigned tasks. Last night we had movie night with popcorn and everyone crowded around Yo's laptop. We watched Star Wars (movie #4) but it was missing the final crucial Death Star scene - not sure it mattered since we had been playing a Star Wars drinking game . . . More adventures soon.</span></span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-76134915409500963302009-07-17T17:20:00.005+03:002009-07-18T10:06:18.485+03:00Marj Rabba Weeks 1 and 2<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">We have been remiss in reporting on the results of the first two weeks of our field season at Marj Rabba. We know there are 100s of diligent readers who are longing for an update, we apologize. We have had a great beginning of the season, finding walls, pottery, flint and basalt (which makes Yo very happy!). In case you need a reminder of what we are doing and why here's the low down. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">By launching excavations in the Galilee, at large and small settlement sites (including Marj Rabba), specialized sites and caves, we hope to answer a variety of questions concerning the Chalcolithic period in northern Israel:</span></span> <div><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">·</span></span><span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">What is the nature of Chalcolithic material culture in the Galilee? What are its hallmarks? How similar is it to the material culture in the Golan and in Lebanon, or the sites in the Negev and Jordan? Is it unique?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">·</span></span><span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">What connection does the Galilean Chalcolithic share with tangent regions (Golan, coastal plain, Jordan Valley) and with places farther afield (Sinai, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon or Turkey)?</span></span><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">·</span></span><span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">What were the foundations of Galilean Chalcolithic subsistence and economy?</span></span><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></span></span></p></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajSw9zGZWLuTluJvpbt8jWzKeSLqHXUs9g_Od7NW2Jqjtk7aIp07sz2n_TEsard1Hs_NLNgDo7YTirBO-fLiLB431jKwBg7BaE4KoEjl5ZhUbcLw-KR0ELmAeY-KyEggdRFGY_Zlo4AE/s1600-h/DSCN0032.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359439407210554642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajSw9zGZWLuTluJvpbt8jWzKeSLqHXUs9g_Od7NW2Jqjtk7aIp07sz2n_TEsard1Hs_NLNgDo7YTirBO-fLiLB431jKwBg7BaE4KoEjl5ZhUbcLw-KR0ELmAeY-KyEggdRFGY_Zlo4AE/s400/DSCN0032.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">We are a small team of 8 people - Yo and Mo, 2 students from the University of Chicago, 2 from the University of Toronto (yeah! there is a big US vs. Canada rivalry at the moment), a PhD student from the University of Connecticut and one student from the University of Washington at St. Louis (she and Mo worked together in Turkey at the beginning of the summer, more on that later).</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">So before we could start we needed some help with weed/thistle clearance. We hired a local kibbutznik (young guy who had just returned from "finding himself" in Spain), with a weed whacker. But he was defeated by the stones, weeds and thistles. So we asked the local shepherd to bring his goats and cows through the site, which worked wonders. Of course they also left a lot of "special" presents. </span></span><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnQNqEz9J4nVgTe7s-d1WEtXXg8FqSIc8x4FMvu0D9eL2_L5-cS0bazZiTw81lju9YYPwPYraI0rylHhnd0rEwtEVIIW-IY0NS5REqjko-Aata6eqg4iguTIn0UEnf3ikH41hEbusfxU/s1600-h/DSCN0022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359439391884468594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnQNqEz9J4nVgTe7s-d1WEtXXg8FqSIc8x4FMvu0D9eL2_L5-cS0bazZiTw81lju9YYPwPYraI0rylHhnd0rEwtEVIIW-IY0NS5REqjko-Aata6eqg4iguTIn0UEnf3ikH41hEbusfxU/s400/DSCN0022.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We also needed to comply with some of the landowner requirements, so we rented a port-o-potty for the season. Here is Yo and the delivery guy setting up the site bathroom!</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBQKyH9Z-rkzt6C8lArgptneAqjz5Ls1pEv0Uv5I7vB4ADoo-QBjrzTdujtkjfgKYFDIxyE-kexnZPHCqHG2sPkMm3g_tHoiBgG4o2E818ok_BED5ow8d3kWXmMmSAfKsRyGYzS3a_t0/s1600-h/DSCN0010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359439386686837266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBQKyH9Z-rkzt6C8lArgptneAqjz5Ls1pEv0Uv5I7vB4ADoo-QBjrzTdujtkjfgKYFDIxyE-kexnZPHCqHG2sPkMm3g_tHoiBgG4o2E818ok_BED5ow8d3kWXmMmSAfKsRyGYzS3a_t0/s400/DSCN0010.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We also needed somewhere to store our tools and finds on site that we could then transport to Jerusalem for the post-excavation analysis. Here is our container being delivered to the site. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAvPz1JyhXfUn8XiWXqGNzOXOsz90HKJLAlfYl6BgIkBjtyklcTyMTzffuV4ry_F4lAJYCRdoiSMwl9G1CgjJAS8OJqWUyIOR_eg215QWqKZ6CM_ntibt8fnHxvqyRQzP1soRxNrLXJ4/s1600-h/DSCN0018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359439382305124866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: left" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAvPz1JyhXfUn8XiWXqGNzOXOsz90HKJLAlfYl6BgIkBjtyklcTyMTzffuV4ry_F4lAJYCRdoiSMwl9G1CgjJAS8OJqWUyIOR_eg215QWqKZ6CM_ntibt8fnHxvqyRQzP1soRxNrLXJ4/s400/DSCN0018.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Goat herd eating weeds, you can just see Ali, the shepherd off to the far left. </span></span> <div><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359439381364474754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZUpv6LjZHOOO2J-zZe-mdaKzzDdf9hyphenhyphenkZa2e40RDIHiku8qd7CoDjyVr6vQIxbFfS60MDPIrA1VavBIBZP_KpVDwunphnDuAvakg_qr6Mi20_WTC2x2lFIVo0EqUvMGS28LNYetmJOE/s400/DSCN0005.JPG" border="0" />Cows passing through the site, as we discuss where to place the container. Okay Mo is having some issues with uploading images, so more in a minute.</span></p><!--EndFragment--></div>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-78304489159847892302009-07-08T20:23:00.003+03:002009-07-08T20:39:57.382+03:00Michael Homan was right!Our good friend Michael Homan after seeing our post about Yo's new position at the OI stated "Mo and Yo in the same city, let alone the same state and/or country was too good to be true". He was right. Last month Mo was offered a one year post doctoral fellowship at the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology in the Ancient World at Brown University <div>(http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/). For many of our non-American readers Brown University is in Providence, which is in the state of Rhode island - about an hour drive from Boston. <div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqabO-Pt5znSiGZXFls-sqaoVHZYfI9XNnlE0MCd4QXgbmU0OGmf1w4PaA2Xo1vRaARMghz65oXXb8EyVb2LEZDxysMM3a-dbfFQjlBHmw8tu6w_QHvbFIoKIEX2eqgf39iboMaSuJY4/s400/Building10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356142318926889970" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">This is an image of the new home of the Joukowsky Institute</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mo will be teaching a class on museums and policy in the fall and a class on Middle East Prehistory in the spring - good thing Yo is an an expert in the prehistory of the Middle East and Mo has at least studied prehistory and works in the Middle East! We have checked into flight schedules and Southwest flies direct from Chicago to Providence, so once again we will be a commuter marriage. Come visit either Chicago or Providence!! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-31976089204364664852009-06-27T15:07:00.006+03:002009-06-27T15:30:16.565+03:00One more reason not to sleep on the ground....<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">In mid-June, Mo arrived in Amman from her fieldwork in Turkey; Yo, cleaned up after 11 days living in a tent at Wisad Pools without bathing, met her at the airport. The next day, after a quick visit to ACOR to re-fill water cans and shopping to replenish supplies, we headed out to Wisad to rejoin the other two team members. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We will blog more on that in the near future, and hopefully Mo will upload some images from Turkey and talk about the survey there. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">But while you wait, we thought we'd post this short video clip of an unexpected visitor in our camp at Wisad. If you can identify the species, we'd appreciate it. We are guessing perhaps a horned desert viper, although it doesn't seem to have the horns; a sand viper seems unlikely as this one was out in the heat of the day (twice). </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx7GPkx9y7y1MLQBKThItgFE755AARin93gODqoYLCvi8n6sBrh-Qlx2XgQPTiBtpncRoqhUw4z9uL0_bddhw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-27937511179627209442009-06-02T08:46:00.005+03:002009-06-03T12:40:32.719+03:00Me and my monkey<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGOSac8MRtC8TgugZxjkxX0Ucoj3OLNLmWnltswX1xXdbF4d0LgPY3Sh1dFPWtO5cQqJXbQpinUgU7e0lVZQSW5d89UMfEcoHVaiWdHyP6lrsKR8zgATZZB4i32-4nEF1_gvqpeV6gDg/s1600-h/church+of+anunciation.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343033383722033986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGOSac8MRtC8TgugZxjkxX0Ucoj3OLNLmWnltswX1xXdbF4d0LgPY3Sh1dFPWtO5cQqJXbQpinUgU7e0lVZQSW5d89UMfEcoHVaiWdHyP6lrsKR8zgATZZB4i32-4nEF1_gvqpeV6gDg/s400/church+of+anunciation.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Over a week ago, Yo and Mo worked on lodgings for the upcoming dig season. After a nice visit to Shorashim, we then drove towards the Sheikh Hussein bridge at Bet Shan, where Mo would be crossing for her flight from Amman to Istanbul. On the way, we stopped to visit Nazareth, a place neither of us had been before. We didn't really know where to go, but finding some of the major churches wasn't that difficult. We visited the Basilica of the Annunciation, a modern Catholic church built on the remains of Crusader and Byzantine churches. The interior is unusual, but its coolness was welcome. The little tyrant with a badge literally yelling at tourists and clapping his hands as if shooing swine flu ridden pigeons was not so welcome. (making more noise than the tourists!). </span><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Of course, Yo is just bitter because he was just starting to drowse after not sleeping one wink the previous night! </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><br />The monkey generously given to Uncle Yo by niece L, was thirsty so we had a Coke, and a coffee. Then we took Mo to the border for her adventure, getting to the Amman airport and onward to Turkey.</span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343033384333648594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74PuUCN-6O_0CgOSB4se8JHkbDh1oqw0cQI9l8xeuWFOaI4wXYrIZv_tloNqoQvVlIRjwFKeN9NTjGAQtuRpl48KVMJkumZ_ZcyVIZdWj4o_LeJr1hfFiCtiI7p9IwQJ67wI-sUZzUTA/s400/monkey+w+coke.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div></div>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-68498144605888685002009-05-30T23:44:00.022+03:002009-06-03T21:24:25.622+03:00Prehistory in Jordan, the Paleolithic, and the Biggly Wiggly<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">A recent conference organized by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, the Council for British Research in the Levant, the American Schools of Oriental Research and the German Protestant Institute recently ended. The conference included one day of site visits, and two days of research presentations, many presented by the leading specialists of Jordanian prehistory, and their students. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">A contingent of prehistoric archaeologists who work in the environs of Azraq had thought that with all of these archaeologists in one place at the same time, site visits would be a good idea so that different projects could compare the results of excavation, both current and older. This was an auspicious year, as there are several active projects in the field near Azraq, as well as some senior archaeologists who had worked in the Azraq wetlands before it was drained. (Until the mid-1980s, the Azraq wetlands was an extensive oasis with ample fish, animals and birdlife, including migratory species. In the mid-1980s, the growing population of Jordan needed additional water, and water from Azraq was pumped until virtually the entire swamp was dry, wiping out species). Traveling in convoy, we left Amman via the airport highway, stopping to get gas on the way out. In this particular strip mall is a <em>Biggly Wiggly</em>, playing on the <em>Piggly Wiggly</em> markets of the American South, which typically features a smiling pig. For those unfamiliar with pronunciation in this part of the world, the sound of "P" is very difficult for Arabic speakers, and is typically pronounced as a "B". The person who made this sign is well aware of this and clearly has a good sense of humor about it...</span><br /></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341722394904820050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUN9mk9SZe1zwz7wuHgi9lCykMQsGCayA67cL4d8dhWGJ8AeV0COQ-5fsk0djUh3wzZ83oJStF9al4swh4CPS6vEnDuIkbMPb7EnNA5FlHcIMYfcFPAl_pl-jii2e9hqkV9qBKveDVtyk/s400/Biggly+Wiggly.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">After filling our tanks, we head out to Wadi Jilat, where Andrew Garrard and a number of his students worked on Eplipaleolithic to Neolithic sites. As he joined us for this expedition, he lead the way out to find the Jilat sites, which only a few of the senior prehistorians among us had visited in the past. On the way out, our lead car went on ahead looking for a quarry for "Dabba marble", a greenish rock type popular during the Epipaleolithic for the creation of beads. In the picture below, you can barely see the vehicle searching for the Dabba marble area (which it seems we had already passed by this point).</span><br /><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343044164634431394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3dqJAC5xJKw5SCZO3Jy2s6isz02Cd76YzUwdRcS1gBklU0T0QtpKBlgojbp2hVflcyVgIjopMT_9ox34ouyT0acCs2qyMpQXSt64WQEWJAdE5wCDolWF3adJsHuTFWTs7OGLoSCNnqY/s400/lead+truck+searches+for+dabba+marble.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We were following the soccer mom vehicle, an "SUV" type that really wasn't made for this type of travel; this was apparent when we had to stop and change the flat.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343044168299061122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCrHG-lHyFo0o-mJmTz7cPOeTTmkYTVbkz1YcEqLF31FrU8SDA4B8BvZ2Zj5tHdJUDjFwbpO4HdjjYC7Xh3dkAvaUdyiaWPLZssZ93091iEUcgFy0YgKtB8ptDwjytBDNjT8yqGPTnJQ/s400/soccer+mom+car+takes+on+the+desert.jpg" border="0" /></span></div></div><div><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343044170793571858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim03aHS2qY6vIzBALHKh_IJYulRu3Bu5zxTFuJb6jSMdSr1R3Zz46j4vvmx1gOMPG1Q4w6nMOe6YT9WHd2SneEecI5-xj4YM3qdtwot_xGDDTFKPmZ6LCXu2KAkGJRhQWx-J94HKItTCc/s400/soccer+mom+craps+out.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Finally we arrived to Wadi Jilat, where a series of sites were investigated and documented by Prof. Garrard and his team. The wadi is very nice, with some dramatic incising in places, with small canyons such as the one below. </span></span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6cH5nSenr1KuuwY1_gPi_t39dHCNWNWFq1XuofCNim6Lmqx59FdQ1kmt6jf9-MkvEB1zUJoOT8tYWtgA8Yrs8HnDAZYya3jEWQlway6G0CveJ9kX-M_e_SDVDreXjFXkUoTePHXNwAw/s1600-h/wadi+jilat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341757105614026562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6cH5nSenr1KuuwY1_gPi_t39dHCNWNWFq1XuofCNim6Lmqx59FdQ1kmt6jf9-MkvEB1zUJoOT8tYWtgA8Yrs8HnDAZYya3jEWQlway6G0CveJ9kX-M_e_SDVDreXjFXkUoTePHXNwAw/s400/wadi+jilat.jpg" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341722407545034466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxnP58mBKbtnzeBcCZusLQyr2WLaeBLkvsLEIsPUyzpIFIAfZwGdu4YDL01c2gReDZ_y2uHjGH2rGzkFVJoGO2RxlEgFJV_MWT9sIAwT_UhnBI9qGKcgr33yBWmk1x1fGrzAI1_siC6M/s400/wadi+jilat+to+sites.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341722407991501570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7Ugt0Sy8q3J5T6YtRLyN6DIXNlY3QbiI1PmpmUNOLTJz6LLZOZ5IjK-UAFsfcF5Kh-ekUiDuueCk2FpKoAy4wNT66vD0HQsdTtN2aiZHwrGK19zfmcWHoQcCSKBWABUalIgisLblLAQ/s400/wadi+jilat+to+sites2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">These sites ranged from Epipaleolithic to early Neolithic, some very well preserved. </span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343099748292735346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkMnX48RkkhRBFVUO6meugb46oLvrbP064305Gr_h_ziCLUaED4zodvu5JHukllG9zE_O69K6JoR0JMHnFBKKob3cbG1z_MXg_W4eIl88kupb4MwoGWbC7EZ44Dhfhqno_hyphenhyphenJo1fWtYk/s400/prehistorians+in+jilat.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">At one Epipaleolithic site (I've forgotten the number of this one), someone spotted an interesting shape in the wall of a looter's trench. And amazingly it turned out to be a beautiful example of a small Natufian footed basalt vessel, finely ground and with a carefully incised line around the rim exterior. </span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343099743838691010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxEkjnLLivTjF85VD7Fu5m0ZjifRxLy-RYFt82KB-RAQdiJTVENFfpMbt2zKvrdVs6IkOy05012M3v783yVh_xvNI1TDUXHaFQjTkbmsuf2PL5yPN_QyI4JgpXIUpSk0Q-qcVurKHYFg/s400/lisa+w+epipal+basalt+vessels.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#ffcc66;">Dr. M. (Director of excavations at Kharaneh, showing off Epipaleolithic basalt 'chalice')</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Unfortunately, even in such a remote area, where there are few antiquities worth much to a looter, bulldozers have done incredibly damage to some of the sites, such as this one. The damage to such fragile early sites is stunning when mechanical equipment is used. </span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343053300328609810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMh7HCFH7bmS3zHLPmcDDeVp6EEkj6qXqbXhXaQp4SQFMHwsMO80krnFJ_wA9lTgRcXd6oS3LdjCVbOfodeAsdFkCPl8y55XVO8o9DeJuaWQR_xprDns8DR024_b3N-XurPXpot2MR3WY/s400/wadi+jilat+destruction.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Nevertheless, it was a beautiful day with a number of great sites and a fascinating tour. In addition to the prehistoric sites, there is a much later (Ottoman?) dam up the wadi with water, although murky and muddy. </span></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343095270101681410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HQFEZmmPWkFm2h3wUuPxfg6Mvwtqyy66maQbqLoDAbMN-rpbY4VcQBTbo5bE2d91wyt0-HmilNGKJ-LuIK0Hx2Df90mfXacte1JeDy3ooBJ_KtwEkR2Tn8pxBo7vSMGLxuFYBC7F0Mc/s400/wadi+jilat+dam.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343095270997722658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-a6C4JXo0uzQOJrflhP22m9jSvKCuuP3iTC_tmE5qsZ6NjogeyNLW6K_zkGWHZo7y_t_SncXLhYaYpLYU1lq1lOvUoNsVsVEGwWB2KjVyfeCTBJb3SBh-UZeKp5vcL9L2Vqh9YFshZ4/s400/wadi+jilat+dam2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343095266710868770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjHHoAk-OxTaDeQ9E221e8ca9nOBcxrB6T0brfJnemzcN-Of9DWCwJGWFI4_TQzi4ENSx3Vnq9OAD-Uvfzuq7v_6NOx6KQjvDWDnoeGKRzLfW37qp0jJFzZshHR5QsbQoTsGhkgS1ZXo/s400/wadi+jilat+toads+in+sheep+shit.jpg" border="0" /><span style="color:#ffff66;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Can you spot the toads? (I didn't realize I was taking the picture of two of them, until I downloaded the images later). We won't talk about what they are so happily floating in.....</span><br /></span><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343053292124594818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtHXf-CGmhWinzT0rnen2hZNVwWmczHOwYhHy0x0Sp69YFZGhp2BN9XUt52r7HdAntoOf-_D_Z9_MaxjvcMiMm2s9WysSr5pRQpC2-bFtCQlI5hjaIAdt4_na2wZ7c6DlPRyxCqknFy4/s400/chris+at+jilat.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#ffcc33;"><strong>DR</strong>. T, Associate Director of ACOR, the freshly minted PhD. Doesn't he look fresh and minty?</span></span><br /><br /><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">After these visits, we drove from Wadi Jilat to Kharaneh. There we had a quick lunch (much of it provided by Dr. B, via tasty leftovers from an ACOR reception a few days before!).</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">The "castle" is well known to tourists and archaeologists alike, but the incredibly rich Epipaleolithic site about one kilometer to the south of the Umayyad structure is not as well known. We were updated on the progress of the excavations (where we visited on this blog last year, see ......). The site is so rich that they on longer attempt to separate the cultural, botanical and faunal remains in the field, but back in their lab in Azraq. This is a massive undertaking, to separate all of the material caught in 4 mm and 2 mm screens!</span> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oCYPt8-sN51SHSM4oq1fD7hi3vWDWgG5ng_fRr9j58aKPuWCQ0pILbWglcjCVefR6P9gmc7icwNNtAOCkMfdxFUgHJjOmOj-tEcVceIXKNehln1DG12SWdnXOGyQvfEjAWT8rgUDL2w/s1600-h/kharaneh+w+tobi+and+lisa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341757092349107810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oCYPt8-sN51SHSM4oq1fD7hi3vWDWgG5ng_fRr9j58aKPuWCQ0pILbWglcjCVefR6P9gmc7icwNNtAOCkMfdxFUgHJjOmOj-tEcVceIXKNehln1DG12SWdnXOGyQvfEjAWT8rgUDL2w/s400/kharaneh+w+tobi+and+lisa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#ffff33;">The directors of excavations of Khareneh, DR. T. Richter and Dr. L. Maher, giving a site tour (Richter is second from left, Maher in blue next to him).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">After we visited their excavations, we returned to Azraq, where we were treated to amazing hospitality by the dig team; an amazing array of grilled meat, hummus, salads, and most importantly, beer and EVEN mojitos by some very inspired dig team members. Karaoke of the Eagles and Meatloaf notwithstanding, it was a delightful evening. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">The next day we visited on-going excavations at Druze Marsh, where the compaction and concretion is so hard that the excavators are using CROWBARS to break the matrix into hard lumps for "sieving" -- which is largely impossible. Below are their excavations of this Middle Paleolithic site, with a small team of experts led by Michael Bisson, April Nowell and Carlos Cordoba.<br /></span></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UJkT1uqBwBKJVSxwCHTmsIjX_ZkB1VKSEl4cBVtJjcLj4tIYFAGXyur3DoCl6RGn8O8PhzytPF1nmMm2UZ094lQN_jKj1QWkP_qcpd17G6BH1dxsF8660SWZRAZDE__i2TsP-b-oTK8/s1600-h/druze+marsh+w+mike+bisson+and+carlos.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341757088490356322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UJkT1uqBwBKJVSxwCHTmsIjX_ZkB1VKSEl4cBVtJjcLj4tIYFAGXyur3DoCl6RGn8O8PhzytPF1nmMm2UZ094lQN_jKj1QWkP_qcpd17G6BH1dxsF8660SWZRAZDE__i2TsP-b-oTK8/s400/druze+marsh+w+mike+bisson+and+carlos.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJDfoGYdzqHQEwnJshcNlY_0_mJ9vNA2Qdetlxv1NJLxzN7wkfFTTHdzs1rTPECA07NUgkmZl-u2_7DcYLFpozPgDiyWYi4PcTd7ydkYr4vFG1TWMUA7wNSobzQgguIB5bWkoUUA5isY/s1600-h/druze+marsh+w+carlos+and+april.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341757087253998674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJDfoGYdzqHQEwnJshcNlY_0_mJ9vNA2Qdetlxv1NJLxzN7wkfFTTHdzs1rTPECA07NUgkmZl-u2_7DcYLFpozPgDiyWYi4PcTd7ydkYr4vFG1TWMUA7wNSobzQgguIB5bWkoUUA5isY/s400/druze+marsh+w+carlos+and+april.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#ffff33;">Above: C. Cordoba and A. Nowell give a detailed stratigraphic description of their excavations at Druze Marsh in "downtown" Azraq.</span> </span></div><div> </div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Finally, we visited additional excavations in the Azraq area, many of them conducted many years ago by senior leaders of prehistory. Unfortunately these are difficult to describe (by such mentally challenged later prehistorians such as Yo) and are not so photogenic. However, Prof. G. did point out this early ancestral spider exeskeleton near the excavations.<br /></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS23Ul-crT3NEDYNBZC6vV9Vv96sclDJDyfPxuM5lg_bLFgG5vESSqICOkCWIYelv3xQJK4nSPDEZnycJ13vwfuniG6rAwAHZ6WFoHolhtT8ZTL_76RI_Z8gofXeKwwaumm534X3l43eo/s1600-h/ancestral+fossil+spider.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341722400244410610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS23Ul-crT3NEDYNBZC6vV9Vv96sclDJDyfPxuM5lg_bLFgG5vESSqICOkCWIYelv3xQJK4nSPDEZnycJ13vwfuniG6rAwAHZ6WFoHolhtT8ZTL_76RI_Z8gofXeKwwaumm534X3l43eo/s400/ancestral+fossil+spider.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Our blog may be quiet for the next few weeks, as Yo heads out to Wisad Pools, and Mo has little internet access. Wish us luck in our endeavours, and we hope to return with new photos of ancestral species, stuffed monkey visitors and exciting sites of the Middle East. </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-90627060376843299172009-05-22T00:27:00.007+03:002009-05-22T00:56:32.794+03:00On the road again<div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We'll apologize now to our fair readers -- near and far, devoted and not-so-very-ardent -- because we have started our field seasons, which will turn our occassional blogs into rare items. We hope to keep posting where Internet access allows, but that will be intermittent and, especially during much of June, probably non-existent. Hopefully, the new pictures and tales will compensate for the lack of frequency; at any rate they will certainly be more interesting than Yo's occassional whining about the winter weather and difficulty of finding good Thai food in Hyde Park. </span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Oh, we didn't blog on that yet? See? You should count yourself lucky already!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Mo is currently in Turkey working with the survey team of the Central Lydia Archaeological Survey</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><a href="http://people.bu.edu/chr/CLAS/Home.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://people.bu.edu/chr/CLAS/Home.html</span></a>, <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">a new country for her. Yo is in Israel preparing for the excavations at Marj Rabba, and hopefully will find some time to prepare his paper for a prehistory conference in Amman, Jordan. After that he will join Prof. G back out at Wissad for a few weeks of sun, sand and basalt. Mo will join them in mid-June. In late June, Mo and Yo return to the Galilee to launch the new Chalcolithic excavations.</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">So, we hope to post more soon. In the meantime, here is another image from the Shiqmim Subterranean world: </span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338398518187440306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNM82ZidYWq8S4wucs6JLegj4UNsIeHl0LsdZijV9xjGwJoZZa-fZlmXHm-p6l1BPvC0MSYY-24m9PkhE5o6M5zGETxxVin58d5jThi4pEfMpUgylQUXH3wgozTNliefwjXxlhv6otKY/s400/shiq89_07_123.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-17569692361148915162009-05-11T21:25:00.006+03:002009-05-11T21:34:38.874+03:0020 years ago in a subterranean chamber.....<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">While working on the publication of Shiqmim, a Chalcolithic site in the northern Negev desert, Yo is virtually rifling through old photographs. Here is one of Mo working in an underground chamber at the site 20 years ago when Yo met Mo, wearing her signature blue bandana*. </span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334634641118226802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFVHN1hkEUVz5WA9JjrZUtfCMx_iZ_SS51VxoQjUeVoD4yKxk1vrFeyc0lSz3ADEXglFDTcBF8LtYbdqDPK4Gq6Cl7CNvR56hnkcSXLmubrkImSAptQBzXaGBKRDtvIpm9SCR0CzgIz4/s400/shiq89_08_152.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">*later transferred to the hallmark Tilley hat.</span></p>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-63373551196894945782009-05-06T04:20:00.005+03:002009-05-06T16:21:11.177+03:00New Iraqi training initiative<span style="font-size:130%;">A press conference was held today to draw attention to a new State Department initiative providing funding for Iraqi archaeologists and conservators. Restricted by the former regime and the war, Iraqi archaeologists and conservators have been isolated from professional contact and developments in the field for nearly 20 years, while looting and destruction of archaeological sites has grown exponentially. 18 Iraqi professionals will each spend 6 months in Chicago learning new conservation and cultural heritage management techniques. They will also be attending a Chicago Cubs game and visiting Cahokia. The Field Museum and our colleague Jim Phillips is administering this two year program, which also involves professionals from the Oriental Institute. A short ABC clip features Jim and OI director Gil Stein, and yes, thats Mo in the background at one point.</span><br /><a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6795606">http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6795606</a>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-52754616198321794122009-04-29T05:35:00.008+03:002009-04-29T18:58:47.826+03:00New York, New Yorke<div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">After Mo's recent visit to DU, Mo & Yo re-grouped at LGA to visit NYC (how's that for a lot of abbreviations!?). After H. and B. bailed at the last minute, we luckily found room in a Manhattan hotel near the theater district. Mo was there for work this week; Yo was there to distract her and make a weekend of it. </span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330140685066237810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3cd5LaX5L1acYZPF2CNNjccR383ey_ftnPvKAvQQzF401HgmCxI6l_X32rnLfHp-iec75K3m7DHRcNWRSPH3YbSAbY7t-rwSuIVefPcrtNtDJvRQexbyedhOVEHQY04xYVwFXaF1m8M/s400/mo+camera+face.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Luckily the weather was perfect, if a bit warm by Sunday, and so we wandered all over the place. Although we wanted to get tickets for a play, we were too impatient to stand in long lines when there was so much to explore on such a nice day. We wandered through the Flatiron district, stopped at Washington Park, through the NYU campus and down to Tribeca; on the way we visited a farmer's market and enjoyed visiting various parks with trees in full blossom. </span><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330139631591996578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa0YOyImNrGhrlqnM-L3mfp7CHltqwhSoioM5_JHFP6D8Pqs5oMDMu2X0cYJUypv86TP85yV4taC8l75lehLnfhGI15_vGF5Oa-lA4XsKczL5ZoZHRqgtSY4qKRZy_eeuiBnT4oXJ0gA/s400/mo+%26+flat+iron+building.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#ffff00;"><strong>Mo at the Flatiron building.</strong></span> <br /></p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Although there was a jazz band playing in one park, there was a much larger crowd on the other side. Wandering over, it seems there was a dachsund convention -- there were hundreds of them, long hairs, short hairs, miniatures (?) and ones with fat bellies dragging on the ground. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330139636983090418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMN1p7i2byMb3ixilA1GyFtvYaytHhimA43OwlEOPpD3mlPDJwicA51AJmRRzI6zXMe7vPVJmjOOmomxaPnxPdH4YT4Lov39JrJTDEVVilcZCvr_G4Z1tklfwq7Kpz2VgmZz8aqPOay_U/s400/dachsund+convention2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330139623974631778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDQfKHKzMz6pLBIh4iJSBtXpCHSFKchi0kcrBVzNDBB03Ry23E-w3z7TqZYy94kGcoTWqE3jSJHpS9xaRxBaiWvx33ND5AHJeb9rESkCU3FGjsUNJFcDylq-ZFYY0NC5dF_WMi2lZMRs/s400/dachsund+convention4.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><strong><span style="color:#ffff00;"> Many hot dachsunds</span></strong><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330140679884455762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDFBXLRo3pZWNlH27Tdk3i9Fy-q4wRhTpJ631AdNVyqqN1SiB1NqE-YYvo0AMgOvthXwbySSbTaohw2We1xzkd2OIs2e7cUuhXxLlgSiSpHNMqNrWRoNyAc3H5qQw8v3xb5J5R1cviOI/s400/dachsund+convention3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">We stopped in Chinatown for lunch, and later we met JoGo and Pri in a coffee shop. On the way back up town, we stopped in a SoHo restaurant for martinis, a wonderful meal and ignored our blistering feet. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">The next day, after buying new flip flops for Mo so that she wouldn't have to spend another day walking around in tall winter leather boots, we headed out to Brooklyn to visit S, B, and their two boys. Yet another beautiful sunny (and increasing hot!) day was spent catching up. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Mo is still in Manhattan, talking to new contacts and friends. She might post separately on that. Last night was the gala event at the Archaeological Institute of America, a pricey affair that Mo wangled an invite to...honoring Harrison Ford. This was to include a "Greco-Roman cocktail reception and silent auction"...followed by a "traditional Maya feast" with awards presentation and live auction, closing with live music, dancing, with "international desserts and drinks". (Watch out for those dates!).</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Unfortunately, Harrison was a no-show. Perhaps he was worried that </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Mo would want to discuss portrayals of ethical archaeologists in his next I. J. movie. Apparently a good time was had by all anyway, and Harrison sent a video to accept his award. </span>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7841914705479965377.post-65538214211006663742009-04-23T02:42:00.007+03:002009-04-23T21:14:18.992+03:00Archaeology, Politics and the Media<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Many an archaeologist would like to claim, and may even believe, that archaeology has little to do with politics. But you don't have to look far to find archaeology that serves, or is used by, those with an agenda, whether it is for profit, land claims, nationalism or even to support (or disprove) religious beliefs - to name a few possibilities.<br /><br />Mo is on her way to a symposium planned by Professor Eric Meyers at Duke University entitled Archaeology, Politics and the Media,</span> </span><a href="http://jewishstudies.aas.duke.edu/center/announcements.php">http://jewishstudies.aas.duke.edu/center/announcements.php</span> </a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">for Thursday and Friday to address the ways in which archaeology is promoted, used, or misrepresented; it is free and open to the public. Her paper will be on "The Power of the Press Release and Popular Magazines on the Antiquities Trade". </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Other interesting stuff includes discussions by other luminaries such as Eric Cline “Fabulous Finds and Fantastic Forgeries: The Distortion of Archaeology by the Media (Pseudoarchaeology)", Jodi Magness "Confessions of an Archaeologist: Lessons I Learned from the Talpiyot Tomb Fiasco and Other Media Encounters” and Eric Meyers “The Quest for the Temple Mount: the Settler Movement and National Parks in Israel”, to name but a few. </span><br /><br />You can follow along on the blogosphere through Prof. Mark Goodacre (Duke), who will be posting on twitter at: </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/goodacre"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">http://twitter.com/goodacre</span></a>MMK and YMRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668515466179385868noreply@blogger.com3