Preseason Day 9

Today, Dr. Kate Birney took a look at some bowls found in a mudbrick bin in Grid 50 approximately 20 years ago. Most of the bowls are the same form, Hellenistic incurved rim bowls from the 2nd century, but different sizes. What this means is that it is possible to get an idea of the dish "set" -- think fine china -- that might be found in a household. In this case, however, think fine china at Ikea prices. Believe or not, these dishes are mass produced, inexpensive dishes found in many households.

Discussing Hellenistic casseroles

The vessels which people used for eating and drinking weren't the only subject of conversation today. Later in the morning, Dan and Kate engaged in a spirited conversation about the cultural significance of the diffusion of Hellenistic casseroles. 

All in a day's work during the Ashkelon preseason.

Preseason Day 8

Things are busy even during the offseason. Two of the biggest tasks? Pottery restoration and pottery drawing.

Tables filled with drawn and/or restored pottery

Today we started pulling out pottery that is back from drawing and restoration. During the season, staff members will check drawings against sherds (or whole vessels) to make sure the renderings are correct. Those pieces that haven't been photographed will be as they continue to move through the publication process. 

At the end of the season, we'll send off more pottery and the process will start over again.

We continue to enjoy amazing weather. Today it's 80 degrees and sunny with a stiff breeze. If only we could bottle this weather and keep it for the entire season!

Preseason ay 7

We've been here a week already and have settled in to the usual sleep, eat, and work routine. With the exception of one really hot day -- and some hazy skies afterwards -- the weather has been perfect. The scenery is just as wonderful. So today, it's the garden edition with a few pictures from around the park. Unfortunately, the flowers won't last too much longer but we can hope that the good weather sticks around.

We are a week away from the arrival of volunteers and the start of the season. More staff will arrive this week, a number of specialists and scholars will be visiting to discuss research projects, and we'll be meeting with the park director to go over our plans. Just another week on the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon.

Preseason Day 6

How quickly does the park reclaim shuttered excavation areas? 

Grid 23

We last excavated Grid 23 in 2008. Over the course of three seasons we uncovered an occupational sequence from the Hellenistic through the Crusader period. The centerpiece was a likely insula with units that shrank and expanded as the structure was renovated and rebuilt repeatedly. Today, after the winter's torrential rains, it is a beautiful garden.

Grid 47

Grid 47 was last excavated in 2012 and last cleaned in 2013. Over the course of five seasons of excavation we uncovered a Roman period odeon, as well as other architecture, and confirmed the results of John Garstang's excavations in the 1920s. The park may have free reign here now, but the odeon is scheduled for restoration. In a few years this area will look completely different.

The dingy sky in the photo? Khamsin. Happily, today is sunny and in the 70s with a fine breeze blowing. A great day to end the week.

Preseason Day 5

Omri, the director of national park where the ancient city of Ashkelon is located, took us on a field trip south of the fortifications. There, nature runs riot and ancient things are constantly appearing as the winter rains subside. It was a fascinating reminder of the role and importance of Ashkelon's hinterland throughout the city's history.

The trip also afforded us some very interesting views of the city.

Earlier in the day, it was business as usual with fencing in grids, updating computers, and analyzing pottery. It's been a busy week and the schedule only gets more intense as the start of the 2015 field season is a little over a week away.

Preseason Day 4

Believe it or not, we'll be excavating here in less then two weeks. 

Preseason Day 3

Took a ride out to Grid 51 with Gimi today. Inside, the grid doesn't look so bad -- Gimi and his crew have been hard at work. It's up top where you get a real appreciation of how much rain Ashkelon had during the winter.

Preseason Day 2

Work continued in the compound today. The morning's tasks included setting up the internet, further organizing the work spaces, conferring with Gimi and his team of workers, as well as other logistical matters. We also spent some time re-establishing benchmarks as planning turns towards cleaning and preparing the grids for excavation.

Remember our salvage excavation in Grid 32 last summer? Well, the area looks a little different now. (Click on the image to see more.)

A bit of a heat wave this week. We had a high of 97 today and a high of 104 is forecast for Wednesday. We may be looking at a hot summer.

Preseason Day 1

We are back in Ashkelon! Yesterday was all about staying awake long enough to attempt sleeping through the night.

Today, we got down to work. First up, taking a look at the pottery compound. Gimi did a lot of cleaning ahead of our arrival so we focused on allocating spaces for specialists -- everyone from the zooarchaeologists to the microarchaeology team -- pottery reading, registration, and more. 

We also took in our two new mobile offices.

Mobile office which replaced Container 9A

One office will be used by the GIS and microarchaeology teams, while the second will be used by staff members working on publication projects. These two spaces replace our lab which we closed down last year.

Ben also took inventory of the dig computers and got to work updating them for the season. This is a lengthy process, particularly with no internet in the compound as of yet, and will likely take several days to complete.

Table of sorted computers with the second mobile office in the background

The start of the 2015 field season is less then two weeks away!

Grid 51

Dr. Kate Birney will not be in charge of the daily supervision of Grid 51 this summer but she is always good for a brief comment on what is happening in the area. I asked her what we can expect from Grid 51 in 2015 and she told me, 

"When we left off last season, we had just uncovered a small area of the 604 B.C. Babylonian destruction layer. In it were two unfortunate victims, who had been crushed by the collapse of a building as the city was burnt to ashes. This summer, Grid 51 will be exposing this destruction layer across the entire 300 m2 grid."

Grid 51 at work

It promises to be a very busy, very interesting summer as we uncover more of the 604 B.C. destruction of Ashkelon.

The 2015 Field Season

The 2015 field season is right around the corner. As fun as it is to look back, it is time to turn our thoughts to the upcoming summer. We have a lot to do and some important questions to answer. The next two seasons will be devoted to investigating the following:

• the occupational sequence on the North Tell
• Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the city in 604
• the Roman period cardo

Grid 32 and the cardo:

It is a commonly held theory that the Roman period cardo and decumanus, the main north-south and east-west oriented streets of the city, influenced the subsequent development of Ashkelon well into the Islamic period. It is time to test that theory directly. 

Last season, a salvage excavation conducted in Grid 32, just outside the park offices, identified a familiar occupational sequence; monumental, likely public, Roman/Byzantine period architecture which was replaced by industrial, and possibly residential, structures in the Islamic period.  The stratigraphy was dense and the material uncovered strongly suggested we were close to one of Ashkelon's major streets.

During the 2015 season, we will move even closer to the presumed location of the cardo and open a 5 x 10 meter area as we expand our search for this important feature of the ancient city.   

 Destroyed walls in Grid 32

2015 Field Season

A little Ashkelon news as we continue to prepare for the rapidly approaching 2015 field season.

Josh Walton standing at the top of Grid 16

Congratulations to Dr. Joshua Walton, supervisor of Grid 16, who successfully defended his dissertation this month.

Applications are in and with the first wave of supervisors heading over in just five weeks, preparations are well under way for the upcoming season. This will be the second year of excavation in Grid 16 where work will continue to investigate the occupational sequence on the North Tell. 

Work will continue in Grid 51 where excavation should uncover further evidence for the 604 destruction of the city.

Supervisors Kate Birney and Jonathan Wylie discuss stratigraphy 

Finally, we will be opening a new area near last season's salvage excavation in a hunt for the Roman period cardo.

So, what about the accommodations in 1985? Well, this is what they look like today:

Campground where excavation members stayed in 1985

What a difference 30 years make. Obviously, it didn't look like this when the excavation was housed in the campground during the 1985 field season. The location couldn't be beat but the excavation stayed here only one year before moving down the street to the Shulamit Gardens Hotel. 

1985

The excavation of Ashkelon, initially sponsored by Leon Levy and Shelby White and now the Leon Levy Foundation, began in 1985. Under the direction of Lawrence E. Stager and Douglas Esse, the associate director, four areas were opened for excavation. One of those areas, Grid 38, would become the longest continually excavated area on site. Two other grids, 50 and 57, would become sites of long term excavation. The final area, Grid 34/41, which was excavated for only two seasons, held one of the best preserved buildings uncovered in ancient Ashkelon.

The first official photo of the excavation

As excavation began, some areas revealed their secrets quickly.

Fresco in church standing near Jerusalem Gate

Work didn't always move as quickly in other areas.

Grid 57

There are a lot of familiar names on the list of Ashkelon staff in 1985 but two stand out, two staff members still work with the excavation today. The first is Lawrence Stager and the second is Paula Wapnish.

Who else was at Ashkelon in 1985? What about the stories of the accommodations? Can they possibly be true? The answers to these questions and more coming soon.

We have two more seasons of excavation and are looking for volunteers to join us for the 2015 field season. You still have time to submit an application. Consider joining us and becoming part of the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon team.

Another Look

During the 1990s, it was not uncommon for grids to dress in costume and put on small-scale theatrical productions during Tell Tours. The picture below is a fun one. Can you identify the grid and/or the grid supervisor as well as the dig photographer? (The picture caption gives you a hint.)

Roman bath

In the previous "blast from the past," the photograph was of Aaron Brody standing in Grid 9 Square 38, an area that was opened in 1993. It was excavated for two seasons and produced one of the largest collections of Under-Glaze Painted Ware ceramics on site.  What are UGPW ceramics, you wonder? Check back to learn more.

I am overdue on starting with our dig retrospective -- it's coming soon.

Most importantly, we are still digging and accepting volunteer applications for the 2015 field season. Planning is well under way and we anticipate another exciting season. Half and full season  programs are available. 

Then/Now

I have some great pictures to share today. These came from Erin who worked at Ashkelon in 1999.

Grid 38 in 1999

Erin S.

We'd love to hear your story and see your pictures as we look back on almost 30 years of excavation.  

We'd also like to remind everyone, we aren't done yet! We have two more years of excavation and some important questions yet to answer. Whether you would be joining us for the first time or the second, there is still time to create more memories at Ashkelon.

Did you know?

In 1985, the expedition stayed in one of the park campgrounds. In 1986, the team moved to the Shulamit Gardens Hotel. That hotel eventually became the Dan Gardens Hotel. In 2014, the Dan Gardens Hotel closed mid-season and the expedition moved to the Leonardo Hotel.

The Final Two Seasons

Planning is well under way for the 2015 field season. As we gear up for excavation, another important date looms on the horizon -- the 2016 field season which will be the final season of excavation for the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon. That's right, after 30 years of excavation, generously funded by Leon Levy and Shelby White as well as the Leon Levy Foundation, we will complete our excavation of the ancient city of Ashkelon. 

Wow.

We still have a lot of work to do and many questions to answer. In the field, we are looking to better understand the 604 destruction of the city, to identify the complete occupational sequence on the North Tell, and to investigate the cardo, one of the defining urban features of ancient Ashkelon. Out of the field, the expedition's publication program is thriving with volumes on the Middle Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Islamic and Crusader Periods, the Hellenistic period, and a regional survey, well under way. Separate volumes on the Persian, Roman and Byzantine periods are also in the early stages of research and preparation.

As the final season approaches, it is fair to say that thoughts of previous seasons are intruding with greater frequency. Over the next few months, I'll touch upon some of the highlights of the excavation through the years; the people, the excavation, the objects. Have you ever excavated at Ashkelon? Do you have a story to share? If so, let us know, we'd love to hear them. 

Check back next week when we'll travel back in time to 1985 and the first season of excavation.

This winter isn't all about nostalgia, however. We are digging this summer and excited about introducing a new group of volunteers to the history and archaeology of Ashkelon. The application deadline is April 6th -- meaning, there is still time to submit one and join us for the experience of a lifetime.

I'll leave you with a blast from the past. Recognize anyone? What about the excavation area?

2015 Application Available

Planning is well under way for the 2015 field season. Once again, we'll be excavating on the North Tell as we work to uncover as complete an occupational sequence as we can from the Bronze Age through the Crusader period. In Grid 51, on the South Tell, we will continue our excavation of Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the city. This summer, we will also open a new area where we hope to uncover and excavate a segment of the city's cardo. It promises to be a great season. 

Looking for something exciting and unusual to do this summer? The 2015 Ashkelon Volunteer application is now available. 

BAR Dig Issue

Current and former members of the Ashkelon staff figure prominently in this month's issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. Look for them in "Digs 2015: Blast from the Past." More importantly, the issue includes important information about how to volunteer for excavations, including ours, that accept student volunteers for their summer programs.

Take a look.

Ashkelon in San Diego

The Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon was well represented at ASOR's Annual Meeting which was held at the San Diego Westin the week before Thanksgiving. A number of staff members chaired panels, while several others gave papers on subjects ranging from Islamic period Ashkelon and identity in early Roman Ashkelon to animal remains at Carthage.  In the midst of all the work, there was even a little time for staff to enjoy some good food together.

Dates for Ashkelon's 2015 field season have been set. The season will run from June 6 - July 17. Go here to learn more. The 2015 volunteer application will be available in the next week or so. As winter deepens, it is definitely not too early to start thinking about plans for the summer.

A Parting Shot

A little rain, a little baulk trimming, and what do you get? More information, of course. Shimi sent  a few more photos, one of which is below, before leaving Ashkelon. 

Mosaic floor in Grid 32

ASOR's Annual Meeting is fast approaching. This year the meeting is in San Diego and Ashkelon will be well represented.  Pictures and updates from sunny California coming soon.