History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons^™

Eshta’Ol: A Protohistoric And Bronze Age Site In The Judean Shephelah, Amir Golani, Benyamin Storchan

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

This report presents the results of several excavations at Eshta’ol, which revealed occupation remains from six strata, dating from the Neolithic period to the Intermediate Bronze Age. These excavations were the first to identify occupational horizons dating to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B and Pottery Neolithic periods (Jericho IX/Lodite cultures), including significant flint and ceramic assemblages. The Early (Wadi Rabah) and Late Chalcolithic remains at Eshta’ol indicate a small settlement with two occupation phases. The large Early Bronze Age settlement at the site comprised at least four occupational phases, all associated with EB IB, reflecting a long-lived, preplanned rural village that …

Rishon Le-ẒIyyon, Winepress Park: The Coins, Helena Sokolov, Lior Sandberg

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavation at the Winepress Park in Rishon Le-Ẓiyyon uncovered 26 bronze coins, 22 of which were identified. The coins range in date from the fourth century CE to the Umayyad period. The earliest coin is of Constantius II, dated to 341–346 CE, while the latest coins are Umayyad Post-Reform issues. The coin data is consistent with the archaeological context of the excavation and confirms the excavator’s conclusion that the site can be dated to the period of the sixth–ninth centuries CE.

Rishon Le-ẒIyyon, Winepress Park: Byzantine Pottery / ראשון לציון, גן הגיתות: ממצא כלי חרס מן התקופה הביזנטית, Aviva Bouchenino, Ayelet Dayan

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavations at the Winepress Park in Rishon Le-Ẓiyyon uncovered a large pottery assemblage dated to the Byzantine period, including locally produced bowls, casseroles, cooking pots and bag-shaped jars, as well as bowls imported from Asia Minor, Cyprus and Tunisia. The rich and varied assemblage uncovered at the site, along with architectural remains, may indicate that this was a residential area—possibly a farmhouse inhabited by tenant farmers who operated the nearby winepresses. The pottery vessels served as a primary dating tool and contributed to establishing the site’s chronology. The ceramic finds, together with the numerous repairs identified in the winepresses, …

Rishon Le-ẒIyyon, Winepress Park: Remains Of Agricultural Activity From The Byzantine And Early Islamic Periods And Remains From The Ottoman Period And The British Mandate Era / ראשון לציון, גן הגיתות: שרידי פעילות חקלאית מהתקופות הביזנטית והאסלאמית הקדומה ושרידים מהתקופה העות'מאנית ומימי המנדט הבריטי, Ayelet Dayan, Aviva Bouchenino

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

Five excavation seasons conducted in and around the archaeological Winepress Park in Rishon Le-Ẓiyyon uncovered the agricultural hinterland of a settlement active during the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. The finds included architectural remains, three winepresses and several installations. The locally produced and imported domestic pottery from the Byzantine period suggests a residential zone—possibly a farmhouse—that likely served the tenants operating the nearby winepresses. The number and size of the winepresses indicate that wine production at the site was intended not only for local consumption but also for export. Activity at the site ceased during the Early Islamic period, when …

Shoham: A Byzantine-Period Farmhouse (Monastery?) / שוהם: בית אחוזה (מנזר?) מן התקופה הביזנטית, Israel Kornfeld, Ayelet Dayan

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

Two salvage excavation seasons conducted in the center of the Ḥamanyot neighborhood in Shoham uncovered the remains of a large building, adjacent tombs, a complex winepress and several additional agricultural installations, all dating to the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods (sixth–eighth centuries CE). The building can be identified as either a large farmhouse or a monastery. Its solid walls, agricultural installations and small finds—such as fragments of glass windows, a marble chancel-screen column and a marble table leg likely from an offering table—all indicate the presence of a church at the site, supporting the interpretation that the building functioned as …

The Arch And The Looking Glass: Umbli Cu Cioara Vopsitǎ, Ana Popescu

Masters Theses

The Arch and The Looking Glass: Umbli Cu Cioara Vopsită (You Are Walking Around with a Painted Crow)

A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics in the Department of Ceramics of the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island.

By Ana Popescu, 2025

Approved by Master’s Examination Committee:

Lesley Baker, Shoji Satake (Chair), Heather Bhandari, Tucker Houlihan

Date: May 17th, 2025

Location: Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island

To be opened for self-reflection in 10 years, on May 17th, 2035:

I’ve been mulling over how to make …

Modi‘In, Nofim Neighborhood: Remains From The Neolithic And Persian–Byzantine Periods / מודיעין, שכונת נופים: שרידים מן התקופות הניאוליתית והפרסית–הביזנטית, Elie Haddad

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

A vast salvage excavation was conducted in Complex N, an area designated for the construction of the Nofim neighborhood in Modi‘in. The excavation documented 130 find spots, including agricultural terraces, partition and boundary walls, dams, stone heaps, watchtowers, roads, winepresses, fences (pens), rock shelters, lime kilns, cupmarks, caves, shafts, cisterns and modern walls. It also revealed a fortress with adjacent casemate rooms dating to the Persian and Early Hellenistic periods, which could have been used by Persian military forces. Byzantine-period remains consisted of a farmstead, winepresses and terraces, indicating the agricultural character of the region.

The Unicorn And Christ – Metamorphosis And Symbology, Luis Mendonça De Carvalho, Francisca Maria Fernandes, Maria Fátima Nunes, Ana Maria Costa, Paula Nozes, Ana Paula Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The unicorn is a legendary chimaera that, for centuries, has been present in the mindset of Euro-Mediterranean cultures. Although its morphological description changed, tradition identifies it as an animal like a horse, albeit smaller and with a spiralling horn on its head pointing forward. The unicorn has been known since Antiquity, with references by authors such as Ctesias and Pliny. However, its relevance for medieval Europeans began with the Biblical references to this animal in several Old Testament verses. These verses gave legitimacy to the unicorn, and it was accepted as a tangible animal. During the Middle Ages and early …

Medusa's Metamorphosis: Art, Mythology, And The Changing Perception Of Female Power, Elizabeth Kehr

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

The evolution of Medusa’s iconography in ancient Greek art mirrors societal and cultural transformations. As attitudes shifted in relation to gender roles, power relationships, and morality changed, so too did images of the Gorgon. Following the course of development of Medusa’s image allows one to discover details of the thoughts and struggles the ancient Greeks had with concepts of power, womanhood, and monstrosity and otherness. Previous art historical research on Medusa has largely examined her function and evolution of visual depictions from the Archaic monster to Classical ideal. Few, however, have explored how and why these changes may be indicative …

Pedro Aceves Mfa Thesis, Pedro M. Aceves

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My Work is about looking at Cruising through a queer decolonial lens. Using multiple mediums such as photo, glass, Augmented reality, and film, I explore these queer histories and aesthetics through not just an anthropological approach but also an artistic epistemological approach weaving together narratives of prehispanic and modern queer Latinidad.

Pengembangan Pabrik Gula Banjaratma Sebagai Heritage Rest Area: Persepsi Terhadap Nilai-Nilai Pentingnya, Hasna Alya, Agi Ginanjar

Multikultura

The Banjaratma Heritage Rest Area is a form of development of the Banjaratma Sugar Factory with the concept of adaptation and revitalization. Until it was inaugurated as a rest area in 2019, the Banjaratma Sugar Factory still had the status of an Alleged Cultural Heritage Object (ODCB). This research reviews the suitability of the form of adaptation and revitalization of the Banjaratma Sugar Factory to UU No.11 of 2010 concerning Cultural Heritage and the perception of the significant values of the Banjaratma Sugar Factory. The method used is an archaeological research method, includes seven steps, including formulation, implementation, data collection, …

Lubiya (El-Khirbeh): A Late Hellenistic, Roman And Early Byzantine Village In Lower Galilee, Yardenna Alexandre, Michal Oren-Paskal, Gil Tsioni

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

A small archaeological excavation carried out in 2005–2007 on a hilltop in the Lavi Forest in Lower Galilee uncovered a small area of the village of Lubiya that was settled in the Late Hellenistic to early Byzantine periods. The earliest exposed building complex was constructed on the bedrock and comprised parts of two residential units with a shared long wall, an internal courtyard and several rooms. An underground complex beneath the units comprised individual basement storage elements that were subsequently joined to form an underground hiding complex, dated by the associated finds to the time of the First Jewish Revolt …

Rediscovering Ancient Greek Pigmentation, Cynthia-Rose Seeds

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This thesis paper will discuss various questions relating to pre-Greco-Roman Ancient Greek paint pigments. In recent years discoveries of paint samples on Ancient Greek sculptures and architecture are becoming increasingly common, contradicting the stereotype that history has made of Ancient Greece having a pristine white aesthetic in their artwork. (Brinkmann, 2008) The various paint pigments that can be found throughout excavations in Greece, as well as the general history of pigments, create a new narrative when it comes to the art of Ancient Greece. Using various evidence such as pigment samples, artworks, textual primary sources, and scholarly research, this thesis …

For The Birds, Charlotte L. Middleton

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

For the Birds is a homogenous material exhibition of porcelain pottery that explores the relationships between, expectations of, and roles placed upon women and pottery. Using traditional craft processes, still life imagery, and the language and limits of porcelain, I create arrangements that expose the viewers assumptions of both subjects. Pottery- pitchers, cups, and vases—is a product of anthropocentrism and anthropomorphism and can be entirely taken for granted- their role is assumed and unquestionable—to serve. The language and expectations of these objects are the medium I build with.

The title of the show, For the Birds, is both a …

Ras El-‘Amud, Jerusalem: A Scarab And Two Pithos Handle Impressions, Baruch Brandl

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavations at Ras el-‘Amud yielded a scarab and two stamped pithos handles, all recovered from Stratum III and dated to the Middle Bronze IIC. The scarab, attributed to the group of Late Middle Bronze Age Canaanite Scarabs, has only one published parallel from a Canaanite site. The two stamped pithos handles likely originated from a single pithos. Variations in the size and outline of their impressions, as well as in the location and size of the hieroglyphic signs, suggest they were made either from different plaques or from opposite faces of the same bifacial plaque. Both impressions have only …

Migdal, Ashqelon: The Glass Finds, Natalya Katsnelson

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The salvage excavation at Migdal, Ashqelon, unearthed some 85 glass fragments, including jars, bottles, a bowl, a bowl-shaped oil lamp, bracelets, beads and a windowpane. Most of the glass fragments were found in Ottoman- and British Mandate-period strata (III–I). Several fragments were found in Mamluk-period installations (Stratum IV), and only one fragment could be associated with the Roman–Byzantine period (Stratum V). Given the well-stratified context of the glass fragments, some of the uncovered types allow for more precise dating within the Ottoman period. As our knowledge of Late Islamic and early twentieth-century CE glass from settlements in southern Israel is …

Migdal, Ashqelon: The Ceramic Finds, Anna De Vincenz

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The ceramic material presented in this report was recovered from a salvage excavation conducted to the east of the mosque in Migdal, Ashqelon. Although most of the ceramic material was dated to the late Ottoman period, Late Roman–Byzantine ceramics, a few sherds from the Crusader period and a Mamluk-period assemblage were also uncovered. The Mamluk assemblage is characterized by imported glazed bowls and locally made, handmade geometric painted vessels. The Ottoman-period material is varied and comprises ceramics imported from Turkey, Greece and Italy. Black Gaza Ware characterizes the locally produced vessels. Smoking pipes and narghile were common at the site.

Migdal, Ashqelon: Remains From The Late Roman–Byzantine, Mamluk And Ottoman Periods / מגדל, אשקלון: שרידים מן התקופות הרומית המאוחרת–הביזנטית, הממלוכית והעות'מאנית, Ilan Peretz

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavation at Migdal, Ashqelon, uncovered remains from the Late Roman–Byzantine, Mamluk, Ottoman and British Mandate periods. It revealed a sequence of architectural remains, suggesting continuous occupation of the site during the thirteenth–fifteenth centuries CE, with a possible abandonment during the sixteenth century. During the seventeenth–eighteenth centuries, the site appears to have been resettled, and in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it underwent renewed construction. From the nineteenth century until the early 1950s, the area was continuously inhabited. Between the 1950s and 1980s, it was occupied by immigrants from North Africa, and by the 1980s, most of its buildings …

ʻAmqa: The Coins, Donald T. Ariel

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavations at ‘Amqa yielded seven coins, six of which are identifiable. Three of the coins are from the Hellenistic period, two are Byzantine and one is from the late Ottoman period. The Hellenistic coins, including one tetradrachm, support evidence of occupation at the site during this period. The Byzantine and Ottoman coins augment the architectural remains uncovered during the excavations, which indicate more substantial occupations at the site during these later periods.

ʽAmqa: Faunal Remains From The Late Fatimid–Early Crusader Periods, Nimrod Marom

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

This report analyzes faunal remains found in a building complex at ‘Amqa, primarily from the late Fatimid–early Crusader periods (eleventh–twelfth centuries CE). The assemblage consists mainly of cattle, sheep and goats, with a smaller number of camel, wild boar, equid, chicken and tortoise remains. Cattle bones, particularly from young individuals, are most prevalent, suggesting a focus on cattle rearing. Butchery marks indicate the use of tools for carcass processing, and bone fragmentation patterns suggest both intentional breakage and natural weathering. Comparisons with other sites from the same period highlight the unique predominance of cattle in ‘Amqa, possibly due to the …

‘Amqa: The Glass Finds, Yael Gorin-Rosen

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavations at ‛Amqa yielded about fifty identifiable fragments of glass vessels from the Late Roman–early Byzantine, the late Byzantine–Early Islamic and the medieval periods. The finds also included remains of glass production debris, such as raw glass chunks and a fragment from a furnace floor with raw glass adhering to it. The assemblage from ‛Amqa contributes to our knowledge of the vessel repertoire used in a rural settlement in the western part of Upper Galilee, mainly during the late Byzantine–Early Islamic periods. These vessels were likely produced in a local workshop in ‛Amqa or one of the nearby settlements.

ʽAmqa: Settlement Remains From The Iron Age, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine And Early Islamic Periods, Yardenna Alexandre, Michael Cohen

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

A salvage excavation at ‘Amqa, on the northern part of a hill located at the juncture of the ‘Akko coastal plain and the foothills of western Upper Galilee, revealed archaeological remains from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Iron II, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic and Ottoman periods. Small excavation areas distributed over the hill exposed fragmentary architectural remains from Iron II, and a coastal pottery assemblage from the Hellenistic period. The Roman-period remains of a village included the walls of four buildings associated with Galilean pottery. Larger-scale Byzantine-period building remains, including a public building and a storage complex, as well as an …

Haifa, Naḥal Aḥuzza A-10170/2025, Tal Lavi

Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports

In November 2025, a trial excavation was conducted in advance of the construction project “Ofer Moradot Freud” in Haifa (Permit No. A-10170/2025; map ref. 197775/743020; Fig. 1). The excavation took place on the western slope of Mount Carmel, east of Yod-Alef Ha-Sporta’im Street and north of Naḥal Aḥuzza (Ahuzza River), within the antiquities area Naḥal Aḥuzza [1] (61059/0). The excavation was conducted on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by Yael Oko. It was directed by T. Lavi (field photography), with the assistance of A. Azab (Haifa District archaeologist), N. Shahar (Haifa sub-district archaeologist), Z. Lotan and Y. …

Nahal Tamar (Tamar River) A-9979/2025, Avshalom Davidesko

Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports

In February–March 2025, a salvage excavation was conducted on the eastern bank of Nahal Tamar, west of Road 90 and of the access junction to Moshav ʽEn Tamar (Permit No. A-9979/2025; map ref. 545150/232580; fig. 1), prior to the installation of a Mekorot water pipeline. The excavation was carried out on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by Mekorot Water Company. The excavation was directed by A. Davidesko, with the assistance of Y. Alamor (administration), M. Kahan (aerial photography and plans), A. Fraiberg (aerial photography), I. Azoulay (drafting), D. Eisenberg-Degen (scientific giudance), G. Seriy (safety), and workers from …

Nahal Tamar (Tamar River) A-9978/2025, Avshalom Davidesko

Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports

In January–February 2025, a salvage excavation was conducted in the Nahal Tamar area, east of Road 258, approximately 3 km north of Zafit Junction (Permit No. A-9978/2025; map ref. 220626-894/552395-3084; Fig. 1), prior to the installation of a Mekorot water pipeline. The excavation was carried out on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by Mekorot Water Company. The excavation was directed by A. Davidesco, with the assistance of Y. Alamor (administration), A. Montague (drone photography and plans), A. Fraiberg (drone photography), L. W. Davies (flint), I. Azoulay (drafting), D. Eisenberg-Degen (scientific guidance), G. Seriy (safety), and laborers from …

Between Sde Boker And Mitzpe Ramon: Passing Bays, Highway 40, A-10140/2025, Nofar Lary

Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports

In September 2025, a trial excavation was conducted on Highway 40 (Permit No. A-10140; map ref. 174894-9185/518274-31301; Fig. 1), within preparation for the construction of passing bays. The excavation, conducted on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by Netivei Israel, was directed by N. Lary, with the assistance of T. Sapir (photography, field director), Y. Alamor (administration), A. Montagu (GPS, plans, and model), D. Varga (pottery), D. Degen-Eisenberg (consultant), S. Talis, G. Seriy, I. Radashkovsky, and A. Fraiberg (Southern District), along with laborers under contractual employment.

Caesarea Industrial And Business Park (ʻAl-Domiry) A-10145/2025, Anna Khalatov, Yotam Tepper

Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports

On October 2025, a trial excavation (Permit No. A-10145; map ref. 194335–41/708123–30; Fig. 1) was conducted in an area of dune sands, south of the Caesarea Industrial Park and north of Highway 65, in advance of the installation of an Israel Railways track. The excavation, carried out on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by Israel Railways, was directed by A. Khalatov (field photography) and Y. Teper (guidance), with the assistance of Y. Amrani and Z. Lotan (administration), S. Emmanuilov (surveying, documentation, and drafting), A. Dagot (GPS), A. Massarwa (sub-district archaeologist), A. ʻAzab (district archaeologist), and eight laborers.

Jerusalem, Ramat Rahel (West, Kathisma Site) A-10036/2025, Rina Avner

Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports

In early April 2025, a trial excavation was conducted south of the Kathisma site and south of the junction between Hebron Road and the main road descending eastward to the Har Homa neighborhood, approximately 200 m north of the Mar Elias Monastery (Permit No. A-10036/2025; map ref. 220137-51/627263-79; Fig. 1). The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by Moriah – The Jerusalem Development Corporation, was directed by R. Avner, with the assistance of M. Chernin (field supervision), N. Sapir (Jerusalem District), S. Halevi (photogrammetry), M. Cimadevilla (drafting), and laborers.

Elat, Shehoret Industrial Zone, A-10054/2025, Tal Sapir

Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports

In April–May 2025, a trial excavation was conducted northwest of Elat, in the Shehoret Industrial Zone (Permit No. A-10054/2025; map ref. 196507/390351; Fig. 1), in advance of the construction of Reservoir 2. The excavation was carried out on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by Mekorot – Israel’s National Water Company. The excavation was directed by T. Sapir (field photography), with the assistance of Y. Alamor (administration), A. Montague (surveying and aerial photography), A. Azoulay (plans), D. Degen-Eisenberg (scientific guidance), Y. Radashkovsky (aerial photography) and G. Seriy of the Southern Negev District.

Nahal Tamar (Tamar River) A-9980/2025, Avshalom Davidesko

Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports

In February–March 2025, a salvage excavation was conducted on the eastern bank of Nahal Tamar, west of Road 90 and of the access junction to Moshav ʽEn Tamar (Permit No. A-9980/2025; map ref. 546070/233150; fig. 1), prior to the installation of a Mekorot water pipeline. The excavation was carried out on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by the Mekorot Water Company. It was directed by A. Davidesko, with the assistance of Y. Alamor (administration), M. Kahan (aerial photography and plans), A. Fraiberg (aerial photography), I. Azoulay (drafting), D. Eisenberg-Degen (scientific supervision), G. Seriy (safety), and workers from …