Books by Alexander Fantalkin
For book reviews, see Hudon, J.P. 2017. AUSS 55/2: 310–312; Fales, M. 2018. PEQ 150/1: 80–84; Pierce, G.A. 2018. BASOR 380: 250–252. , Jan 2015
This monograph presents the final excavation report of Tell Qudadi (Tell esh-Shuna) located on th... more This monograph presents the final excavation report of Tell Qudadi (Tell esh-Shuna) located on the northern bank of the Yarkon river estuary into the central Mediterranean coast of Israel. As excavations were conducted in 1937-38 and were published only in a very preliminary form, the current authors offer a new chronological scheme for the impressive Iron Age fortress which shows two architectural phases. Their chronological down-dating assigns the fortress to the period between the second half of the 8th and the first half of the 7th centuries BC when the area was under Neo-Assyrian rule. Accordingly, the site formed part of a series of fortresses that were built on behalf of the Neo-Assyrian regime (sometimes by local vassals) at the estuaries of the major Palestinian rivers into the Mediterranean, which aimed at serving imperial goals and imperialistic policies, among which were protecting trade routes and emporia, projecting imperial power by a 'new architectural landscape' and supervising Phoenician trading activities. Based on the presence of Greek imports , the study of the site's Iron Age pottery assemblages allows one to reassess a number of contested chronological issues in a wider Mediterranean setting.
Tell Qudadi: An Iron Age IIB Fortress on the Central Mediterranean Coast of Israel (with Referenc... more Tell Qudadi: An Iron Age IIB Fortress on the Central Mediterranean Coast of Israel (with References to Earlier and Later Periods) Final Report on the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Excavations Directed by E.L. Sukenik and S. Yeivin, with the Participation of N. Avigad
Tel Aviv, 2001
For book review, see Boardman, J. 2002. Ancient West and East 1: 489-490.
For book reviews, see Kelder, J.M. 2010. AJA 114/2; Hawkins, R.K. 2010. Catholic Biblical Quarte... more For book reviews, see Kelder, J.M. 2010. AJA 114/2; Hawkins, R.K. 2010. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 72/4: 626-628; Maeir, A.M. 2013. Ancient West and East 12: 376-378.
Papers by Alexander Fantalkin
Classical Quarterly, 2025
This article deals with Hecataeus of Miletus fr. 310 Jacoby, featuring a curious list of islands ... more This article deals with Hecataeus of Miletus fr. 310 Jacoby, featuring a curious list of islands located along the Nile, and bearing Greek names such as Ephesus, Chios, Lesbos, Kypros and Samos. Scholars generally assume the list, composed in the late sixth or early fifth century, represents joint Greek emporia established on Egyptian soil, thereby serving as a reliable testimony to the emergence of collective Greek identities during the late Archaic period. The composition of the list, along with the contemporary historical, cultural and archaeological contexts of its place names, is examined with particular emphasis on the collective identities of the islanders. On this basis, it is contended that the list lacks any evidence pertaining to Greek commercial footholds or collective identities in Egypt. Rather, fr. 310 serves as a practical navigational mnemonic, delineating culturally familiar geographical landmarks to assist Greek sailors in traversing a complex foreign river passage. The fragment now emerges as a valuable historical document, illuminating Greek navigational knowledge and practices during the late Archaic period.
Contemporary Levant, 2025
This article offers an interdisciplinary analysis of Palestinian economic exploitation of margina... more This article offers an interdisciplinary analysis of Palestinian economic exploitation of marginal dunefields along the coast of the Southern Levant. It focuses on the agricultural rehabilitation and agrarian development of Rimāl Isdūd (around modern Ashdod) between 1870 and 1948. After outlining the area's long history, and presenting a novel typology of Palestinian sand/dune agriculture, the article sketches the transformation of an area long left in ruins and buried by sand into intensively-cultivated agricultural land during the Late Ottoman and British Mandate periods. It shows how Palestinian inhabitants challenged the ecological limitations of these supposedly marginal, sandy wastes, through their hard-work and determination within changing (and challenging) colonial, demographic and economic contexts.
Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 2025
The encounter between Josiah and Necho at Megiddo in 609 BCE (2 Kings 23,29) was a fateful event ... more The encounter between Josiah and Necho at Megiddo in 609 BCE (2 Kings 23,29) was a fateful event in biblical period history and theology. Yet, the archaeology of the site failed to supply information about this affair. Here we describe the finds of several post 732 BCE layers recently unearthed at the site, with special attention to Level X-3 of the late 7th century. The finds in this layer include an exceptional number of Egyptian-made pottery vessels as well as a significant number of East Greek pottery, usually interpreted as representing Greek mercenaries in the service of the 26th Dynasty. These finds shed light on the population of Egyptian-governed Megiddo and hence on the background of the 609 BCE event.
Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins , 2024
This article presents preliminary observations regarding the Iron Age remains uncovered at Yavneh... more This article presents preliminary observations regarding the Iron Age remains uncovered at Yavneh-Yam, with a focus on stratigraphic contexts, ceramic assemblages, and associated finds from each successive Iron Age horizon identified at the site. This overview offers a comprehensive framework for the concluding discussion on the broader regional significance of Yavneh-Yam across different stages of the Iron Age.
Advances in Archaeomaterials, 2024
This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary approach characterizing roof tiles excavat... more This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary approach characterizing roof tiles excavated at the Ashdod-Yam Byzantine church (Israel). Occupied from the late fourth/early fifth century CE, the building was destroyed by fire toward the end of the sixth century CE, sealed by tiles from the roof's collapse. The assemblage of 3846 roof tiles was initially classified through macroscopic and typological analysis. Selected samples were further subjected to optical microscopy of petrographic samples for provenance studies and ceramic technological insights, along with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The findings reveal the artifacts to be imported from the eastern Mediterranean ophiolitic complexes and from the Judean Hills. Additionally, fragments of painted ceramic roof tiles were tested using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to assess the composition of the pigments, examine their microstructures, and understand the manufacturing technologies used. Despite the presence of different types of roof tiles, the paint applied to some of them was found to be uniform, consisting of red, ocher-based pigment, likely sourced locally and applied during the roof's construction. This comprehensive examination on a relatively unexplored type of material sheds new light on specific construction choices during the Byzantine period in the southern Levant.
Ägypten und Levante/Egypt and the Levant, 2024
Megiddo is the most prominent example of urban centres restored by the Assyrians in the Levant du... more Megiddo is the most prominent example of urban centres restored by the Assyrians in the Levant during the late 8 th and 7 th centuries BCE. Past excavations revealed the remains of a city with a distinct orthogonal plan and large administrative structures functioning as the capital of a Neo-Assyrian province. The social composition and duration of its existence, specifically after the Assyrian withdrawal, are disputed. Due to the extensive exposure of the surface layers in the 1920s, it was believed that almost no undisturbed remains were left for modern field research. However, recent excavations in the northwestern sector of the mound have unearthed a sequence of layers, dated to the later phases of the Iron Age, that allow a high-resolution study of the city's development and the identity of its inhabitants in the post-732 BCE era. Especially noteworthy among the finds are the significant quantities of imported Egyptian and East Greek pottery .
Archäologischer Anzeiger , 2024
https://publications.dainst.org/journals/aa/article/view/4465
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This paper presents ... more https://publications.dainst.org/journals/aa/article/view/4465
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This paper presents the results of an archaeometric analysis examining bitumen and plastic earthen materials (PEM) samples brought to light at the Ashdod-Yam Byzantine church (Israel). The site, active from the late 4 th or early 5th century C.E., shows evident signs of destruction by fire towards the end of the 6th century C.E. This destruction was evident from the large number of shattered roof tiles embedded in a hard, earthen matrix, suspected to be composed of clay and bitumen. Selected samples from this destruction layer underwent examination through pXRF, WD-XRF, ESEM and thin-section petrographic analyses (TSPA). The goal was to determine the composition of the roofing material through cost-effective archaeometric techniques, investigate its microstructures, and discern the manufacturing technologies employed. While clay use in roofs is well-documented in Byzantine-period structures in the region, bitumen application as an intermediate layer between tiles and ceiling has not been previously recorded, thus offering a new insight into construction practices.
Tel Aviv 51/2: 238-278, 2024
Ashdod-Yam is an important archaeological site with a history spanning the Late Bronze Age to the... more Ashdod-Yam is an important archaeological site with a history spanning the Late Bronze Age to the early Islamic period. The Hellenistic period marked an important phase for the site, when its acropolis served as a military base. This report presents the interim results of recent excavations that focused on the Hellenistic period at Ashdod-Yam. Based on the numismatic and ceramic evidence, the stronghold was established in the first half of the 2nd century BCE and should be considered within the framework of Seleucid military activity. Although it is difficult to determine under which Seleucid king this military stronghold was initially commissioned, it was most probably reinforced in the days of Antiochus VII Sidetes by his general Cendebaeus and then destroyed by John Hyrcanus I towards the end of his reign. The precision in dating the Hellenistic occupation at Ashdod-Yam offers a rare window into the life of a 2nd-century BCE coastal military settlement, enriching our knowledge of the site and contributing new insights into the region’s historical and cultural developments.
Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies , 2024
The remains of the Iron Age at Ashdod-Yam (Ashdod-by the-Sea), located at the southern coastal pl... more The remains of the Iron Age at Ashdod-Yam (Ashdod-by the-Sea), located at the southern coastal plain of Israel, were first investigated by Jacob Kaplan between 1965 and 1968. Renewed excavations at the Iron Age compound
of Ashdod-Yam and at additional areas across the site were initiated in 2013, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University. This article presents an interim report of architectural remains and accompanying finds associated with the Iron Age sequence at Ashdod-Yam. The remains were attributed to two strata: Stratum IV (Iron Age IIB) and Stratum III (Iron Age IIC). This endeavor enables a new assessment and analysis of the site’s significance in a broader regional context during various stages of the late Iron Age.
STAR: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 2024
In this study we show the successful deployment of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) together with E... more In this study we show the successful deployment of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) together with Electrical Resistivity Surveys (ERS) in guiding the archeological excavations at Ashdod-Yam (southern coast of Israel). This approach enabled the precise identification of excavation targets relating to an Early Byzantine ecclesiastical complex located in a residential neighborhood of the modern city of Ashdod. Applied over the course of five years, the combined use of GPR and ERS, interspersed with phases of archeological excavation, not only facilitated an efficient exploration but also ensured the preservation of valuable historical structures. The geophysical data, corroborated by drone images of the post-excavation site, revealed a striking correlation between excavation and non-intrusive survey data. This study not only charts a successful excavation journey but serves as a methodological blueprint for future archeological explorations. The techniques and strategies detailed here have broader implications for the preservation and public presentation of historical sites.
In: Deutsch, R. and Lemaire, A. eds. Gabriel Tell this Man the Meaning of his Vision: Studies in Archaeology, Epigraphy, Iconography and the Biblical World in Honor of Gabriel Barkay, 2024
Journal of Late Antiquity, 2024
This paper introduces a technological and cultural biography of an exceptional copper-based belt ... more This paper introduces a technological and cultural biography of an exceptional copper-based belt buckle plate from ancient Jaffa. The exploration of intricate metalworking techniques and the cultural significance of this find provide new insights into late antique material culture in the Levant. Although similar buckles appear in museum collections around the world, few have archaeological provenience and, to date, none have been analyzed and published in terms of their material characteristics. This study establishes a metallurgical database for future comparative analyses, employing X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to characterize the buckle’s composition and manufacture. The results reveal the use of recycled metals, casting, cold fastening, and decorative finishing techniques, including contouring of the openwork shapes. The analysis finds no evidence of enameling, challenging existing theories about these buckles. A comparison of the crafting techniques and design elements of this belt buckle plate with those of similar buckles shows evidence of distinctive artisanal traditions. The socio-cultural inferences of its art and iconography are also explored in light of the geopolitical landscape after the Arab conquests. This study sheds light on the production and distribution of Levantine buckles and enriches understanding of their use in late antique culture and society.
Geoarchaeology, 2023
Excavations at Ashdod-Yam exposed a fortification system that features a massive mudbrick wall wi... more Excavations at Ashdod-Yam exposed a fortification system that features a massive mudbrick wall with large earthen ramparts laid on either side. This fortified horseshoe-shaped enclosure once surrounded what was likely a human-made harbor and an adjacent acropolis with complex earthen architecture, constructed and active during Iron Age IIB-C (eighth-seventh centuries B.C.E.). These Iron Age public structures are at the center of the current research. In this paper, we present the geoarchaeological analyses of Ashdod-Yam's earthen architecture. We applied a multidisciplinary methodology to new evidence for mudbrick manufacture with the goal of understanding the relationship between governing bodies and craftsmen. The analyses combine X‐ray fluorescence, loss on ignition, environmental scanning electron microscopy, and thin‐section petrography to investigate raw material procurement, manufacturing choices, and labor organization at Ashdod‐Yam during Iron IIB–C. Construction techniques and the standardization of the mudbrick recipe point to a local enterprise regarding the site's public earthen architecture. Furthermore, the degree of labor organization must have been closely observed and supervised by a central political power. Thus, it is argued here that construction and maintenance of the site was carried out by the kingdom of Ashdod, either as a part of its own local initiative or on behalf of the Neo‐Assyrian empire.
Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies , 2023
This study presents an assemblage of complete and fragmented clay-made boat models uncovered duri... more This study presents an assemblage of complete and fragmented clay-made boat models uncovered during controlled archaeological excavations from Yavneh-Yam, which is located on the southern coastal plain of Israel.
First, the relevant contexts from the Persian and early Hellenistic periods at the site that yielded these models are contextualized within the framework of contemporary geopolitical dynamics. Th is is in order to clarify the
geopolitical status of Yavneh-Yam during these periods and the crucial role of the Phoenician agency. A detailed presentation of the boat models follows, including their typology, petrography (thin-section), and technological examination. Finally, we discuss a possible function and use of this group of votive objects, with far-reaching implications for deciphering the possible Phoenician ritual practices related to Phoenician seafaring activity in the Mediterranean.
Liber Annuus , 2023
The recently discovered church at Ashdod Yam is unique in several respects. One is its early date... more The recently discovered church at Ashdod Yam is unique in several respects. One is its early date, the beginning of the fifth century at the latest, as is revealed by its rich epigraphic yield. Second, the large proportion of women among the dead buried within its walls, most if not all of them deaconesses. The third unexpected feature in the church inscriptions dated by an era year (five out of thirteen) is the chronological system consistently used in them all and confirmed by the accordance between the resulting CE year and the indiction. The epoch is 248/9 CE, the millennium of Rome, which was never employed for dating purposed, except as an anchor for the national era and the cosmic era of creation of the Georgians. As an hypothesis, we suggest that Georgian monks, disciples of Peter the Iberian, who frequented this part of the Palestinian coast, became acquainted with the chronological system revealed in this church (possibly adopted by Azotian Christians under Roman influence), chose it as a base for the elaboration of their national systems and later introduced these systems in Georgia, where they are documented only in the eighth century.
In: Horn, C. and Bäbler, B. eds. Wort und Raum. Religionsdiskurse und Materialität im Palästina des 4.– 9. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. , 2023
WORD AND SPACE INTERACTING drei Schiffe besais. Nach der ersten Grabungskampagne konnte nicht aus... more WORD AND SPACE INTERACTING drei Schiffe besais. Nach der ersten Grabungskampagne konnte nicht ausgeschlossen werden, dass die Kirche fun£ Schiffe besais. Zusammenfassend !asst sich sagen, dass die bisherigen Untersuchungen die Rekonstruktion einer dreischiffigen Basilika und eines angrenzenden, etwas breiteren Atriums im Westen ermoglichen. Auf der nordlichen Seite der Kirche existierten weitere Raume unbekannter Funktion. Der Bau der Kirche erfolgte, wie die Straisenschichten vermuten lassen, in der ersten Halfte des 5. Jahrhunderts n. Chr., wahrend in der zweiten Halfte des 5. oder im friihen 6. Jahrhundert n. Chr. eine aufwendige Renovierung stattfand. Die Keramikfunde lieferten kein aussagekraftiges Material. Sie unterstiitzen die Datierung der Kirche in die Blii.tephase der Stadt im 4. bis 6. Jahrhundert. Das Gebaude wurde wahrscheinlich am Ende der spatbyzantinischen Zeit verlassen. Dass mit Basilika B ein zweiter flachenmiillig sehr grofser und weitlaufiger Kirchenraum in Elusa gefunden wurde, !asst die Frage aufkommen, ob dies eine Besonderheit an diesem Ort darstellt, ob die Gemeinden dieser beiden Kirchen besonders reich waren und ein ausgepragtes Reprasentationsbedii.rfnis hatten oder ob Pilgerstrome mit vielen Glaubigen grofse christliche Versammlungshauser bedingten. Die wenigen Schriftquellen ergehen sich in volligem Schweigen hierzu.12 Archaologische Untersuchungen an weiteren vermuteten christlichen Sakralgebauden in Elusa sollen in Zukunft die Bedeutung des Christentums in Elusa klaren, auch in wirtschaftlicher Hinsicht.
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Books by Alexander Fantalkin
Papers by Alexander Fantalkin
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This paper presents the results of an archaeometric analysis examining bitumen and plastic earthen materials (PEM) samples brought to light at the Ashdod-Yam Byzantine church (Israel). The site, active from the late 4 th or early 5th century C.E., shows evident signs of destruction by fire towards the end of the 6th century C.E. This destruction was evident from the large number of shattered roof tiles embedded in a hard, earthen matrix, suspected to be composed of clay and bitumen. Selected samples from this destruction layer underwent examination through pXRF, WD-XRF, ESEM and thin-section petrographic analyses (TSPA). The goal was to determine the composition of the roofing material through cost-effective archaeometric techniques, investigate its microstructures, and discern the manufacturing technologies employed. While clay use in roofs is well-documented in Byzantine-period structures in the region, bitumen application as an intermediate layer between tiles and ceiling has not been previously recorded, thus offering a new insight into construction practices.
of Ashdod-Yam and at additional areas across the site were initiated in 2013, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University. This article presents an interim report of architectural remains and accompanying finds associated with the Iron Age sequence at Ashdod-Yam. The remains were attributed to two strata: Stratum IV (Iron Age IIB) and Stratum III (Iron Age IIC). This endeavor enables a new assessment and analysis of the site’s significance in a broader regional context during various stages of the late Iron Age.
First, the relevant contexts from the Persian and early Hellenistic periods at the site that yielded these models are contextualized within the framework of contemporary geopolitical dynamics. Th is is in order to clarify the
geopolitical status of Yavneh-Yam during these periods and the crucial role of the Phoenician agency. A detailed presentation of the boat models follows, including their typology, petrography (thin-section), and technological examination. Finally, we discuss a possible function and use of this group of votive objects, with far-reaching implications for deciphering the possible Phoenician ritual practices related to Phoenician seafaring activity in the Mediterranean.