Dina Shalem | Israel Antiquities Authority (original) (raw)
Books by Dina Shalem
Land of Galilee 6, Ostracon, 2020
Results of the survey of Map No. 3 of the Israel Survey (Shomera map in western Upper Galille), i... more Results of the survey of Map No. 3 of the Israel Survey (Shomera map in western Upper Galille), includes 144 sites dating from prehistoric to Ottoman periods, various maps, color illustrations, plans and figures of finds. Discussions relating to period and finds. Bilingual (Hebrew and English).
Land of Galilee 2, 2013
The unique Chalcolithic burial cave was unexpectedly discovered in Peqi‘in, Upper Galilee in the ... more The unique Chalcolithic burial cave was unexpectedly discovered in Peqi‘in, Upper Galilee in the summer of 1995. It was clear from the first glance that the view spread before the excavators of stalagmites, stalactites, ossuaries, burial jars and skeletal remains was of an outstanding nature.
The cave was first used for temporary occupation during the early Chalcolithic period. Later, it was converted into an extraordinary cemetery where a large variety of objects was found, attesting to cultural connections with other regions and particularly, with the Golan Heights. The main findings were dozens of ossuaries decorated with hitherto unknown painted and sculpted iconography. The vast number of ossuaries, burial jars and skeletons representing at least 600 individuals indicate that the cave served as a central burial ground where these Chalcolthic peoples practiced ancestor worship. The findings illustrate the high cultural, technological and artistic level of the makers of these items as well as the rich spiritual life of their community. The selection of Upper Galilee as the final resting place for their tribal ancestors demonstrates for the first time the significant role played by this hitherto poorly known region.
This volume concludes the excavation and research that followed it and opens new horizons for the study of the Chalcolithic period.
Papers by Dina Shalem
Archaeology of Symbols ICAS I: Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Archaeology of Symbols, 2024
Geoarchaeology, 2023
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is frequently used for archaeological studies rela... more Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is frequently used for archaeological studies related to fire, allowing, among other things, researchers to distinguish between unheated and heated clay minerals. However, heat signatures are not always clear-cut in infrared spectra of bulk sediments, as Geoarchaeology. 2023;1-8. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/gea | 1 This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
“And in Length of Days Understanding” (Job 12:12): Essays on Archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond in Honor of Thomas E. Levy, 2023
'Atiqot, 2023
This paper presents the slingstone assemblages recovered from two large-scale excavations at the ... more This paper presents the slingstone assemblages recovered from two large-scale excavations at the Late Pottery Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic (c. 5800-4500 cal BCE) sites of 'En Ẓippori and 'En Esur. Based on contextual, morphometric and other archaeological data, we suggest that during this time, the slings and slingstones were used as weapons. The high number of slingstones found within the settlements, and the traits of systematic production they reflect (formalization, standardization and time-consuming manufacturing), point to an organized production of weapons, interpreted as an escalation in the preparations for war, alluding to the possible existence of local power centers in the region.
Eretz Zafon: Studies in Galilean Galilean Archaeology, 2002
Tracking the Neolithic in the Near East: Lithic perspectives on its origins, development and dispersals, 2022
Masters of Fire: Copper Age Art from Israel. Exhibition Catalogue, 2014
נַחֲלָתוֺ: A Memorial Volume for Adam Zertal, 2021
Cities, Monuments and Objects in the Roman and Byzantine Levant: Studies in Honor of Gabriel Mazor, 2022
Mausolea built of 'free standing' sarcophagi that were once covered with heavy, impressive, gable... more Mausolea built of 'free standing' sarcophagi that were once covered with heavy, impressive, gabled lids and bear protruding bosses on their short front side are one of funerary phenomena defined during the archaeological survey of the Shomera map (Western Upper Galilee). The largest mausoleum, at Horbat Dur, includes six sarcophagi, of which two are double, that stand in a row on a low podium. The second mausoleum, located at nearby Iqrit, includes five sarcophagi of which one is a double sarcophagus with a double boss designed as two altars. The third mausoleum, at Horbat Kukhim, has two sarcophagi placed on a high podium. These mausolea are located next to settlements and date to the Roman or possibly Byzantine periods. They are unique to the Upper Western Galilee, which is the southern boundary of their distribution area that begins in southern Turkey.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Israel Exploration Journal, 2014
Israel Exploration Journal, 1997
Paléorient, 2022
Three types of stone vessels from surveyed and excavated sites in Israel are presented and discus... more Three types of stone vessels from surveyed and excavated sites in Israel are presented and discussed: bowls with very small lug handles attached to the rim, bowls decorated with an incised row of lozenges on their exterior and chalices with a solid pedestaled base. The first two types are usually made of limestone, while the chalices are made of basalt. Each of the types was found in at least two sites and are associated only with Early Chalcolithic (ca. 5800-4500 BCE) remains, thus proposed to be characteristics of the period in central and northern Israel. Moreover, their high quality, relative scarcity and significance suggest they were prestige vessels.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2021
The production of alcoholic beverages is connected to a wide range of activities associated with ... more The production of alcoholic beverages is connected to a wide range of activities associated with growing social complexity. Beer production has a long history in the southern Levant, where the first evidence appeared during the later Epipalaeolithic period. However, there is meager evidence between then and the Early Bronze Age period, when advanced regional trade systems developed. To fill this gap, the current paper presents evidence for beer production and consumption based on microfossil analysis of two ceramic strainers unearthed at two Chalcolithic sites: Tel Tsaf (ca. 5200-4700 cal. BC), a settlement site in the Jordan Valley with evidence for large scale storage and long-distance ties, and Peqi'in Cave (ca. 4500-3900 cal. BC), a burial site in the Upper Galilee. The microfossils (phytoliths, starch granules, yeast cells, and fibers) indicate that both strainers once contained fermented beverages made from Triticeae (wheat/barley), Panicoideae, and Cyperus tubers. These results suggest that beer production and consumption using strainers may have been regularly practiced during different phases of the Chalcolithic, and beer appears to have played an important role in various social settings for communication among social groups as well as between the living and the deceased.
Near Eastern Archaeology, 2011
Nature communications, Sep 20, 2018
In the original version of this Article, references in the format 'First author et al.' w... more In the original version of this Article, references in the format 'First author et al.' were inappropriately deleted. These errors have been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Land of Galilee 6, Ostracon, 2020
Results of the survey of Map No. 3 of the Israel Survey (Shomera map in western Upper Galille), i... more Results of the survey of Map No. 3 of the Israel Survey (Shomera map in western Upper Galille), includes 144 sites dating from prehistoric to Ottoman periods, various maps, color illustrations, plans and figures of finds. Discussions relating to period and finds. Bilingual (Hebrew and English).
Land of Galilee 2, 2013
The unique Chalcolithic burial cave was unexpectedly discovered in Peqi‘in, Upper Galilee in the ... more The unique Chalcolithic burial cave was unexpectedly discovered in Peqi‘in, Upper Galilee in the summer of 1995. It was clear from the first glance that the view spread before the excavators of stalagmites, stalactites, ossuaries, burial jars and skeletal remains was of an outstanding nature.
The cave was first used for temporary occupation during the early Chalcolithic period. Later, it was converted into an extraordinary cemetery where a large variety of objects was found, attesting to cultural connections with other regions and particularly, with the Golan Heights. The main findings were dozens of ossuaries decorated with hitherto unknown painted and sculpted iconography. The vast number of ossuaries, burial jars and skeletons representing at least 600 individuals indicate that the cave served as a central burial ground where these Chalcolthic peoples practiced ancestor worship. The findings illustrate the high cultural, technological and artistic level of the makers of these items as well as the rich spiritual life of their community. The selection of Upper Galilee as the final resting place for their tribal ancestors demonstrates for the first time the significant role played by this hitherto poorly known region.
This volume concludes the excavation and research that followed it and opens new horizons for the study of the Chalcolithic period.
Archaeology of Symbols ICAS I: Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Archaeology of Symbols, 2024
Geoarchaeology, 2023
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is frequently used for archaeological studies rela... more Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is frequently used for archaeological studies related to fire, allowing, among other things, researchers to distinguish between unheated and heated clay minerals. However, heat signatures are not always clear-cut in infrared spectra of bulk sediments, as Geoarchaeology. 2023;1-8. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/gea | 1 This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
“And in Length of Days Understanding” (Job 12:12): Essays on Archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond in Honor of Thomas E. Levy, 2023
'Atiqot, 2023
This paper presents the slingstone assemblages recovered from two large-scale excavations at the ... more This paper presents the slingstone assemblages recovered from two large-scale excavations at the Late Pottery Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic (c. 5800-4500 cal BCE) sites of 'En Ẓippori and 'En Esur. Based on contextual, morphometric and other archaeological data, we suggest that during this time, the slings and slingstones were used as weapons. The high number of slingstones found within the settlements, and the traits of systematic production they reflect (formalization, standardization and time-consuming manufacturing), point to an organized production of weapons, interpreted as an escalation in the preparations for war, alluding to the possible existence of local power centers in the region.
Eretz Zafon: Studies in Galilean Galilean Archaeology, 2002
Tracking the Neolithic in the Near East: Lithic perspectives on its origins, development and dispersals, 2022
Masters of Fire: Copper Age Art from Israel. Exhibition Catalogue, 2014
נַחֲלָתוֺ: A Memorial Volume for Adam Zertal, 2021
Cities, Monuments and Objects in the Roman and Byzantine Levant: Studies in Honor of Gabriel Mazor, 2022
Mausolea built of 'free standing' sarcophagi that were once covered with heavy, impressive, gable... more Mausolea built of 'free standing' sarcophagi that were once covered with heavy, impressive, gabled lids and bear protruding bosses on their short front side are one of funerary phenomena defined during the archaeological survey of the Shomera map (Western Upper Galilee). The largest mausoleum, at Horbat Dur, includes six sarcophagi, of which two are double, that stand in a row on a low podium. The second mausoleum, located at nearby Iqrit, includes five sarcophagi of which one is a double sarcophagus with a double boss designed as two altars. The third mausoleum, at Horbat Kukhim, has two sarcophagi placed on a high podium. These mausolea are located next to settlements and date to the Roman or possibly Byzantine periods. They are unique to the Upper Western Galilee, which is the southern boundary of their distribution area that begins in southern Turkey.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Israel Exploration Journal, 2014
Israel Exploration Journal, 1997
Paléorient, 2022
Three types of stone vessels from surveyed and excavated sites in Israel are presented and discus... more Three types of stone vessels from surveyed and excavated sites in Israel are presented and discussed: bowls with very small lug handles attached to the rim, bowls decorated with an incised row of lozenges on their exterior and chalices with a solid pedestaled base. The first two types are usually made of limestone, while the chalices are made of basalt. Each of the types was found in at least two sites and are associated only with Early Chalcolithic (ca. 5800-4500 BCE) remains, thus proposed to be characteristics of the period in central and northern Israel. Moreover, their high quality, relative scarcity and significance suggest they were prestige vessels.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2021
The production of alcoholic beverages is connected to a wide range of activities associated with ... more The production of alcoholic beverages is connected to a wide range of activities associated with growing social complexity. Beer production has a long history in the southern Levant, where the first evidence appeared during the later Epipalaeolithic period. However, there is meager evidence between then and the Early Bronze Age period, when advanced regional trade systems developed. To fill this gap, the current paper presents evidence for beer production and consumption based on microfossil analysis of two ceramic strainers unearthed at two Chalcolithic sites: Tel Tsaf (ca. 5200-4700 cal. BC), a settlement site in the Jordan Valley with evidence for large scale storage and long-distance ties, and Peqi'in Cave (ca. 4500-3900 cal. BC), a burial site in the Upper Galilee. The microfossils (phytoliths, starch granules, yeast cells, and fibers) indicate that both strainers once contained fermented beverages made from Triticeae (wheat/barley), Panicoideae, and Cyperus tubers. These results suggest that beer production and consumption using strainers may have been regularly practiced during different phases of the Chalcolithic, and beer appears to have played an important role in various social settings for communication among social groups as well as between the living and the deceased.
Near Eastern Archaeology, 2011
Nature communications, Sep 20, 2018
In the original version of this Article, references in the format 'First author et al.' w... more In the original version of this Article, references in the format 'First author et al.' were inappropriately deleted. These errors have been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Technological and social practices can be deciphered by deployment of multiple techniques that ha... more Technological and social practices can be deciphered by deployment of multiple techniques that have been developed in the last years for the study of sun-dried and heated mud bricks. This research analyzed for the first time the chain of operational processes involved in the manufacture of heated mud bricks in the Neolithic of the Southern Levant. Heated mud bricks (and associated soil/sediment controls) were studied from four Neolithic sites in Israel; the submerged Pre-Pottery Neolithic C (PPNC) site of Atlit-Yam, the coastal PPNC site of Bene Beraq, the submerged late Pottery Neolithic/ Early Chalcolithic (PN/EC) site of Neve Yam and the coastal PN/EC site of 'Ein Asawir. In all sites, the bricks have been found in open areas within the settlements, in semi-circular concentrations of either pits or piles. The bricks have been characterized macroscopically (shape, size, color pattern) and a variety of micro-geoarchaeological techniques have been used to characterize the mud brick materials (and control soils/sediments) from the four sites. These included, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Electrical Conductivity (EC), pH analysis, calcite content measurements, Loss on Ignition (LOI), phytolith analysis, and petrography. The results show that all bricks have been produced from sediments from the sites' vicinities. PPNC mud bricks are generally devoid of any type of temper and have been heated to a relatively wide range of high temperatures (600-900°C) under heterogeneous atmospheric conditions. PN/EC mud bricks are enriched in calcite and include vegetal temper, and have been heated to a relatively narrow range of temperatures (500-700°C) that is lower than that observed in PPNC mud bricks, and under standard oxidizing conditions. The grass component of temper in the PN/EC bricks may originate from emmer wheat, based on phytolith morphological analysis. Interestingly, FTIR criteria for heated clay minerals preserve underwater for millennia, and so do phytolith assemblages; these observations indicate that micro-geoarchaeological proxies can (and should) be utilized in studies of marine submerged prehistory. Overall, a diachronic perspective on the operational chain of PPNC and PN/EC mud bricks, from raw material procurement through tempering, moulding and firing is provided, which may be translated into developing pyrotechnological practices in light of increasing social complexity during the Neolithic. We propose that purposeful tempering by emmer wheat (agricultural by-products) may be related to socioeconomic factors such as symbolic addition of domestic surplus and that temper diversity in the PN/EC may also mirror sedentary life where domestic waste accumulated on local soil/sediment and thus incorporated into mud bricks. Furthermore, we propose that the more standardized pyrotechnological characteristics of PN/EC bricks are related to increased social control over this skill/craft.
Studies in Archaeology and Ancient Cultures in Honor of Isaac Gilead edited by Haim Goldfus, Mayer I. Gruber, Shamir Yona and Peter Fabian Archaeopress, 2019
