Debora Sandhaus | Ben Gurion University of the Negev (original) (raw)

Thesis Chapters by Debora Sandhaus

The Nexus of Cultures: The Shephelah during the Persian and Hellenistic Periods, 2022

In this dissertation, I address the questions of the formative phases of the Judean and Idumean i... more In this dissertation, I address the questions of the formative phases of the Judean and Idumean identities in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Hasmonean periods in light of colonial encounters. The Ha-Ela Valley served as the selected landscape for this study, as it acted as a border zone, making it ideal for understanding how different people act, react and interact with their peers, neighbours and newcomers. The innovation of this study stems from the approach used to study the archaeological evidence. The pottery is treated as a whole assemblage, part of a system that embraces practices and actions that can be traced in the material evidence. The data collected for this study focused on the material record of the Shephelah while adopting the notions of symbolism, distinction, boundaries, representations, and habitus as distinguishable features. Habits and practices were identified, as well as decoding patterns of behaviours shared by individuals and social groups that create a distinctive setting for human actions – the self-perception of the social group. Tablewares and cooking assemblages served as the main datasets since food and foodways are aspects of daily life that are significantly culturally charged, and changes, fluctuations, and adoption and rejection patterns of new traits can be tracked.

Books by Debora Sandhaus

Papers by Debora Sandhaus

Near Eastern Archaeology, Jun 1, 2013

The renewed excavations at Hazor concentrated on two areas in the Upper City: Area A in the cente... more The renewed excavations at Hazor concentrated on two areas in the Upper City: Area A in the center of the tell, and Area M on its northern edge. In both areas, a sequence of dense Iron Age habitation was uncovered, dating from the earliest to the latest phases of the Iron Age, until the Assyrian conquest of 732 b.c.e. (fig. 1). The rich architectural and material remains from the various strata of the Israelite city, the final analyses of which were recently published in Hazor VI (Ben-Tor, Ben-Ami, and Sandhaus 2012), shed light on various aspects of the life of Hazor’s population during the ninth and eighth centuries b.c.e. (fig. 69). The following is a brief account of the development of the Israelite city throughout this period, based primarily on the finds in Area A, with references to relevant finds in Area M (to be published in Hazor VIII). Stratum VIII

Hazor an account of the ... season of excavations, 2012

In the article I deploy an approach based on the specifics of settlement patterns, by analyzing t... more In the article I deploy an approach based on the specifics of settlement patterns, by analyzing the occupation, abandonment, and destruction of large, multilayered sites that existed over a long period of time—in our case from the fourth to the first centuries BCE. This approach follows that of researchers who use the material expression of abandonment, destruction, and decline processes in the archaeological record (La Motta and Schiefer 1999; Zuckerman 2007; Bocher and Freud 2017; Sandhaus and Kreimerman 2017). The underlying rationale focuses on patterns, and it claims that if we can identify different occupational patterns that repeat in certain areas and differ in a consistent way from those in other areas, these may reflect differences in the administrative system of each area and also allow for the definition of borders between two different administrative units, toparchies, or provinces.

Penn State University Press eBooks, Jun 18, 2021

Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look... more Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look at the Transition between the Persian and Early Hellenistic Periods. In: Honigman, S., Nihan, C. and Lipschits, O. (eds.), Times of Transition: Judea in the Early Hellenistic Period

Penn State University Press eBooks, Jun 18, 2021

'Atiqot 112: Hoard Typology, Function and Purpose in Ancient Societies, 2023

The Byzantine pottery found in Building 900 was retrieved from two Byzantine-period occupation ph... more The Byzantine pottery found in Building 900 was retrieved from two Byzantine-period occupation phases. Most of the pottery forms are of well-known types, characteristic of the Byzantine period in Jerusalem, both locally made and imported. The vessel types are domestic in nature, including utility vessels for cooking and serving, and tableware. Based on the pottery finds, the building seems to have been constructed in the sixth century CE, most likely during its latter half, and served for a short period of time.

New studies in the archaeology of Jerusalem and its region : collected papers. Volume 14, 2021

This article addresses the chronological anchors for Anette Nagar's excavation in the spot of the... more This article addresses the chronological anchors for Anette Nagar's excavation in the spot of the Gloria Hotel in Jerusalem. This excavation and its pottery are another piece of the puzzle of Jerusalem of the Roman period. Moreover, it provides information from good contexts for the Iron Age, the Roman and the Byzantine periods in Jerusalem.

Atiqot 106, 2022

Among the pottery finds from the Mount Zion excavations (see Re'em, this volume) were common type... more Among the pottery finds from the Mount Zion excavations (see Re'em, this volume) were common types of First and Second Temple period Jerusalem. Presented below is a brief typological description of the pottery finds from Strata IV and IVA, accompanied by contemporary parallels published in the major excavation reports of the Upper City of Jerusalem (Geva 2003; 2010; Geva and Rosenthal-Heginbottom 2003) and Masada (Bar-Nathan 2006). Among the finds were very few potsherds dated to Iron Age II (Fig. 1), not associated with any architectural remains. The finds from the Second Temple period originated in the bedding of the infrastructure of the stairs, within the infrastructure and from the built stairs (Fig. 2), as well as from the dump accumulation above the stairs (Figs. 3-6). The sherds were sorted and counted in the field, and diagnostic examples were illustrated; undrawn sherds that are important for understanding the assemblage as a whole are also discussed below.

Times of Transition: Judea in the Early Hellenistic Period, 2021

Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look... more Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look at the Transition between the Persian and Early Hellenistic Periods. In: Honigman, S., Nihan, C. and Lipschits, O. (eds.), Times of Transition: Judea in the Early Hellenistic Period

Tel Aviv, 2018

Recent inspection by the Israel Antiquities Authority has shed light on several issues related to... more Recent inspection by the Israel Antiquities Authority has shed light on several issues related to the history of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem:important data has been gathered regarding the character of the rock at the summit of the hill; knowledge of the drainage systems and the cisterns that have served the Temple Mount has been augmented; in several places ancient structures buried beneath layers of soil have been recorded; and several previously concealed architectural elements probably associated with the Second Temple period have been detected.

The Nexus of Cultures: The Shephelah during the Persian and Hellenistic Periods, 2022

In this dissertation, I address the questions of the formative phases of the Judean and Idumean i... more In this dissertation, I address the questions of the formative phases of the Judean and Idumean identities in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Hasmonean periods in light of colonial encounters. The Ha-Ela Valley served as the selected landscape for this study, as it acted as a border zone, making it ideal for understanding how different people act, react and interact with their peers, neighbours and newcomers. The innovation of this study stems from the approach used to study the archaeological evidence. The pottery is treated as a whole assemblage, part of a system that embraces practices and actions that can be traced in the material evidence. The data collected for this study focused on the material record of the Shephelah while adopting the notions of symbolism, distinction, boundaries, representations, and habitus as distinguishable features. Habits and practices were identified, as well as decoding patterns of behaviours shared by individuals and social groups that create a distinctive setting for human actions – the self-perception of the social group. Tablewares and cooking assemblages served as the main datasets since food and foodways are aspects of daily life that are significantly culturally charged, and changes, fluctuations, and adoption and rejection patterns of new traits can be tracked.

Near Eastern Archaeology, Jun 1, 2013

The renewed excavations at Hazor concentrated on two areas in the Upper City: Area A in the cente... more The renewed excavations at Hazor concentrated on two areas in the Upper City: Area A in the center of the tell, and Area M on its northern edge. In both areas, a sequence of dense Iron Age habitation was uncovered, dating from the earliest to the latest phases of the Iron Age, until the Assyrian conquest of 732 b.c.e. (fig. 1). The rich architectural and material remains from the various strata of the Israelite city, the final analyses of which were recently published in Hazor VI (Ben-Tor, Ben-Ami, and Sandhaus 2012), shed light on various aspects of the life of Hazor’s population during the ninth and eighth centuries b.c.e. (fig. 69). The following is a brief account of the development of the Israelite city throughout this period, based primarily on the finds in Area A, with references to relevant finds in Area M (to be published in Hazor VIII). Stratum VIII

Hazor an account of the ... season of excavations, 2012

In the article I deploy an approach based on the specifics of settlement patterns, by analyzing t... more In the article I deploy an approach based on the specifics of settlement patterns, by analyzing the occupation, abandonment, and destruction of large, multilayered sites that existed over a long period of time—in our case from the fourth to the first centuries BCE. This approach follows that of researchers who use the material expression of abandonment, destruction, and decline processes in the archaeological record (La Motta and Schiefer 1999; Zuckerman 2007; Bocher and Freud 2017; Sandhaus and Kreimerman 2017). The underlying rationale focuses on patterns, and it claims that if we can identify different occupational patterns that repeat in certain areas and differ in a consistent way from those in other areas, these may reflect differences in the administrative system of each area and also allow for the definition of borders between two different administrative units, toparchies, or provinces.

Penn State University Press eBooks, Jun 18, 2021

Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look... more Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look at the Transition between the Persian and Early Hellenistic Periods. In: Honigman, S., Nihan, C. and Lipschits, O. (eds.), Times of Transition: Judea in the Early Hellenistic Period

Penn State University Press eBooks, Jun 18, 2021

'Atiqot 112: Hoard Typology, Function and Purpose in Ancient Societies, 2023

The Byzantine pottery found in Building 900 was retrieved from two Byzantine-period occupation ph... more The Byzantine pottery found in Building 900 was retrieved from two Byzantine-period occupation phases. Most of the pottery forms are of well-known types, characteristic of the Byzantine period in Jerusalem, both locally made and imported. The vessel types are domestic in nature, including utility vessels for cooking and serving, and tableware. Based on the pottery finds, the building seems to have been constructed in the sixth century CE, most likely during its latter half, and served for a short period of time.

New studies in the archaeology of Jerusalem and its region : collected papers. Volume 14, 2021

This article addresses the chronological anchors for Anette Nagar's excavation in the spot of the... more This article addresses the chronological anchors for Anette Nagar's excavation in the spot of the Gloria Hotel in Jerusalem. This excavation and its pottery are another piece of the puzzle of Jerusalem of the Roman period. Moreover, it provides information from good contexts for the Iron Age, the Roman and the Byzantine periods in Jerusalem.

Atiqot 106, 2022

Among the pottery finds from the Mount Zion excavations (see Re'em, this volume) were common type... more Among the pottery finds from the Mount Zion excavations (see Re'em, this volume) were common types of First and Second Temple period Jerusalem. Presented below is a brief typological description of the pottery finds from Strata IV and IVA, accompanied by contemporary parallels published in the major excavation reports of the Upper City of Jerusalem (Geva 2003; 2010; Geva and Rosenthal-Heginbottom 2003) and Masada (Bar-Nathan 2006). Among the finds were very few potsherds dated to Iron Age II (Fig. 1), not associated with any architectural remains. The finds from the Second Temple period originated in the bedding of the infrastructure of the stairs, within the infrastructure and from the built stairs (Fig. 2), as well as from the dump accumulation above the stairs (Figs. 3-6). The sherds were sorted and counted in the field, and diagnostic examples were illustrated; undrawn sherds that are important for understanding the assemblage as a whole are also discussed below.

Times of Transition: Judea in the Early Hellenistic Period, 2021

Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look... more Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look at the Transition between the Persian and Early Hellenistic Periods. In: Honigman, S., Nihan, C. and Lipschits, O. (eds.), Times of Transition: Judea in the Early Hellenistic Period

Tel Aviv, 2018

Recent inspection by the Israel Antiquities Authority has shed light on several issues related to... more Recent inspection by the Israel Antiquities Authority has shed light on several issues related to the history of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem:important data has been gathered regarding the character of the rock at the summit of the hill; knowledge of the drainage systems and the cisterns that have served the Temple Mount has been augmented; in several places ancient structures buried beneath layers of soil have been recorded; and several previously concealed architectural elements probably associated with the Second Temple period have been detected.

Tel Aviv, 2015

Until recently, distinguishing between Late Persian and Early Hellenistic pottery assemblages in ... more Until recently, distinguishing between Late Persian and Early Hellenistic pottery assemblages in the Shephelah and the Hill Country of Judea was imprecise and somewhat elusive. Based on new numismatic data, two phases of Stratum III at Khirbet Qeiyafa can now be securely dated to this time span. Analysis of the respective pottery assemblages allows us for the first time to propose a clear distinction between the pottery of these two periods. Accordingly, a new dating for several sites in the Shephelah and the Hill Country is suggested.

... Titre du document / Document title. Survey and excavations of caves along the fault escarpmen... more ... Titre du document / Document title. Survey and excavations of caves along the fault escarpment above Horbat Qumran. Auteur(s) / Author(s). BARUCH Yuval ; MAZOR Gabriel ; SANDHAUS Debora ; Revue / Journal Title. 'Atiqot ISSN 0792-8424 Source / Source. 2002, vol. ...

New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region: Collected Papers, 2016

Recent inspection by the Israel Antiquities Authority has shed light on several issues related to... more Recent inspection by the Israel Antiquities Authority has shed light on several issues related to the history of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem:important data has been gathered regarding the character of the rock at the summit of the hill; knowledge of the drainage systems and the cisterns that have served the Temple Mount has been augmented; in several places ancient structures buried beneath layers of soil have been recorded; and several previously concealed architectural elements probably associated with the Second Temple period have been detected.

Times of Transition: Judea in the Early Hellenistic Period, 2021

Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look... more Kreimerman, I. and Sandhaus, S. Political Trends as Reflected in the Material Culture: A New Look at the Transition between the Persian and Early Hellenistic Periods. In: Honigman, S., Nihan, C. and Lipschits, O. (eds.), Times of Transition: Judea in the Early Hellenistic Period

Near Eastern Archaeology, 2013

2021, The Middle Maccabees Archaeology, History, and the Rise of the Hasmonean Kingdom (Edited by A. Berlin and P. Kosmin), 2021

We present new evidence for the location, size, and nature of Jerusalem in the early Hellenistic ... more We present new evidence for the location, size, and nature of Jerusalem in the early Hellenistic period, the third and second centuries BCE. The evidence derives from excavations in an area known as the Givʿati parking lot, which is situated on the western slope of the city’s southeastern ridge

Middle Maccabees: Archaeology, History, and the Rise of the Hasmonean Kingdom, 2021

In the article I deploy an approach based on the specifics of settlement patterns, by analyzing t... more In the article I deploy an approach based on the specifics of settlement patterns, by analyzing the occupation, abandonment, and destruction of
large, multilayered sites that existed over a long period of time—in our
case from the fourth to the first centuries BCE. This approach follows that
of researchers who use the material expression of abandonment, destruction, and decline processes in the archaeological record (La Motta and Schiefer 1999; Zuckerman 2007; Bocher and Freud 2017; Sandhaus and Kreimerman 2017). The underlying rationale focuses on patterns, and it claims that if we can identify different occupational patterns that repeat in certain areas and differ in a consistent way from those in other areas, these may reflect differences in the administrative system of each area and also allow for the definition of borders between two different administrative units, toparchies, or provinces.

Ramat Bet Shemesh Site 94/10: First Steps for the Understanding of Social Space Organization in Rural Hasmonean Shephelah – a View from Naḥal Yarmut, 2022

This article presents the results of salvage excavation on the Hasmonean Site 91/10 in the vicini... more This article presents the results of salvage excavation on the Hasmonean Site 91/10 in the vicinity of Naḥal Yarmut in the
framework of the long duration project of Ramat Bet Shemesh. The article analyzed the architectural plan of a domestic
complex (dated to late 2nd - first half of the 1st century BC) from a social-architectural perspective to pinpoint the
organization of the space inside the building. To do so, we implemented Hillier and Hanson’s space syntax theory, known
as access analysis. The complex, composed of various courtyards, rooms, and cellars, also included wine presses
installations and storage rooms. The access analysis results show a complex hierarchic system of relations between the
spaces concerning privacy and public areas. We suggest using this method which adds a new perspective to the perception
of the social organization of the Hasmonean rural society in the Shephelah.

Food Taboos and Biblical Prohibitions Reassessing Archaeological and Literary Perspectives, 2020

the levantine ceramics project 2016 workshop 5 aiar, jerusalem, dec. 30 th , 2016 Wares and Shape... more the levantine ceramics project 2016 workshop 5 aiar, jerusalem, dec. 30 th , 2016 Wares and Shapes of the Persian period (6 th-4 th c. BCE) in Israel We have two goals for this workshop: first, to work towards better definitions and descriptions of local wares of the Persian period, and second, to add this information, along with drawings and photographs of specific examples, to the LCP. We will discuss how to add vessels to wares and petro-fabrics already on the site, and also how to identity new wares. In the end we hope for a more refined and detailed view of the ceramic landscape in the Persian period.

We have two goals for this workshop: first, to work towards better definitions and descriptions o... more We have two goals for this workshop: first, to work towards better definitions and descriptions of local wares of the Persian period, and second, to add this information, along with drawings and photographs of specific examples, to the LCP. We will discuss how to add vessels to wares and petro-fabrics already on the site, and also how to identity new wares. In the end we hope for a more refined and detailed view of the ceramic landscape in the Persian period.

2nd international Conference

Conference: The Larger Context of the BIblical food Prohibitions