Palestinian Department of Antiquities Research Papers (original) (raw)

The museum presents archaeological artifacts, architectural elements, and stucco decoration, providing a range of information to visitors about the site’s rich history and aspects of daily life in the Umayyad Palace and the adjacent agricultural estate. In addition, a series of 16 new site interpretation panels were also produced, covering the history of exploration, material culture, including ceramics, glass and coins. The reorganization of the museum was carried out within the framework of cooperation between the Palestinian Department of Antiquities, the Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago in partnership with Al-Nasher Advertising Company and Medmack consulting Group and funded by Compete project.

This is a presentation of beautiful Umayyad mosaics that originate from
Hisham’s palace (Qasr Hisham) in the oasis of Jericho in Palestine. These mosaics date from the first half of the eighth century, during the time of Umayyad Caliphate of the early Islamic period. Some visitors have had the privilege of seeing the mosaics revealed, but no one has experienced the impact of all these pavements since they were first excavated in the 1930s and 1940s. A few mosaics have been published in the original presentation of Hamilton and Grabar (1959), but these were only very fine aquarelle paintings taken from the originals. In 2010 the Palestinian Department of Antiquities uncovered, cleaned, and assessed the state of conservation of all these mosaics. Then a series of high quality digital photographs was prepared by a team from the Department, composed of M. Diab, I. Hamdan, N. Khatib, S. Ghazal, R. Sharaia, under the direction of H. Taha. We are pleased to offer the present selection as an opportunity to appreciate this triumph in early Islamic art. These images speak for themselves

- by Hamdan Taha and +1
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- Islamic Studies, Ancient Mosaics, Umayyad and Abbasid History, Jericho

Khirbet Bal'ama is located at the southern entrance of Jenin. It is identified with ancient Ibleam which was mentioned in the ancient in the Egyptian Royal Archive in the fifteenth century BC. During the classical period. It was known as Belmont, and in the Medieval period as castellum Beleismum. Excavation at the site under the direction of H. Taha led to the discovery of the ancient water system, the means by which the inhabitants of ancient Bal'ama accessed to the Bir es-Sinjil spring at the base of the mound. It was designed to be used primarily in times of war and siege. The tunnel consist of three parts, the archway at the lowest entrance. the rock cut tunnel going upward to the west and the unfinished upper passage. The excavation uncovered 115 meter of the stepped tunnel and evidences from Bronze Age, Iron Age, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Umayyad, Mamluk and Ottoman period. The tunnel was rehabilitated as an archeological park and is now open to visitors.

- by Hamdan Taha and +1
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- Ancient water systems, Palestinian Department of Antiquities

This article published in This Week in Palestine provides an historical review of the role of the Palestinian Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage since its re-establishment in 1994 to 1913. It is a short version of my article... more

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Palestine, History of Archeology, Palestinian Department of Antiquities

The book “Tell Balata; Changing Landscape” gives an account of the implementation of the ‘Tell Balata Archaeological Park’ project from 2010 till 2014. Funded by the Government of the Netherlands this project was implemented through UNESCO by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (DACH/MOTA) and the Faculty of Archaeology of the University of Leiden, with the editors as co-directors. The goal of the project was to give a good start to the protection of the famous archaeological site of Tell Balata (ancient Shechem), near Nablus, and to a social connection of this archaeological heritage with the local community. A better appreciation of the site by national and international visitors had to be developed and tourism enhanced, giving an economic benefit as well.
In order to improve the current situation the site was dealt with in two lines of archaeological activities, which are reflected in the book. Firstly the (re)discovery and (re)interpretation of archaeological remains by site clearance and study of the remains excavated from 1913 till 1973, and by some additional excavation (Parts A, B and C). Secondly social archaeology was applied, such as distribution of interpretive knowledge, and site management (Parts D and E).)
Part A concerns the history of archaeological excavation and management. Interest for the site came after identification with ‘Shechem’ and a discovery of bronze weapons and tools. The mainly German excavations by E. Sellin (1913-1934) and the American ones by G.E. Wright (1956-1968/1973) are discussed. For this not only publications were used, but also archives, especially the rich one of the American Joint Expedition collected by Ted Campbell, and placed in the Semitic museum of Harvard University.
Part B deals with the 2010 clearance of the site and a detailed assessment of the currently visible remains compared with their excavated condition, distinguished as 23 areas of interest on the site. Changes and unstable parts were noted in order to prepare future consolidations, restorations and possibly reconstructions.
Part C describes the 2011 excavations in four areas, mainly aiming at a clearer chronological view. One result is the relation between the ‘cyclopean’ city wall (MB IIC) and the lime-earth works put up against it at that same time. Other results concern the relation between LB and Iron Age remains at different spots. Excavations alongside the recent road-cut through the western part of the site gave a third dimension to that interesting section and Late Chalcolithic or EB I remains.
Part D discusses the implementation of community involvement, like activities dealing with local oral history (with a booklet as a result), education (resulting in a Teacher’s Handbook), an Open Day, etc. Also discussed are activities of site promotion, with the sign-posting and leaflets, as
Part E deals with specific aspects of site management such as fencing, consolidation and restoration, but also activities of site promotion. These include the construction of a visitor’s centre (‘Interpretation Centre’) with a museum room, an interpretation hall, with a documentary movie about the site, including 3D animations. Also a visitor’s trail was made and a guidebook became available. Finally site staff was appointed and the project’s management plan was rewritten for future management of the site.

The archaeological site of Bir el-Hamam, located on the northern top of Mt Ger-izim, Nablus, in Palestine, was discovered in 2001 during preparatory work for the construction of the 'House of Palestine', a rotunda style residence for Mr. Munib al-Masri. In that same year, a salvage excavation was carried out by the Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and staff and students from An-Najah National University, directed by H. Taha (2015). The archaeological remains of a small monastery were preserved in situ in the lowest floor of the building as a complete self-contained public archaeological site. The archaeological site included a complex of household installation and spaces , such as an open courtyard, a rain-fed cistern, a stable, and a kitchen. It also included a room with a mosaic floor with fragments of religious texts. This room gave access to an exceptional space of a chapel with colourful mosaics and a dedicatory text for three deceased 'brothers, lovers of Christ'. A nicely decorated chancel screen separated the holy eastern part, the bema, with its altar table, from the main room. This chapel, combined with the chandeliers found, indicates that the compound concerns a small monastery (Kooij, 2015, p.7). The management plan of the site was based on an agreement between the private owner of the land and the Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage , the public owner of the archaeological remains, in order to keep this heritage site accessible for the public. As a result in 2004 a series of restorations and consolidation works were implemented, and measures were taken to ensure that the site is accessible and visitor friendly. A wooden visitor's trail was made, hanging in and over the architectural remains, and a museum room with an exhibition was added to present the site.

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Syro-Palestinian archaeology, Byzantine Archaeology, Monasteries, Nablus

The site of esh-Sheikh Ahmad el-Qatrawani is located between Birzeit and Atara, ca 13 kms north of Ramallah. The site features a common Islamic saint tomb from the Mamluk-Ottoman period. According to the local traditions, the site was named after Sheikh Ahmad el-Qatrawani, a holy person from the village of Qatara, north of Gaza. The maqam is composed of one room, with two semi-spherical domes and a small courtyard in from of it. It is built on the ruins of a Byzantine church dating to the 5th century AD. The Byzantine remains consisting of a church, a cistern, a wine-press belongs to a monastery which was occupied for a short period. The plan of the monastery is more close to the laura type with the utilization of a natural grotto in front of the building. The whole monastery was surrounded by enclosure wall, part of it is still preserved on the western side of the site.

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Palestine, Byzantine Archaeology, Byzantine monasticism, Islamic shrines

Following the Palestinian-Israeli transitional agreement in 1993, responsibilities on archeology was transferred to the Palestinian side in Areas A and B (ca. 40%) of the Palestinian Occupied Territory. In area C powers and responsibilities responsibilities will be transferred gradually to the Palestinian side, eventually this will include the entirety of the Palestinian Occupied Territory in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza. According to the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, final negotiations were to be completed by May 1999, but the mutually agreed timetable that called for power transfer has been delayed and never implemented by the Israeli government.
The Palestinian Occupied Territory within the borders of 1967 contained ca. 7.000 sites, classified as the following: 350 historic centers, 2.000 major archeological sites, 5.000 archeological features and ca. 60 .000 historical buildings. Almost 50% of these sites are located in Area C.
This article was published in: This Week in Palestine, November, 2015: 56-63.

It is a systematic catalogue of Archeological sites in Jericho area for the sake of its protection, management and cultural valorization. It provides a comprehensive archeological data-base for archeological sites and features in Jericho area, supplemented with a historical introduction, history of exploration, current archeological activities, chronological table, maps, plans and a detailed bibliography. This Catalogue, edited by Lorenzo Nigro, Maura Sala and Hamdan Taha was published in ROSAPAT 7 in the framework of joint cooperation between the Palestinian Department of Antiquities and the University of Rome “La Sapienza.

- by Hamdan Taha and +1
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- Cultural Heritage Management, Jericho, Palestinian Department of Antiquities

The Palestinian Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage has been in existence now for two decades since its re-establishment in 1994. This article, published in Patrimoine en Palestine, Enjeux et obstacles de sa mise en valuer, edited by Rene Elter is an updated version of the article “The Current State of Archeology in Palestine”, published in 2010.

The Palestinian Department of Antiquities inherited differing sets of archeological and cultural heritage legislations. The numerous sets of previous laws (Ottoman, British Mandate, Jordanian, and Israeli Occupation) are generally out of date and sometime even contradict one another. The new draft of Palestinian cultural heritage law takes in consideration the, historical, scientific, legal and conceptual development of archeology to the present time. It ensures effective measures for protection of cultural heritage and in combat against illegal digging and illicit trade of cultural properties in Palestine. The article presents the role of the Technical Committee for Archeology, established in 1992 by the Palestinian Negotiation team and the first activities of the National Campaign for the Preservation of Archeological and Cultural Heritage in Palestine launched by this committee.

The village of 'Asira esh-Shamaliya, the birthplace of Dr. Moawiyia Ibrahim, is located on a hill slope, 6 km north of Nablus. The name was identified with Hazeroth (Haserot), of the Samaria Ostraca, dated to the eighth century BC. Some scholars identified the site with Asor, Esora of the classical period. It was mentioned in the medieval sources with Azere as part of the territory of Neaplis. In the Ottoman dafters
of late 16th century the village was fiscally part of Nahiya Jabal Sami a district in Liwa Nablus. In some travelers records the city was indicated with the name 'Asiret el-Hatab, meaning the 'Asira of timber. The city was famed as a main centre in olive oil production.
Archeological surveys in the village indicate that 'Asira esh-Shamaliya was occupied during the Iron Age I, Iron Age II, Late Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman periods. The historic core of the village is composed of a series of residential quarters. A series of tombs were excavated in the village in 1997 and 2007 on behalf of the Palestinian Department of Antiquities, furnishing a primary source on the cultural history of the village.

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Rural Tourism, Nablus, Palestinian Department of Antiquities, Archeology of Palestine

Remains from the early Roman period (first century AD) were uncovered in the courtyard of the UNRWA school in the site of Suwwanet eth-Thiniya in Jericho, one and a half km north of Tell es-Sultan on the southern bank of Wadi Nu’eima, west of the Jericho-Beisan road. The salvage excavation was carried out on behalf of the Palestinian Department of Antiquities in 1997 following bulldozing fifteen holes in the courtyard of the UNRWA school. The excavation was carried out within the framework of the Emergency Clearance Campaign of Archeological Sites Palestine, funded by the Dutch Government. Excavation was carried out in four squares in the western part of the damaged area. Three main strata were distinguished in the excavated area. The main occupation (stratum I) is featured by a series of rooms, dating to the early Roman period.

The site of Khirbet el-Mafjer, identified with Hisham’s palace is located on the northern bank of Wadi Nu’eima, ca 4 km north of the city of Jericho in the Jordan Valley. In 2006, sixty years after the last season of excavation at the site, a small scale of excavation was carried out in the northern part of the bath (Squares I and II) by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities under the direction of H. Taha. The excavation aimed to fix the stratigraphic history of the site. Four main strata were discerned in the excavated area.

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Jericho, Palestinian Department of Antiquities, Khirbet el-Mafjar

Before the transfer of archeological authorities to the Palestinian side in 1994, there was no formal Palestinian body for management of archaeological sites in Palestine, and sites
remained as they were left before the Israeli occupation in 1967. Therefore, a high priority was given to the excavated sites which had been left abandoned without much protection, such as Tell es-Sultan in Jericho. The project for re-evaluation of Tell es-Sultan has been developed in cooperation with different international institutions, especially the University of Rome, La Sapienza. The main objective of the first phase was to carry out an archeological assessment of the site in order to determine its state of conservation and priorities for future research and interventions.

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Heritage Conservation, Jordan Valley, Management of Archaeological Heritage, Jericho

There were many factors leading to the start of a heritage management project at Tell Balata. Scholarly and public discussions were held about the “value” of the site, the archeological remains had been suffering from physical neglect since the end of the American excavation in 1973. The management project was funded by the Dutch government and implemented by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities in cooperation with the Faculty of Archeology at Leiden University and the UNESCO Office in Ramallah.
This article presents the results of the first two years of work, 2010-2011. It is noteworthy to mention that the joint project at Tell Balata was concluded in 2014, and a series of publications appeared in this period, including a Teachers Handbook, a Guidebook and a final report titled Tell Balata A Changing Landscape, co-edited by the authors of this article.

- by Gerrit van der Kooij and +1
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- Palestine, Bronze Age (Archaeology), Palestinian Department of Antiquities, Tell Balata Archeological Park Project

Palestine’s rich heritage encompasses innumerable archeological and historical sites. Yet many factors threaten the survival and sustainability of its cultural heritage. The joint programme of the UNDP and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities will target the conservation and protection of cultural heritage sites through establishment of eleven local museums in Nablus, Jenin, Hebron, Sabastiya, Bethlehem, Tulkarem, Dura, Si’ir, Al-Shuyukh, Ne’lin and Beit Rima.

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Palestinian Department of Antiquities, Site Museums

The site of Tell el-Mafjar is located in the northern bank of Wadi Nu’eima, 2 km north of the city centre of Jericho. Two seasons of excavations in 2001, 2002 were carried out by the Joint Palestinian-Norwegian expedition within the framework of the joint cooperation between the Palestinian Department of Antiquities and the University of Bergen in Norway. The excavation was undertaken under the general direction of H. Taha and R. Halland, assisted by J. Yasin and N. Anfinset as field directors.

In 2011, in the Limelight section, This Week in Palestine magazine (August 2011, 2) interviewed Dr. Hamdan Taha, the deputy Minister and Director General of the Palestinian Department of Antiquities on the role of archaeology in Palestine. In this interview Dr. Taha stated that Archaeology is a tool to reconstruct the past and to construct the future.
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This inception report on illicit traffic in cultural property in Palestine was published in the proceedings of the regional workshop on Preventing and Fighting Illicit Traffic in Cultural Property, organized in Beirut, Lebanon, in November 2009, within the framework of Euromed Heritage Programme in Cooperation with UNESCO regional office in Beirut and the Directorate General of Antiquities in Lebanon.

The site of Jiser Abu Ghabush is located ca. 3km north of Jericho, on the southern bank of Wadi Nu’eima. It was the first salvage excavation organized by the new established Palestinian Department of Antiquities. Previous archeological investigations were carried out in the site in 1986 by G.M. Landes on behalf of the Albright School. The new excavation was conducted by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities in 1994 under the direction of H. Taha. Two main strata were discerned, Stratum I dating to the Late Roman Period, and stratum II, dating to the Late Chalcolithic period.

Archeological Heritage in Palestine: The Combat against Looting Palestine represents a severe case of systematic plunder of its archeological sites, illicit trade and... more

On a scarred hillock of barren soil, shaded by a square of white canvas, a group of determined Palestinians has started to reclaim the ancient history of their people.
Hamdan Mohammad Taha, the Palestinian Authority’s director of archeological excavations in the Jericho area, explained the importance of the tiny oblong hole he and his assistants have dug under a blazing sun in this desert oasis.
“In the last 100 years, archeology was a foreign affair for most Palestinians,” he said. “It was connected with people who come and dig in Palestinian soil, and then remove what they find. We are trying to change the view of the average people, to teach them that archeology is about history--their history.”

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Syro-Palestinian archaeology, Dead Sea Scrolls, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jericho

Archeological remains have been recovered in different spots within the boundaries of the old town of Jericho, particularly in the area of the Russian convent. A mosaic floor dating to the Byzantine period was uncovered by a Russian team at the end of the nineteenth century. In 2010, within the framework of the project for construction of the Russian museum in Jericho, a salvage excavation was carried out in the area in June-September 2010 by a the Palestinian-Russian expedition, under the direction of H. Taha and L.A. Beliaev.

- by Hamdan Taha
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- Byzantine Archaeology, Jericho, Palestinian Department of Antiquities, Russian Museum

This popular special issue of Focus appeared in 2005 in both Arabic and English is dedicated to cultural heritage in Palestine. It reflects the many years of cooperation between the Palestinian Department of Antiquities in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the United Nation Development Programme/ Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People in the area of heritage preservation. The joint work included Al-Bad museum in Bethlehem, Hebron, Old city of Nablus, Khirbet Bal’ama, Deir Istyia, Arrabeh, Khirbet Irtah, Kour, Barqawi Castle in Shofeh, Blakhyia (ancient Anthedon), Al-Basha palace, Jabalyia and the Hamam es-Sumara in Gaza. My article “Managing Cultural Heritage in Palestine” gives a general introduction to cultural heritage in Palestine.
صدر هذا العدد الخاص من مجلة "فوكس" سنة 2005 باللغتين العربية والانجليزية وهو مكرس لموضوع التراث الثقافي في فلسطين، ويعكس السنوات الطويلة من التعاون المشترك ما بين دائرة الاثار في وزارة السياحة والاثار وبرنامج الامم المتحدة الانمائي/برنامج مساعدة الشعب الفلسطيني في مجال التراث الثقافي، والذي شمل متحف البد في بيت لحم والخليل ونابلس القديمة وخربة بلعمه ودير استيا وعرابة وبرقين وخربة ارتاح وكور وقلعة البرقاوي في شوفة وموقع البلاخية (أنثيدون القديمة) وقصر الباشا وجباليا وحمام السمرة في غزة. وتقدم مقالتي في هذا العدد فكرة عامة عن حالة التراث الثقافي في فلسطين.