Tell Bet Shemesh
Excavations start on June 15
The Israel Field School at Tell Bet Shemesh, directed by Professor Arthur Bankoff of Brooklyn College, runs from mid June to late July and allows students the amazing opportunity to study and enjoy for eight weeks.
In 2008, in four weeks, the student crew excavated 15 5x5-meter trenches at Tell Bet Shemesh, uncovering architecture and material mostly from the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1400–1200 BCE). More than just drudgery, the digging left the students excited and exhilarated about the finds and gave them a real appreciation of the wealth of history in every inch of Israeli soil.
The finds from the 2008 season were especially thrilling and important for understanding the history of occupation and cultural change on the site, comprising as they did a large exposure of a massive Late Bronze Age (ca. 14th – 12th century BCE) destruction layer. Finding complete ceramic vessels, an Egyptian scarab and other artifacts from these contexts increased the students' enthusiasm.
For 2009, we expect to return to Tell Bet Shemesh to do further work on the Late Bronze Age remains uncovered this past season. The experienced directors and staff have proven to be excellent, both archaeologically and pedagogically, providing an unforgettable learning experience for our students. The site is of intrinsic historic and theoretical interest. Its location in the center of the country minimizes worries about security. It is far enough from large cities to make casual travel inconvenient, but close enough for students to experience them and other parts of the country on weekends.
Last year we were able to work out a closer collaboration with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. As in 2008, our program will be associated with the Rothberg School's Summer Institute in Middle Eastern Studies, which runs through July. Thus, our students will also be able to take courses in Middle Eastern history and culture through the Summer Institute, while Hebrew University students will be able to enroll in the Brooklyn College courses that comprise the Israel: Then and Now program in June and July. This synergy benefits both programs.
