Near Eastern archaeology
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Near Eastern archaeology is a regional branch of the wider, global discipline of archaeology. It refers generally to the excavation and study of artifacts and material culture of the Near East from antiquity to the recent past.[1]
Definition
The definition of the Near East is usually based around
The most common fields of study are biblical archaeology dealing with the region and history of the Bible; Assyriology dealing with Mesopotamia; Egyptology dealing with the history of Ancient Egypt; and prehistoric archaeology which is not tied to a region but instead deals with the origins of culture before the invention of writing.
Geographic subdivisions
Egypt
Egyptology is one example of a specialized branch that deals with the Nile Valley cultures of Egypt and associated regions in sub-Saharan Africa, the Sinai Peninsula to the east, and parts of North Africa. It includes language studies, history and archaeology and other related disciplines.
Southern Levant
The name Levant (or Syria-Palestine) is used to refer to the area adjacent to the east coast of the Mediterranean. The southern region included in this term encompasses Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and part of Jordan. Palestine was its ancient Roman and Byzantine name and was also in use during the Crusades (1095–1291), the period of Ottoman rule (1517-1917) and the British Mandate (1918–1948). The same region is also called the Holy Land, the Land of Israel, and Canaan. The foregoing names can be perceived as having political overtones, meaning that the more neutral, geographically based term the southern Levant has become popular with archaeologists who wish to refer to this area without prejudice or political orientation. In many contexts the Sinai Peninsula is also considered to be part of the southern Levant, although it is part of the modern state of Egypt. Archaeologically, it is distinguished from the heartland of Egypt, the Nile Valley and Delta.
Northern Levant
The term northern Levant can be used to refer to
Anatolia
The peninsula of Anatolia, most of modern Turkey, is bordered by several seas and includes parts of Northern Mesopotamia. The Tigris and Euphrates rise in Turkey and flow south into Iraq.
Cyprus
Cyprus (ancient Alashiya), a large island in the eastern Mediterranean was a separate cultural entity during most periods of human occupation. However, its proximity to both Anatolia and the northern and southern Levant was responsible for influences from and to both these regions. This was especially the case as Cyprus was an important source of copper for much of the region.
Mesopotamia
Iran
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula and its offshore islands is a separate geographical zone that has contacts with Sinai, the well-watered regions to the north, and by sea with the far-east.
Organisations
Due to the historic interest in the archaeology of the Near East, especially due to the biblical links of the area, there are a large number of organisations dedicated to the archaeological investigation of the region. These include the
See also
- Assyriology
- List of Assyriologists
- Levantine archaeology
- Genetic history of the Middle East
- Near Eastern Archaeology
- Near Eastern bioarchaeology
- ICAANE (International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East)
References
- ISBN 978-1-315-42769-0.
Further reading
- Richard, Suzanne (2003). Near Eastern Archaeology: A Reader. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 978-1-57506-083-5.