Israel Antiquities Authority – Laboratories

This article is the second and final part of our study session about the Israel Antiquity Authority – See Article Here.

There are four main laboratories at Har Hotzvim, for the conservation and preservation of stone, glass and fabric, pottery and metal finds. At the archaeological site, it is crucial to identify each object, and the exact locus of each find is documented – for example, whether on the floor, in a jug, etc., and at what depth and so on. Each object has an identity card plus a drawing or photograph.

Pottery is the dominant material of excavations. In the lab it is washed, spread on a table and marked with the season, site and exact location, and license number. They are then put together as far as possible, and finally the gaps are filled in with plaster of Paris which is strengthened and coloured to maintain visual coherence. An object which is considered to be complete and restored is not necessarily totally complete. Most (99%) vessels are symmetrical, so as long as one full side is constructed, it is considered complete. (It is fully reconstructed by the artist who draws the object).

There are different categories of objects:

Pitos – the largest; Amphora – with two handles, tapering, used for wine or oil; Jars – with two handles; Cooking pots – round and heat resistant; Jugs – with one handle , for dipping; Amphoriscus – small container for dipping; Large bowls, bottles, lids, plates and lamps.

Metal is preserved to continue studying. Solutions for cleaning are used according to corrosion. After cleaning, the object is put into sterilized water to neutralize it to prevent further deterioration. As far as possible, the method used is mechanical (hand) under magnifying glass.

Each object is also photographed or drawn to scale.

APPENDIX

Antiquities Law   (http://www.amnumsoc.org/inc/israel.htm)

Excavation, ownership and dealing in antiquities is strictly regulated in Israel. 

 The Israel Antiquities Authority has a legal mandate from the State to protect Israel’s archeological heritage. Therefore, as soon as a construction company uncovers archeological remains it must contact the Antiquities Authority so the site can be excavated. Only after all excavation has been completed and the necessary artifacts removed from the site can construction continue. Religious issues arise when ancient graves are discovered in a site. According to Halacha (Jewish law), respect for the dead is of the utmost importance, and hence graves are not to be disturbed. Israel is a minefield of archeological remains, and severe archeological and economic problems are created by the obstacles to construction arising from strict application of Halacha. Despite claims by the Ultra-Orthodox that construction can occur over graves (if their presence is not known) or around them, it is nearly impossible to build any roads, buildings, or tunnels without the relocation of gravesites. 

The following is an extract from the Antiquities Law of the State of Israel (1978) which replaced British Mandatory Antiquities Ordinances.

Definitions
Antiquity: any object, whether detached or fixed, which was made by man before the year 1700 of the general era, and includes anything subsequently added thereto which forms an integral part thereof. “Excavation” or “digging” includes a search for antiquities and a trial digging.

State Ownership of Antiquities

Where an antiquity is discovered or found in Israel after the coming into force of this Law, it … become(s) the property of the State. A person who discovers or finds and antiquity … shall notify the Director [of the Israel Antiquities Authority] within fifteen days of the discovery or find. [If he] alleges that any antiquity was discovered or found before the coming into force of this Law shall bear the onus of proof.

The Director may waive State ownership of an antiquity in writing, and upon doing so the antiquity shall cease to be the property of the State.

Excavations
No Person shall dig on any land, or otherwise search, for antiquities, including the use of a metal detector, or gather antiquities, unless he has obtained a license to do so from the Director… 

If a person is found on an antiquity site with digging implements in his possession or nearby with which it must be supposed digging has recently been done on that site or is found with a metal detector in his possession or nearby, he shall, unless he proves otherwise, be presumed to have intended to discover antiquities.

Dealing in and Export of Antiquities

A person may only deal in antiquities if he is in possession of a license therefor from the Director and in accordance with the conditions of the license… [The license] shall indicate the place of business … and shall be displayed there in a conspicuous position.

Where a dealer in antiquities offers any article for sale as an antiquity, his plea that he did not know that the article was not an antiquity shall not be heard. A person shall not sell or display for sale a replica or imitation of an antiquity without indication thereon, in the manner prescribed by regulations, that it is not a genuine antiquity.

A person who contravenes [this section] is liable to imprisonment for a term of two years or a fine of 100,000 pounds.

A person shall not take out of Israel an antiquity of national value save with the written approval of the Minister [of Education and Culture]. A person shall not take out of Israel any other antiquity save with the written approval of the Director. A person who contravenes [this section] is liable to imprisonment for a term of six months or a fine of 30,000 pounds.

A Personal Summary

Many of an older generation are familiar with the fictional hero of Indiana Jones. He was hunting for biblical treasure in Raiders of the Lost Ark, whereby his character was involved in an exciting conflict with Nazis seeking to gain extra terrestrial power from the Ark of the Covenant. Aside from these adventures, his character also took on the form of an archaeological professor, a somewhat meek one running counter to his alter ego out in the field. However, the real adventure for many serious archaeological scholars begins at the preliminary research stage, gaining palpable support for deciding to undertake an actual excavation. Accordingly, the IAA can be the starting point for many a real life adventure that has uncovered genuine discoveries, which otherwise would have remained unearthed. It is with such thoughts in mind that we can better understand how our visit to this facility was also a trigger for personal research and quests into uncovering our own heritage. The Trail of the Ark is a Jewish TV Channel special series that was sported after a visit to the Israel Antiquities Authority!       

Further episodes of this diary will be featured in later issues of the Jewish TV Channel through its Jewish Travel Channel.

Do you fancy taking a trip to Israel and maybe becoming a tour leader of your own group? The benefits are enormous and can include many free travel opportunities. A special course will be operated by qualified and experienced JTVC staff to enable you to learn more about such subjects as the history of Israel, its diverse people, its geological composition, and much more besides. Feel free to get in touch with us for further details.

CONTACT JTVC 

Diaries of a tour guide course

Undertaking a serious study of the Jewish promised land is no simple matter. It is one thing to just look at a map and decide where to go and visit famous sites. But, what about the history connected with those sites. There alone one can sub-divide knowledge of the past into several sectors. On the one hand it is possible to gain an understanding of the evolvement of the children of Israel through biblical studies, which is highly recommended. However, that alone doesn’t always satisfy a desire to bring such accounts to life. Extra biblical sources can provide sterling evidence of the neighbors that surrounded the early Hebrews. Records are kept in a wide array of formats from cuneiform tablets baked in hard clay, to the renowned Dead Sea Scrolls on parchment. Our quest to learn more in-depth information about the Jewish heritage begins by becoming aquatinted with an institution that is dedicated to both uncovering this past through physical means such as archaeological excavations, as well as preserving hard found discoveries often prior to them being house in a museum for public access.

Israel Antiquities Authority – Overview

The Israel Antiquities Authority may be better known to students of biblical archeology than to the general public, but without their meaningful work, we would all be worse off for being deprived of the vast collection and knowledge base accumulated over past decades. Accordingly, join us in a field trip that visited their establishment. These records are kept totally unedited to allow you to capture the unwinding story as it occurred.     

The 18 November field trip consisted of visits to the Israel Lands Authority in the morning and the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem in the afternoon.

The Israel Antiquities Authority

The host of the visit to the Authority’s Har Hotzvim facility on the morning of 18 November 2003 was Dr. Tikva Levine.

 Archaeology is the study of ancient finds created by man, which are found in situ.

A tel, which looks like a mound, is an ancient archaeological site which is man-made. It is a place of living and leaving, but also of returning – a place which is abandoned at one time, but is returned to by others who build on top of the original site. An accumulation of layers, it is uncovered but never fully excavated, as parts of the site are left for future archeologists. A tel is usually found at a location with four main features: 1) natural elevation to begin with; 2) water nearby; 3) natural protection; 4) the junction of roads.

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), under the Ministry of Education, is responsible for all archaeological matters (including underwater) in Israel. The IAA is in charge of their identification, protection, conservation, research, exposure and publication. It administers the state’s national collection of antiquities and aims to increase public awareness of the remnants of the past. Their poorly-maintained web site is sometimes available at: www.israntique.org.il

The IAA has wide range of activities including: 

• Inspection and protection of antiquity sites in accord with the Law of Antiquities. 

• Excavation and research of antiquities sites. 

• Conservation, restoration and development of antiquity sites. 

• Inspection of archaeological excavations in Israel. 

• Administration and safekeeping of the National Collection of Antiquities. 

• Conducting, promoting and publishing archaeological researches. 

• Gathering and documenting of national archaeological information. 

• Conducting and promoting educational and informational activities aimed to protect the national heritage. 

• Maintaining international scientific communication on archaeological issues. 

Organizational structure

The IAA consists of both regional and centralized departments. There are three different branches, covering the North, Centre and South of the country. There is a separate wing which covers the West Bank and Gaza. The Regional Offices are responsible for enforcement of the Law of Antiquities and declare new antiquity sites; conduct rescue excavations and supervising all excavations. The laboratories are located at Har Hotzvim, Jerusalem, and are not open to the public, while the library and archives are at the Rockefeller Museum, Sultan Sulayman Street, Jerusalem.

• The Antiquities Robbery Prevention Unit is charged with robbery prevention, inspection and supervision of commerce in antiquities. 

• The Maritime Archaeology Unit is in charge of the underwater archaeological resources. 

• The Conservation Department is responsible for conservation of archaeological sites during excavation and as part of the development of sites for public presentation. This includes on-site conservation, such as mosaic floors, and of objects taken from the sites, which need conservation and cleaning, as well as ideal conditions in which to be displayed (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls.) The department undertakes conservation surveys and documentation, planning and implementation of conservation works, inspecting and supervising them. It is also involved with development of advanced conservation methods, professional training and advocacy. 

• The Excavations and Surveys Department is the professional core of the IAA. It is the authority for archaeological matters, advancing professional expertise, issuing of excavation license and initiation of scientific contacts with archaeological institutions in Israel and abroad. The country is divided into a grid, and the surface of every 10 km X 10 km square is surveyed archaeologically. The finds are assembled, documented and published, with sketches and photos, and this enables planning of both where to dig and where not to dig. Once an archeological site is identified, it is against the law to violate it. Even if there is no archeological site, when an ordinary site is excavated an inspector follows behind the bulldozer to see what comes out. If an archeological site is uncovered while building, work is stopped for excavation. The question then arises as to whether to document the site and cover it up, or whether to leave it exposed.

• Artifacts Treatment Department is responsible for the treatment and conservation of movable artifacts through its laboratories. 

• National Collections Department manages the registration and documentation of all antiquities in the country, as well as consultation to museums, initiating exhibits and lending artifacts. 

• Publications Department publishes the results of the IAA excavations, surveys and research. These include “Archeological News” which contains interim reports about sites which have been dug up which are needed to obtain a license for the following season. Atikot contains final reports about small sites, as well as reports on coins, pottery, etc. While the preliminary report is in Hebrew, there are also publications and abstracts in Atikot” in English. (Each day of a dig is documented with maps and pictures.) The desired result of an excavation is an annual publication, which is required in order to continue.

• Archives and Library include a scientific library with an extensive collection, interconnected with other professional libraries. There is also microfilm back-up of finds.

• Educational centers carry out activities in schools and for the general public, to promote awareness for preservation of the heritage.

Further episodes of this diary will be featured in later issues of the Jewish TV Channel through its Jewish Travel Channel. 

Do you fancy taking a trip to Israel and maybe becoming a tour leader of your own group? The benefits are enormous and can include many free travel opportunities. A special course will be operated by qualified and experienced JTVC staff to enable you to learn more about such subjects as the history of Israel, its diverse people, its geological composition, and much more besides. Feel free to get in touch with us for further details.  

CONTACT JTVC