Principal Investigator: Dr. Itzick Shai, Ariel University

Project Co-Directors: Dr. Itzick Shai and Dr. Steven Ortiz

Timeline of the Project

The Tel Burna Excavation Project is an ongoing long-term research project sponsored by The Institute of Archaeology at Ariel University and has been in the field for twelve seasons so far, with 2023 marking its thirteenth season.

The project began in 2009 under Director Dr. Shai and Dr. Joe Uziel, during which their team conducted a high-resolution survey of the site and its immediate surroundings.

Excavations began in 2010 and have continued every summer since then, except for the summer of 2020.

In 2014, a test pit survey was conducted alongside the excavations. 

In 2018, the Tandy Institute for Archaeology joined the project and Dr. Steve Ortiz, the Tandy's director, became the current co-director of the project.

This project is a "teaching dig". meaning that anyone and everyone is welcome, no experience or classes needed as the staff will teach you all you need to know. If you are interested in joining us, please visit the Join Us page!

Excavation Areas

Over the course of the project, eight excavation areas have been opened across the tel, though only six of these were active in the latest season.

• Area A1- located on side of the summit, this area is exploring the Iron Age fortifications 

• Area A2- located toward the center of the summit, this area is exploring the Iron Age city within the fortifications 

• Area B1- located on the lower shelf west of the summit, this area is explored the Late Bronze Age cultic enclosure

• Area B2- located on the side of the summit, this area is a sondage exploring the Iron Age fortifications and the entire occupational history of the tel

• Area B3- located on the lower shelf west of the summit, this area is exploring the Late Bronze Age Canaanite town close to the cultic enclosure

• Area C- located on the eastern slopes of the tel, this area explored the Bronze and Iron Age agricultural installations on this side of the tel

• Area D- located on the lower shelf west of the summit, this area explored the Late Bronze Age Canaanite town north of the cultic enclosure

• Area G- located on the side of the summit, this area is exploring the Iron Age city gate and surrounding fortifications

• Area J- located at the bottom of the slope, this area explored the occupational extent of ancient Burna

• Area T- unopened excavation area designated for the possibly future exploration of tombs surrounding the tel.

Research Goals

1. The study of ancient borders: the project's goal is to collect date on both sides of the Judeo-Philistine border, in order to better understand the way in which ancient borders worked, as well as how border communities functioned and were influenced by their neighbors

2. Agricultural installations and caves: clean and document the agriculture installations and caves in the vicinity, in the pursuit of data on the use of the wider landscape

3. Communit archaeology: in pursuit of reconnecting archaeology to the interet of the broader public, the project will continue to run an open excavation that anyone is welcome to join for as long as they like. In addition, the project continues to work toward the preservation and reconstruction of features that will make the site more understandable and interesting to the public

Staff and Consortium Schools

Principal Investigator: Dr. Itzick Shai, Ariel University

Co-directors: Dr. Itzick Shai, Ariel University and Dr. Steve Ortiz, Lanier Center for Archaeology at Lipscomb University

Area Supervisors:

• Marcella Barbosa, Ph.D. Candidate

• Dr. Debi Cassuto

• Dr. Jane Gaastra

• Dr. Chris McKinny

• Dr. Aharon Tavger

Specialists:

• Dr. Haskel Greenfield

• Dr. Tina Greenfield

• Dr. Michal Hejcman

• Dr. Andrea Orendi

• Leah Tramer, pottery restorer

Consortium Schools:

• Ariel University

• Lanier Center for Archaeology at Lipscomb University

Results so far...

Iron Age
The main feature of the Iron Age settlement at the site is the fortification system which surrounds the entire summit. Casemate walls, typical to Iron Age sites in the southern Levant, have been exposed in Areas A1 and B2. The casemate fortifications at Tel Burna were constructed of two parallel walls approximately 2 meters apart, connected to one another by perpendicular walls which form rooms or spaces, known as casemates. Built of large field stones, the outer wall measures 1.5m wide and has been preserved to a height of 3 meters. All in all the entire fortification system would have been approximately 6 meters thick, 280 meters long, and while it stands to a height of about 3 meters, it was certainly much taller in antiquity.

The past few seasons, have unearthed an earlier stratum of occupation on the western side of the summit below the fortifications. These remains date to the 10th century B.C.E. and, as indicated by the dozens of smashed vessels and thick ashy layer, point towards an intense conflagration. An event, which evidently predated, and most likely led to the construction of the tell’s impressive fortifications.

Eighth and seventh century B.C.E. remains include not only the fortifications and related surfaces, but also a broad exposure of architectural elements, including the northern part of a large pillared building, the courtyard of which contained both a flagstone pavement as well as a beaten earth floor, located on opposite sides of a partition wall. It seems these two surfaces belonged to a larger earlier structure, which we have only just begun to expose to the south. The ceramic remains found on these floors include wheel burnished pottery, Judean folded-rim bowls and lmlk-type jars. Unfortunately, although a lmlk-stamped handle has been recovered in the fill above these surfaces, the restored jars are not stamped. This stamp depicts a two-winged emblem, however no letters have survived. Recently, some scholars have suggested dating such stamps to the 7th century B.C.E., which would be compatible with the material remains found along with our lmlk-stamp.

The 7th century B.C.E. remains uncovered at Tel Burna consist mostly of a series of silos and related architectural elements. Such silos, all lined with stone, cut into earlier remains, are spread across the summit. In one case, the silo reuses an earlier 8th century B.C.E. pavement as its floor, while in another it cuts through the eastern inner fortification wall. Other than 7th century B.C.E. pottery, the silos also yielded a variety of grains which was recovered through the flotation of the sediments. Preliminary archaeobotanical analysis of the remains, conducted by Dr. Simone Riehl of the University of Tubingen, indicates the presence of a number of crop species, with olive, free-threshing wheat and grass pea constituting the main portion of the assemblage. Other frequent taxa were barley, flax, fig, and wild, mostly weedy species. The grain is still under analysis, and we hope that the finds from these installations will further our understanding of the nature and economy of the site in this period.

An additional 7th century B.C.E. structure was discovered in recent years just above the western fortification system. The remains suggest that the fortification was no longer in use during this period, as parts of the structure’s white surface were traced to just above the fortification line.

Late Bronze Age
Thus far, evidence for Late Bronze Age occupation at Tel Burna has been exposed on the western side of the tell in Areas B1, B3 and D, west of Area B2 and the summit.
Architectural remains and Late Bronze Age material culture, specifically around the 13th century B.C.E., were discovered in the shallow fill just below topsoil and above bedrock. Excavations in Area B1 exposed a unique structure associated with cultic activities, which included some unprecedented imported wares. Our work in this area has been completed and published in several articles.

Area B3, located directly to the south of Area B1, was opened in 2019 to further explore the cultic enclosure from Area B1 and its surrounding area. Our work in this area exposed a large storage area in the southeastern section and a destruction layer with several preserved storage jars in situ. In addition, our work uncovered the plan of building units to the west which may have been connected to the cultic enclosure. In the future, we hope to confirm the location of the southern exterior wall of the cultic enclosure, confirm the identification and function of these building units, and trace the plan of the corner of a new building uncovered in the southwestern area of Area B3.

Area C is located about 200 meters east of the tell’s summit. In this area we identified installations up to 1 meter in diameter carved into the bedrock. The aim of our work in this area was to study the agricultural installations adjacent to the tell and to identify the periods they were in use. Bedrock was reached between 10 cm to 70 cm below topsoil. Finds included many pottery sherds most of which date to the Late Bronze and Iron Ages. Basalt grinding stones and flint artifacts were also discovered, indicating areas used for preparation of the materials before processing.

Goals for the 2024 Season

The goals for our 2024 season are twofold:

1. All of our excavation work will focus on the western lower shelf of the tel, where we are primarily finding Late Bronze Age (13th century BCE) occupation. We plan to explore the monumental building(s) that has been partially uncovered in Area B3 by tracing out its layout and collecting the finds within. We also might explore other areas of the shelf to get a better idea of the extent and layout of the Late Bronze Age town at Burna, if resources permit.

2. This season will also be a major study season, during which many of our Area Supervisors, Specialists, and other Staff will be working in the lab, analyzing the finds from previous seasons. 

If you would like to help us reach our goals this season, visit our Join Us page!

Project Website

The project has its own website, which you can visit at telburna.wordpress.com