Uzi Avner
Arava Dead Sea Science Center, Research, Emeritus
- noneedit
- From 1977 to 1999 Uzi Avner served as the District Archaeologist of the Southern Negev for the Israel Antiquities Aut... moreFrom 1977 to 1999 Uzi Avner served as the District Archaeologist of the Southern Negev for the Israel Antiquities Authority; his activities included studying the desert cultures during the last 10,000 years, surveys, excavations, protection and conservation of desert archaeology and environment. In 2002 his dissertation- “Studies in the Material and Spiritual Culture of the Negev and Sinai Populations”- was awarded Summa Cum Laude by the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. From 1999 to 2014 he was teaching desert archaeology in the Arava Institute and in the Eilat campus of Ben Gurion University. Since 2008 he is a researcher in the Dead Sea-Arava Science Center, studying the desert cultures during the last 10,000 years and lecturing in Israel and abroad.edit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The origin of ancient Israel has been questioned and intensively discussed for almost two centuries by many researchers, from two main schools of thought. One believes the early Israelites came from outside the Land of Cana‘an and... more
The origin of ancient Israel has been questioned and intensively discussed for almost two centuries by many researchers, from two main schools of thought. One believes the early Israelites came from outside the Land of Cana‘an and conquered it, while the other believes they rose from within Cana‘an, forming a new polity and culture. Scholars are likewise divided whether the Israelite God, Yhwh, originated from the Near Eastern cultural environment or from the desert. A multitude of studies has been dedicated to these two themes, usually separately. This article attempts to examine the connection between the two through several themes: desert roots in the culture of ancient Israel, the origin of Yhwh, Asiatics in Sinai and the Negev, desert tribes and the copper industry, the location of biblical Paran, Nabataean data from Sinai which illuminate biblical issues, and others. By including materials which were previously underutilized or overlooked, these themes may be integrated to for...
Research Interests:
Drylands cover about 41% of Earth’s land area and are inhabited by more than 38% of the total human population. However, across these systems, biodiversity and the variety of services provided to societies appear to be undervalued by the... more
Drylands cover about 41% of Earth’s land area and are inhabited by more than 38% of the total human population. However, across these systems, biodiversity and the variety of services provided to societies appear to be undervalued by the general public. Additionally, these ecosystems are one of the most vulnerable under projected Global Change trajectories, and they are some of the least studied within an ecosystem services framework. Therefore it is urgent to include drylands in the scientific agenda’s, to provide to the scientific community updated reports and new assessments these systems. At the same time, these global drylands face a myriad of problems that present tough research, management, and policy challenges. The aim of this session is to explore the current knowledge of ecosystem services in drylands zones for researchers and practitioners to exchange information and discuss ideas and experiences within the broad field of ecosystem services science. We further hope to id...
In the Negev and Sinai deserts, excavations of tens of cult and burial sites, radiometrically dated to the 6th to 3rd millennia BC, have yielded assemblages of artefacts and faunal remains. Many of the objects can confidently be... more
In the Negev and Sinai deserts, excavations of tens of cult and burial sites, radiometrically dated to the 6th to 3rd millennia BC, have yielded assemblages of artefacts and faunal remains. Many of the objects can confidently be identified as cult or mortuary offerings, while the animal bones are identified as remains of sacrifices and food offerings. This article describes finds from fifteen excavated cult and burial sites with standing stones, as well as from the “nawamis” tombs of Sinai. The nature and role of cult and mortuary offerings and sacrifices in past desert societies, is discussed within this context.
Research Interests:
This paper offers an interpretation of the astronomical phenomenon described in Josh 10:12-13 as an annular solar eclipse. According to NASA data, this type of eclipse was seen in the skies of central Israel, where the ancient city of... more
This paper offers an interpretation of the astronomical phenomenon described in Josh 10:12-13 as an annular solar eclipse. According to NASA data, this type of eclipse was seen in the skies of central Israel, where the ancient city of Gibeon was located, on October 30, 1207 BCE. A philological analysis of both Joshua 10 and Habakkuk 3 shows that the phenomenon is described using polysemic verbs in poetic style, describing the darkening of the sun by the moon “standing” in front of it.
Research Interests: Hebrew Bible, Biblical Studies, History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Biblical Archaeology, and 15 moreBiblical Interpretation, Bible, Cultural Astronomy, Biblical Exegesis, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Biblical Hebrew, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Bible studies, History and archaeology, Ancient Israel, Book of Joshua, Astronomia, Brill, and The Book of Joshua
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Archaeological investigations of ‘desert kites’ in south Israel show them to have been animal traps of considerable sophistication and capacity, constructed in the Early Bronze Age or earlier. Extensive stone-wall arms gather in gazelles... more
Archaeological investigations of ‘desert kites’ in south Israel show them to have been animal traps of considerable sophistication and capacity, constructed in the Early Bronze Age or earlier. Extensive stone-wall arms gather in gazelles from their habitual trails and canalise them into a sunken enclosure, cunningly hidden from view of the galloping herd until it was too late…
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
RefDoc Bienvenue - Welcome. Refdoc est un service / is powered by. ...
Research Interests:
... Dent Elli Groner Scott Morrison Danny Rosenfeld Uzi Avner Noah Brosch Avi Golan Goldhirsh Pinchas Alpert Boris Portnov Rex Cates Robin White Anastasios Tsonis Moshe Schwartz Yoram Ayal Berry Pinshow Dan Cohen Thomas Dem Haim Sha... more
... Dent Elli Groner Scott Morrison Danny Rosenfeld Uzi Avner Noah Brosch Avi Golan Goldhirsh Pinchas Alpert Boris Portnov Rex Cates Robin White Anastasios Tsonis Moshe Schwartz Yoram Ayal Berry Pinshow Dan Cohen Thomas Dem Haim Sha Andrew Warren Emanuel ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The results of XRF analysis of different copper smelting slags from two ancient Cu smelting sites are presented, compared and discussed. Yotvata. Using XRF we found a clear chemical compositional difference between two kinds of slags: the... more
The results of XRF analysis of different copper smelting slags from two ancient Cu smelting sites are presented, compared and discussed. Yotvata. Using XRF we found a clear chemical compositional difference between two kinds of slags: the small ones are lower in iron and manganese in comparison to copper (in values of [I(Fe)+I(Mn)]/I(Cu) ratios) and higher in their inhomogeneity, while the ratios of intensities of slag «cakes» are higher in favor of Fe+Mn, with higher homogeneity (Fe+Mn concentrations are ≈20-30%, and Cu concentrations are ≈1.5% and ≈0.2% correspondingly). The results of 14 C dating of these slags show that the small ones belong to the Iron Age (1000 BCE) and the bigger 'cake' shape ones were produced in the Early Islamic Period (700 AD). Amram 54/1. Here, as well we found two different types of slags that could be dated by their typical composition. Small slags with Cu concentration (6-9%) higher then Fe (≈2%), representing a self-fluxing process as known i...
Research Interests:
The Eilat region is arbitrarily defined here as the southern tip of modern Israel, from the Gulf Of Eilat (Gulf of Aqaba) to the Shizafon road-junction, 55 km to the north. The area is hyper-arid, with an annual average rainfall of only... more
The Eilat region is arbitrarily defined here as the southern tip of modern Israel, from the Gulf Of Eilat (Gulf of Aqaba) to the Shizafon road-junction, 55 km to the north. The area is hyper-arid, with an annual average rainfall of only 15 mm, an annual potential evaporation rate of 4000 mm, and summer mid-day temperatures of 40oC or higher. As a result, perennial water sources are rare, the vegetation is restricted to the wadi beds, and the carrying capacity for animal and man is low. Nevertheless, there is abundant life in the desert today, as there was in the past, including human societies. The region’s landscape varies and changes abruptly, with mountains up to 892 m above sea level, broad valleys, cliffs and canyons, the deep Arava Valley and the Gulf shores. The lithology is diverse and colorful, with igneous and metamorphic rocks, sandstones, and limestones.
Research Interests:
Much has been written about the Levantine PrePottery Neolithic as a period of innovation and change, particularly regarding the transition to food production and sedentism. But this period in general, and more specifi cally, the Middle... more
Much has been written about the Levantine PrePottery Neolithic as a period of innovation and change, particularly regarding the transition to food production and sedentism. But this period in general, and more specifi cally, the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (MPPNB; ~10150-9725 calBP), also witnessed a dramatic increase in symbolic imagery, both in diversity and number. Notably, Southern Levantine MPPNB sites have yielded a rich symbolic repertoire comprising stone mobiliary items such as vessels, plaques and grooved stones, also characteristic of the preceding Natufi an and Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (e.g. Belfer-Cohen 1991; Noy 1991; Hershman and Belfer-Cohen 2010; Shaham and Belfer-Cohen 2013; Vered 2013; Orrelle 2014; Major 2018), but, in addition, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic fi gurines, human statuary, plastered human skulls, stone masks and decorative installations (e.g. Bar-Yosef and Alon 1988; Garfi nkel 1995; Yizraeli-Noy 1999; Kuijt and GoringMorris 2002; Orrelle 2014; Ro...
Research Interests:
As part of the archaeological study of Nahal Amram in the ‘Araba valley, copper slag samples from a mining camp dating from the 5th millennium BCE until the 1st millennium AD were chemically analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in an... more
As part of the archaeological study of Nahal Amram in the ‘Araba valley, copper slag samples from a mining camp dating from the 5th millennium BCE until the 1st millennium AD were chemically analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in an attempt to determine the technological level of production in each of the site’s occupation. The method provides a tool to distinguish between slag of various technological phases and periods. Thus, the slags from different sites in Nahal Amram related roughly to four stages of metallurgy development. These metallurgical results indicate the reuse of slag from earlier periods in later periods in order to produce more copper from the slag as a result of more complex production methods that were available in the later periods. Thus, in Nahal Amram, we can observe a real technological development of metallurgical production from earlier to later periods based almost exclusively upon the results of slag analyses. The results were compared with other smelting sites in the region.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology and Antiquity
Archaeological surveys conducted in the Negev and Sinai during the 20th century were commonly interpreted as representing short settlement periods interrupted by long gaps. The time factor was usually based on archaeological estimates... more
Archaeological surveys conducted in the Negev and Sinai during the 20th century were commonly interpreted as representing short settlement periods interrupted by long gaps. The time factor was usually based on archaeological estimates rather than comprehensive physical dating. For example, the perceived age and time duration of “hole-mouth” pottery sherds and tabular flint scrapers became a source of circular reasoning to “date” sites and their “duration.” Thus, desert sites became to be perceived as temporary, seasonal, short-lived, while the cultures of desert populations were somehow undervalued. However, radiocarbon dating of desert sites from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age IV presents a very different scenario. The deserts of the Southern Levant exhibit a full sequence of settlement, a longer life span of individual sites, and a higher level of activity and creativity of the desert people. This paper describes the controversy and presents the 14C data that form the ...
Research Interests:
RefDoc Bienvenue - Welcome. Refdoc est un service / is powered by. ...
Research Interests:
Spread throughout the deserts of the southern Levant are numerous triangular-shaped stone structures known as kites. Ancient kites are built of two long converging low stone walls with a circular enclosure at the apex. The enclosure can... more
Spread throughout the deserts of the southern Levant are numerous triangular-shaped stone structures known as kites. Ancient kites are built of two long converging low stone walls with a circular enclosure at the apex. The enclosure can range from a few meters to ...
Research Interests:
browse categories : ... ...
Research Interests:
RefDoc Bienvenue - Welcome. Refdoc est un service / is powered by. ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Using terrestrial laser scanning technology we create high-resolution 3-D models of wild ungulates’ archeological large-game drives (desert kites) and demonstrate how the collected data can be utilized to conduct spatial and... more
ABSTRACT Using terrestrial laser scanning technology we create high-resolution 3-D models of wild ungulates’ archeological large-game drives (desert kites) and demonstrate how the collected data can be utilized to conduct spatial and architectural analyses. Visual reconstructions show in great detail how kites were constructed according to geographic and topographic settings and how they were set to maximize prey capture. The models are used to simulate how a kite was operated and especially how it appeared from the hunted animal's perspective. The models also serve as a useful tool for detecting macro and micro construction details, and as a platform for an array of intra- and inter-kite comparisons in different geographic landscapes. Finally, they provide the basis for future documentation of archaeological structures in arid environments.
Research Interests:
Stone-built installations known as ‘leopard traps’ are found throughout the deserts of the Middle East. They have generally been considered to be recent in date, and to have been built by Bedouin or other local communities to trap... more
Stone-built installations known as ‘leopard traps’ are found throughout the deserts of the Middle East. They have generally been considered to be recent in date, and to have been built by Bedouin or other local communities to trap carnivores that threatened their flocks. But how much older might they be? Survey in the hyper-arid ‘Uvda Valley of the southern Negev Desert in Israel discovered 23 ‘leopard traps’, 19 of them clustered in a relatively small area. This study describes the architecture and function of these structures and presents the first optically stimulated luminescence ages for two of them. These results demonstrate that the traps are ancient and were already in use before the late fourth millennium BC, not long after the adoption of herding by the desert dwellers.
Research Interests: Archaeology, OSL dating, Israel, Antiquity, Carnivore, and 6 moreCarnivorous plants, Dating, TRAPS, TRAP, Leopards, and Uvda Valley
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Remarkably, the largest archaeological game traps ever recorded in the Near East are found in arid landscapes, both on plains and in hilly terrains. This paper describes the construction methods used on steep slopes in the Negev... more
ABSTRACT Remarkably, the largest archaeological game traps ever recorded in the Near East are found in arid landscapes, both on plains and in hilly terrains. This paper describes the construction methods used on steep slopes in the Negev Highland. Apparently, in some cases a massive rampart (rather than a free-standing wall) was built around the trap's head. The details reflect careful planning and heavy-duty work, including leveling and then using more than 100 t of stone for the rampart construction. New 14C data date the Sayarim site to the Early Bronze Age (minimum age), and the Pitam site to pre-Late Bronze Age.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT In spite of extremely arid conditions, the Uvda Valley in the southern Negev has been the site of a flourishing agricultural society dating back four to six thousand years. Four years of survey and excavation in the region have... more
ABSTRACT In spite of extremely arid conditions, the Uvda Valley in the southern Negev has been the site of a flourishing agricultural society dating back four to six thousand years. Four years of survey and excavation in the region have also revealed evidence of many cult sites. How could agriculture thrive in such a severe climate, and what can these cult sites tell us about the religious life of the ancient desert inhabitants?
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Tourism Destination Development and Branding Eilat 2009 Conference Proceedings 107 THE POTENTIAL OF ANCIENT SITES IN THE EILAT REGION FOR CULTURAL TOURISM Uzi Avner INTRODUCTION The Eilat region is arbitrarily defined here as the southern... more
Tourism Destination Development and Branding Eilat 2009 Conference Proceedings 107 THE POTENTIAL OF ANCIENT SITES IN THE EILAT REGION FOR CULTURAL TOURISM Uzi Avner INTRODUCTION The Eilat region is arbitrarily defined here as the southern tip of modern ...
Research Interests:
... Semi-nomads always leave remains, and even true nomads do so (eg Cribb 1991; Rosen 1992), but since we are not discussing true nomadism in the southern Levantine deserts, the debate on this point is ... In 'Uvda Site... more
... Semi-nomads always leave remains, and even true nomads do so (eg Cribb 1991; Rosen 1992), but since we are not discussing true nomadism in the southern Levantine deserts, the debate on this point is ... In 'Uvda Site 124/IV six dates from a single room range from c. 3000 ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The origin of ancient Israel has been questioned and intensively discussed for almost two centuries by many researchers, from two main schools of thought. One believes the early Israelites came from outside the Land of Cana'an and... more
The origin of ancient Israel has been questioned and intensively discussed for almost two centuries by many researchers, from two main schools of thought. One believes the early Israelites came from outside the Land of Cana'an and conquered it, while the other believes they rose from within Cana'an, forming a new polity and culture. Scholars are likewise divided whether the Israelite God, Yhwh, originated from the Near Eastern cultural environment or from the desert. A multitude of studies has been dedicated to these two themes, usually separately. This article attempts to examine the connection between the two through several themes: desert roots in the culture of ancient Israel, the origin of Yhwh, Asiatics in Sinai and the Negev, desert tribes and the copper industry, the location of biblical Paran, Nabataean data from Sinai which illuminate biblical issues, and others. By including materials which were previously underutilized or overlooked, these themes may be integrated to form a reasonable scenario of a chapter in the history of early Israel.