Assaf Nativ
University of Haifa, Zinman Institute of Archaeology, Department Member
- Archaeology, Funerary Archaeology, Symbolism, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Early Neolithic pottery technology, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, and 21 moreCéramique, Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Archaeology of the Present, Culture, Near Eastern Archaeology, Ancient Near East, Ritual, Material Culture Studies, Neolithic Archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Georgia, Mortuary archaeology, Artifact Classification & Typology in Archaeology, Pottery (Archaeology), Archaeology of the Levant, Social Movements, Anthropology, Geography, Archaeological Theory, and Theoretical Archaeologyedit
Antiquity-the past-has been fundamental to archaeology from the very beginnings of the discipline, and it remains the central concept around which archaeological research is developed. Over the years, however, alternative ways of doing... more
Antiquity-the past-has been fundamental to archaeology from the very beginnings of the discipline, and it remains the central concept around which archaeological research is developed. Over the years, however, alternative ways of doing and thinking archaeology have come forth to challenge this orientation on the past. Despite their growth in scope and sophistication, these alternatives remain at the margins of our community. In this article, the authors argue that it is in the best interests of archaeology-both as a community and as a discipline-to not brush aside these alternatives but rather to afford them serious attention.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
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Unfortunately, I am unable in the limited available space to do justice to the perceptive and thoughtful critiques offered by the four commentators. There is too much ground to cover and there are too many venues to negotiate. While I... more
Unfortunately, I am unable in the limited available space to do justice to the perceptive and thoughtful critiques offered by the four commentators. There is too much ground to cover and there are too many venues to negotiate. While I wish to defend my position, I also wish to use this opportunity to keep this discussion going. It would be unfortunate if the exchange of views presented here led each position towards entrenchment and mutual exclusion. Thus, instead of providing a counterreaction to the objections raised, I will try to use these objections as leverage to pry deeper into the matters at stake. I do so with the hope that this will contribute to further discussion on matters that we all hold dear.
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This paper presents an experiment. Can a typologically inarticulate assemblage be accounted for by other means? What might such an articulation look like? What prospects would it offer? Focusing on three small late Pottery Neolithic... more
This paper presents an experiment. Can a typologically inarticulate assemblage be accounted for by other means? What might such an articulation look like? What prospects would it offer? Focusing on three small late Pottery Neolithic assemblages from the southern Levant, the paper argues that they are typologically inarticulate, primarily because they possess considerable morphological fluidity that is at odds with the segmented structure demanded by this mode of classification. The paper presents an attempt to formulate an account of these assemblages that incorporates their morphological fluidity and ambiguity. Allowing for differential quantitative emphases across the assemblage, it is suggested that certain forms may be specified as types. In turn, the relations among these types are shown to constitute a structural order. Yet the assemblages are also fundamentally ambivalent, both constituting and de-constituting their order and logic. For the types are constituted in relative (...
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The paper ponders the object of archaeology, called here ‘the archaeological’. It argues that the existence of such an object is a necessary premise of the field and that ultimately it is on this object that the validity of all claims and... more
The paper ponders the object of archaeology, called here ‘the archaeological’. It argues that the existence of such an object is a necessary premise of the field and that ultimately it is on this object that the validity of all claims and arguments must rest. The paper suggests that the archaeological be conceived as a cultural phenomenon that consists in being disengaged from the social, an understanding that positions archaeology as a counterpart to the social sciences and the humanities, rather than a member in the same milieu. The first part of the paper focuses on the position of the archaeological with reference to the concepts of ‘Nature’ and ‘Culture’, which eventually leads us to a confrontation between archaeological statics and the dynamics of the world. Efforts to justify and understand archaeological statics consequently lead to the recognition of a constitutive distinction between buried and non-buried conditions, upon which the differentiation of the archaeological fr...
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ABSTRACT The site of Yesodot, in the Judean Shephela (piedmont of the Judean incline), offers a pertinent illustration of the ambiguities concerning the transition from the Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age. While most features... more
ABSTRACT The site of Yesodot, in the Judean Shephela (piedmont of the Judean incline), offers a pertinent illustration of the ambiguities concerning the transition from the Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age. While most features can be assigned to either one or both periods, the assemblage as a whole is inconsistent with neither. Moreover, the common suspicion that one is faced with a mixed assemblage is overruled, given the absence of remains representing either Early Bronze or Ghassulian-Chalcolithic cultural horizons. The present article provides a concise review of the finds with particular emphasis on the manner in which it escapes the common definition of the relevant material cultures. Ultimately, we suggest that the assemblage in question represents a post-Ghassulian, pre-EBA cultural horizon.
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While a great deal of attention has been dedicated to the disentanglement of the spatial and temporal relations between the Yarmukian and Lodian cultures of the south Lenvantine Pottery Neolithic, very little is known to date about the... more
While a great deal of attention has been dedicated to the disentanglement of the spatial and temporal relations between the Yarmukian and Lodian cultures of the south Lenvantine Pottery Neolithic, very little is known to date about the intricacies of developments undergone by each of these cultural entities themselves. The present paper attempts to shed some light on the issue by examining temporal developments of Lodian pottery assemblages as observed at the site of Yesodot, Israel. Three lines of transformation have been noted: increasing refinement in typological differentiation, loosening of an early association of surface treatment and vessel form, and growing complexity of paste preparation. It is further suggested that the physical appearance of the pottery assemblage may have been faster to crystallize than the technical procedures responsible for its production.
ABSTRACT Recent years witnessed an assurgent criticism of anthropocentrism in the social sciences, arguing for more balanced approaches to the study of humans and non-humans as equally responsible for the constitution of society. These... more
ABSTRACT Recent years witnessed an assurgent criticism of anthropocentrism in the social sciences, arguing for more balanced approaches to the study of humans and non-humans as equally responsible for the constitution of society. These claims lean heavily on philosophical grounds, noting that the focus on the human subject is guided by modernist binary oppositions and produces an inappropriate image of society. However, the problems anthropocentricity poses for archaeology are unique, and these received little attention. It is argued that efforts to discover the human subject forces archaeologists to continuously compensate for its absence. A shift of focus from the nexus of humans and things to the nexus of things and other things is proposed, arguing that the relationships among the various components and features of the archaeological record embody social relations in themselves. For full text please follow this link: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/hAvbSAtpR7YV7pMZWbHe/full
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Research Interests: History, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Death, Palestine, and 7 moreIsrael, Ceramics, Belief, Chalcolithic, Tel Aviv, Jar, and Metamorphose
The deposits of disarticulated human remains in caves, often associated with designated ceramic receptacles, is one of the most striking hallmarks of the Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant. Owing however to their perplexing... more
The deposits of disarticulated human remains in caves, often associated with designated ceramic receptacles, is one of the most striking hallmarks of the Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant. Owing however to their perplexing variability, this phenomenon is still poorly understood. Approaching these sites as cemeteries and social institutions, this article presents a reconsideration of their structures, temporal trajectories and meanings. It is argued that at least two regional subgroups can be distinguished, differing in the identities they structure, their concerns and their underlying logic.
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The authors describe the discovery of a Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic basalt axe factory in the Manasseh Hills in Israel and suggest it had a primary role in the region for the production of these functional and symbolic tools. The form of... more
The authors describe the discovery of a Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic basalt axe factory in the Manasseh Hills in Israel and suggest it had a primary role in the region for the production of these functional and symbolic tools. The form of discarded roughouts and flakes is used to deduce the principal eventual product and its sequence of manufacture.
Research Interests: Archaeology and Antiquity
Archaeological remains in the fields south of Kibbutz Hanaton (Lower Galilee) were encountered as a trench was cut for a water pipeline. Subsequently, a test excavation was conducted in order to better appreciate the site’s features.... more
Archaeological remains in the fields south of Kibbutz Hanaton (Lower Galilee) were encountered as a trench was cut for a water pipeline. Subsequently, a test excavation was conducted in order to better appreciate the site’s features. Remains assigned to the late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B, late Pottery Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods were uncovered. The late Pottery Neolithic horizons were the most extensively exposed, consisting of two distinct strata. The remains of two structures were associated with the earlier stratum, along with an assortment of installations. In the later stratum a sequence of dense stone surfaces was traced in the northeastern part of the excavation area with a number of features in their immediate vicinity. The areas farther away were marked by continuous accumulation of sediment and refuse. Preliminary analysis of the ceramic and flint assemblages associated these horizons with the Wadi Rabah culture and a derivative late/post-Wadi Rabah cultural entity, t...
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Antiquity—the past—has been fundamental to archaeology from the very beginnings of the discipline, and it remains the central concept around which archaeological research is developed. Over the years, however, alternative ways of doing... more
Antiquity—the past—has been fundamental to archaeology from the very beginnings of the discipline, and it remains the central concept around which archaeological research is developed. Over the years, however, alternative ways of doing and thinking archaeology have come forth to challenge this orientation on the past. Despite their growth in scope and sophistication, these alternatives remain at the margins of our community. In this article, the authors argue that it is in the best interests of archaeology—both as a community and as a discipline—to not brush aside these alternatives but rather to afford them serious attention.
Research Interests:
This paper presents an experiment. Can a typologically inarticulate assemblage be accounted for by other means? What might such an articulation look like? What prospects would it offer? Focusing on three small late Pottery Neolithic... more
This paper presents an experiment. Can a typologically inarticulate assemblage be accounted for by other means? What might such an articulation look like? What prospects would it offer? Focusing on three small late Pottery Neolithic assemblages from the southern Levant, the paper argues that they are typologically inarticulate; primarily because they possess considerable morphological fluidity that is at odds with the segmented structure demanded by this mode of classification. The paper presents an attempt to formulate an account of these assemblages that incorporates their morphological fluidity and ambiguity. Allowing for differential quantitative emphases across the assemblage, it is suggested that certain forms may be specified as types. In turn, the relations among these types are shown to constitute a structural order. Yet, the assemblages are also fundamentally ambivalent, both constituting and de-constituting their order and logic. For the types are constituted in relative (rather than absolute terms) and the orderly structures are accompanied by elements that are incommensurable with it. Acknowledging these conflicting qualities, it is proposed that they are multiple, that the one assemblage is several. Finally, the paper explores some implications this understanding of the ceramic assemblages might have for the discussion of temporal development.
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The paper ponders on the object of archaeology, called here 'the archaeological.' It argues that the existence of such an object is a necessary premise of the field and that ultimately it is on this object that the validity of all claims... more
The paper ponders on the object of archaeology, called here 'the archaeological.' It argues that the existence of such an object is a necessary premise of the field and that ultimately it is on this object that the validity of all claims and arguments must rest. The paper suggests that the archaeological be conceived as a cultural phenomenon that consists in being disengaged from the social, an understanding that positions archaeology as a counterpart to the social sciences and the humanities, rather than a member in the same milieu. The first part of the paper focuses on the position of the archaeological with reference to the concepts of 'Nature' and 'Culture' that eventually leads us to a confrontation of archaeological statics with the dynamics of the world. Efforts to justify and understand archaeological statics, consequently, leads to the recognition of a constitutive distinction between buried and non-buried conditions, upon which the differentiation of the archaeological from the social is established.
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Material remains of the Wadi Rabah culture, first defined by Jacob Kaplan's pioneering studies in the early fifties of the last century, were found at scores of sites in Israel, Jordan and Lebanon. Studies of this culture in more recent... more
Material remains of the Wadi Rabah culture, first defined by Jacob Kaplan's pioneering studies in the early fifties of the last century, were found at scores of sites in Israel, Jordan and Lebanon. Studies of this culture in more recent decades have shown the richness and diversity of its material culture complexes and shed light on possible cultural connections between the south Levantine Wadi Rabah culture and the north Levantine Halaf culture. Despite decades of research concerning the Wadi Rabah culture in Israel, only a few relevant sites are known in the Shephela foothills, an area which marks the southern boundary of this culture. Very few and often incomplete accounts were published regarding these southern sites, resulting in a fragmentary image of the characteristics of the southern facies of the Wadi Rabah culture. Here we present the final report of the excavations at Qidron, a Wadi Rabah site southeast of Moshav Qidron in the Shephela. Qidron is currently one of only a few sources of information concerning the Wadi Rabah culture in the Shephela and thus supplies valuable information concerning the material culture of the Wadi Rabah in this area. The data were retrieved mainly from five large pits that yielded many artifacts including pottery vessels, chipped and ground stone tools and production waste as well as animal bones and shells (some used as beads). The detailed study of the rich material culture from Qidron significantly contributes to our understanding of the southern facies of the Wadi Rabah culture.
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The archaeological is regularly perceived in negative terms as lacking and deficient. It is fragmented, static and crude, a residue of past living societies. Accordingly, much of archaeologists' efforts are directed towards the amendment... more
The archaeological is regularly perceived in negative terms as lacking and deficient. It is fragmented, static and crude, a residue of past living societies. Accordingly, much of archaeologists' efforts are directed towards the amendment of these flaws. The present paper, however, argues that these so-called deficiencies are in fact constitutive absences. Whatever the archaeological lacks, it lacks by definition. It thus follows that working to render the archaeological " complete " is in fact an effort to undo it, to convert it into something else. For the sake of discovering the past, archaeological practice is a sustained effort to rid itself of the very phenomenon that defines it, consequently setting in motion self-perpetuating circularity predicated on deficiency and compensation. The reason for this, it is suggested, is the otherness of the archaeological, being at one and the same time a cultural phenomenon and a fossil record, a social construct and a geological deposit. This condition is so baffling that it is approached by transforming it into something familiar. The paper argues that understanding the archaeological should be archaeology's first priority. Insofar as it is also the study of the past, this should be predicated on the understanding of the archaeological present.
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Archaeological remains in the fields south of Kibbutz Hanaton (Lower Galilee) were encountered as a trench was cut for a water pipeline. Subsequently, a test excavation was conducted in order to better appreciate the site’s features.... more
Archaeological remains in the fields south of Kibbutz Hanaton (Lower Galilee) were encountered as a trench was cut for a water pipeline. Subsequently, a test excavation was conducted in order to better appreciate the site’s features. Remains assigned to the late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B, late Pottery Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods were uncovered. The late Pottery Neolithic horizons were the most extensively exposed, consisting of two distinct strata. The remains of two structures were associated with the earlier stratum, along with an assortment of installations. In the later stratum a sequence of dense stone surfaces was traced in the northeastern part of the excavation area with a number of features in their immediate vicinity. The areas farther away were marked by continuous accumulation of sediment and refuse. Preliminary analysis of the ceramic and flint assemblages associated these horizons with the Wadi Rabah culture and a derivative late/post-Wadi Rabah cultural entity, the specific cultural attribution of which still needs to be elucidated.
Research Interests:
Recent years witnessed an assurgent criticism of anthropocentrism in the social sciences, arguing for more balanced approaches to the study of humans and non-humans as equally responsible for the constitution of society. These claims lean... more
Recent years witnessed an assurgent criticism of anthropocentrism in the social sciences, arguing for more balanced approaches to the study of humans and non-humans as equally responsible for the constitution of society. These claims lean heavily on philosophical grounds, noting that the focus on the human subject is guided by modernist binary oppositions and produces an inappropriate image of society. However, the problems anthropocentricity poses for archaeology are unique, and these received little attention. It is argued that efforts to discover the human subject forces archaeologists to continuously compensate for its absence. A shift of focus from the nexus of humans and things to the nexus of things and other things is proposed, arguing that the relationships among the various components and features of the archaeological record embody social relations in themselves.
For full text please follow thins link:
http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/hAvbSAtpR7YV7pMZWbHe/full
For full text please follow thins link:
http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/hAvbSAtpR7YV7pMZWbHe/full
Research Interests:
The Southern Levant has a well-established sequence for the Pottery Neolithic period, consisting of three successive cultural entities: The Yarmukian, Lodian and Wadi Rabah cultures. However, in the Hula Valley, located in the... more
The Southern Levant has a well-established sequence for the Pottery Neolithic period, consisting of three successive cultural entities: The Yarmukian, Lodian and Wadi Rabah cultures. However, in the Hula Valley, located in the northeastern part of the region, the Yarmukian culture is absent. Analysis of the pottery assemblage of the site of Tel Ro`im West, located at the northwestern edge of the valley, suggests that a different cultural entity may have resided here during the early phases of the period. The paper describes this pottery assemblage, considering its typological, material and temporal aspects. The implications of this assemblage for our understanding of the early Pottery Neolithic period are explored. It is argued that it lacks distinctive traits of any of the well-defined Pottery Neolithic cultures of the Southern Levant, while other features suggest lines of similarity with north Levantine traditions.