Near Eastern archaeology 703035 223638106 2008-07-05T00:45:00Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other {{Unreferenced|date=February 2008}} '''Near Eastern Archaeology''' (sometimes known as '''Middle Eastern archaeology''') is a regional branch of the wider, global discipline of [[Archaeology]]. It refers generally to the excavation and study of [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]] and [[material culture]] of the [[Near East]] from antiquity to the recent past. ==Definition== The description "Near Eastern" for this branch of archaeology is, of course, highly Eurocentric and Americocentric, reflecting the origins and growth of the field in Western academic traditions. However, in the absence of better solutions, and the continued heavy involvement of Western academics, the term has taken hold and remains in frequent use. The definition of the Near East is usually based on the [[Fertile Crescent]]; the region between the Nile Valley (modern [[Egypt]]) and Mesopotamia (modern [[Iraq]]). Also usually included are [[Iran]], the [[Arabian peninsula]] and its islands, Anatolia (modern day [[Turkey]]), [[Cyprus]] and [[North Africa]] west of Egypt. The history of archaeological investigation in this region grew out of the 19th century discipline of [[Biblical archaeology]], efforts mostly by Europeans to uncover evidence for [[Bible|Biblical]] ([[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament|New]] Testaments) narratives. Much archaeological work in this region is still influenced by that discipline, although within the last three decades there has been a marked tendency by some archaeologists to dissociate their work from biblical frameworks. Near Eastern Archaeology is a term with a wide, often generalised application, and is frequently divided into further regional sub-branches, the archaeology of modern states in the region or along broad thematic lines. Regions can be loosely defined, but are often based on recognizable entities that evidence cultural cohesion and coincide with topographical zones. Scholars may differ on the way the region is divided. Regional divisions also may change from period to period. 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 ancient history of what is today [[Egypt]] and parts of the [[Sudan]]; 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== [[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 their related disciplines. Nowadays there is much work also done on the prehistoric archaeological record and its practitioners are best described as prehistorians. 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 Empire|Roman]] and [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] name and was also in use during the [[Crusade]]s (1095-1291), the period of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule (1517-1917) and the [[British Mandate of Palestine|British Mandate]] (1918-1948). The same region is also called the [[Holy Land]], the [[Land of Israel]], and [[Canaan]] because of biblical associations. 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. The term northern Levant can be used to refer to [[Lebanon]], the Syrian littoral and portions of the Mediterranean coast of Turkey in the province of [[Hatay]]. More usually, these regions are included in greater Syria, a name used to refer to the whole area between Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Arabia. The Mediterranean coast of Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic and parts of Northern Israel are also known as [[Phoenicia]], after the ancient kingdom. However, this term suffers from the same problems as Canaan and equivalents and so is generally now only used in a strict historical sense. The landmass 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]] (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]] ("The Land of Two Rivers") is considered to begin more or less near the modern border with Iraq and refers to the flat valley of the southern [[Tigris]] and [[Euphrates]] rivers and their tributaries. These rivers empty into the [[Shatt al-Arab]] waterway that separates Iraq from Iran. Sumerology is a very specialized discipline that deals with the history, language and archaeology of ancient [[Sumer]] (southern Mesopotamia), mostly during the [[4th millennium BC|4th]] and [[3rd millennium BC]]. [[Assyriology]] deals with the [[Assyria]]ns who succeeded the Sumerians and covers much of the region while that language was still in use. [[Iran]], sometimes known as [[Persia]], includes a large plateau and its periphery, including the [[Zagros Mountains]]. Sub-disciplines of this region deal mostly with the languages, history and archaeology of regions within this large area. 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 [[American Schools of Oriental Research]] which publishes the journal ''[[Near Eastern Archaeology Magazine]]'' and the [[Council for British Research in the Levant]], which publishes the journal [http://www.art.man.ac.uk/ARTHIST/levant.htm Levant]. ==See also== {{ANE portal}} *[[Near Eastern Archaeology Magazine]] *[[Synoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric cultures]] ==External links== *[http://www.ancientneareast.net Ancient Near East .net] *[http://www.etana.org ETANA] *[http://www.eblaforum.org/library/bcah/ Introduction to Biblical Archaeology] *[http://www.BiblicalArcheology.Net Resources on Biblical Archaeology] * [http://www.centuryone.org/pottery.html Pottery types of the Levant] * [http://www.centuryone.com/jerusalemwalls.html Jerusalem: The Circuit of the Walls] [[Category:Archaeological sub-disciplines]] [[Category:Ancient Near East]]