Life In Israel

Just in case many of you are unfamiliar with the way things work in Israel here is just some basic info. Friday from sundown until Saturday at sundown is the official shabbat. This is very important if you are in Jerusalem as all of the buses stop running and almost all shops on the west side are closed. The Old City and East Jerusalem are usually open, on a Saturday, as are many of the archaeological sites and museums in Jerusalem. Buses do not run to other parts of the country during, this time so remember that once you've decided to spend the weekend in lovely Beer Sheva that's it. Most of the time on the East side of Jerusalem you can get buses to places like Jericho and Bethlehem on Saturdays, but not too many other places.

Another aspect of life in Israel that you may not be familiar with, is the concept of Kosher. There are some food prohibitions within Judaism that require that restaurants choose to be Kosher or not. The basic premise of Kosher eating is that meat and dairy products not be mixed at the same meal (i.e. unlikely that you would find a cheeseburger in a Kosher restaurant). If a restaurant is Kosher it will be either Meat (but not pork) or Dairy. Dairy restaurants also serve fish. All Kosher eating establishments are closed on Shabbat, so if you are eating out on a Friday it's not a Kosher place. Almost all of the restaurants in East Jerusalem are not Kosher as are some on the west side. It only takes a little while to become acquainted with this way of life, but be sure to ask to see a menu before you sit down in a restaurant, just to ensure that you get what you want. The YMCA with a good restaurant and cafe, near the Hebrew Union College in west Jerusalem, is always open if you need it.

Friday is the Muslim holy day so often many places on the east side of Jerusalem are closed, as is the Dome of the Rock. Usually, unless there is s general strike (usually protesting by the Palestinians against Israel or the Palestinian Authority) all of the tourist shops and streets of the Old City are open on both Friday and Saturday. This is a great place to get those souvenirs that you promised everyone back home, to see some very interesting sites, both archaeologically and anthropologically, and to just unwind with a mint tea and some falafel (or feel awful as it is commonly referred to).

Important Hebrew word: balagan usually, means utter chaos and is often used to describe many aspects of life in Israel. A very useful and descriptive term..

A Few Reminders

Remember to drink plenty of fluids at all times. It is just as important to drink water while lying around the pool or on the weekends as it is while in the field. Tom recommends (as does the Israeli army) that each person drink about 40 cups (3-4 liters) of water per day.

It is especially important to drink a lot of extra water if you have been indulging in alcohol.

Nothing dehydrates you more quickly than a few beers in the hot sun.

Please wear shoes at all times as there are lots of rusty metal objects lying around. On the excavation, please wear shoes (not sandals) and shirts at all times. It is very easy to become dehydrated here in the Middle East and it happens very quickly. Please remind your supervisors and assistant supervisors that they too should wear shirts as they are not above getting dehydrated. Leslie recommends that you add a little extra salt on your food each day in order to compensate for the loss of salts while in the field each day. Always wear a hat. A must for the field but a good idea at other times It is not safe to hitch a ride at any time in Israel and we do not recommend it.

Important Hebrew word:

Todah Rabah, thank you very much;

Important Arabic word:

Shukran; thank you;

both go a long way.

Sending and/or Receiving- Mail

Stamps and various other things you need to mail letters will be available from 4:00-6:00 PM each day on the excavation. There is a mail box in the kibbutz dining room where mail is picked up everyday.

STAMPS (prices from 1995)

	Letter or Card	Small Postcard	Large Postcard
United States	1.80 NIS	1.10 NIS	1.80 NIS
Australia	2.20 NIS	1.10 NIS	1.80 NIS
Europe (including U.K.)	1.50 NIS	1.10 NIS	1.80 NIS

· Israel I NIS letter, card, postcards

· Aerograms (airmail letters) are 1. I0 NIS and are valid for everywhere. They are really the best deal as they already have both postage and the paper included.

· It usually takes between a week and ten days for a letter to hit the United States, same for letters arriving here from North America.

We will be receiving mail about once a week from the College or whenever some kind soul heading down our way brings it. This will be the same address for the post excavation work in Jerusalem.

PHONING HOME

· To use the public phone on the Kibbutz you will need one assimone (a small round token with a role in the middle). This will allow you access and you'll get it back when your call is over if you use a calling card or call collect.

AT&T 177-100-2727

Sprint 177-102-2727

MCI 177-150-2727

Bell Canada 177-105-2727

UK BT 177-440-2727

· * Egged are buses run by the state of Israel. These buses going from the Kibbutz will go right in to the Beersheva Bus Station and drop you there. You have the option of getting off at the junction and catching a bus going to points north from there. If you have any questions concerning the bus system feel free to ask any of the returning, veterans.

· The minibuses are a service run by the Kibbutz and are first for the members and if there are any places they will then take us. These minibuses usually meet behind the dining room.

On Saturday the minibus from Tzoimet Lahav or Beit Qama there will be only one pick up. In order to catch this and be on time for work on Sunday morning, you should take the first bus out of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv at around 8:00pm on Saturday night.

· The bus # from Beer Sheva to Tel Aviv is 369

· The bus # from Beer Sheva to Jerusalem is 470 (direct),or 443

· If you have an international student card you are allowed a discount on bus travel between cities in Israel. Don't forget to show your card before you buy your ticket in order to get your discount. This is true for many museums too.

· From the central bus station in Jerusalem you can take buses numbered 1, 2, 13, 19, or 20 to get to the Jaffa Gate entrance of the Old City. These buses all run through the downtown district if you would rather stay in West Jerusalem.

Important Hebrew word: Slihah
This means excuse me and it can come in handy when trying, to find a seat on a very crowded bus.
*Note- excuse me doesn't always work, sometimes you need to be a little bit pushy.

Things to do in Israel (just a small sample)

There are plenty of things to do in Israel. Tel Aviv and Ashkelon have great beaches, Tel Aviv also has a lively night life (so we hear). Ask any of the returning staff for their views on places to hit in Jerusalem. The Arizona Pub - all you can drink 20 minute extravaganza is a favorite of Lesile's (and John Moreno too). Many of our past participants have stayed at the Al-Ahram just inside the Damascus gate of the Old City. Very cheap, pretty clean and very centrally located (i.e. 20 minute walk from the hostel to the Hebrew Union College where our post-excavation work will take place) There are plenty of other hostels both in the Old City, (ask Eric and Wendy about the Citadel) and in the West side of Jerusalem, so the choice is unlimited (please consult the Let's Go in the library box of Nahal Tillah).

There are a few places that are "must sees" while in Israel, here is just a small list.

In Jerusalem:

·The Old City: interesting place just to walk around. Divided into four quarters each one with it's history and unique atmosphere

·Western (Wailing) Wall

· The Dead Sea: No trip to Israel is complete without a dip in the Dead Sea. It is recommended that bathers wear sandals into the water and that all open cuts are covered; because the salt in the water stings, try not to splash.

· Eilat: The Miami beach of Israel. Lots of good sunbathing and snorkeling. Apparently there are quite a few good bars down there too, or so we've been told.

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North of Jerusalem:

· Tiberias: On the Sea of' Galilee. A beautiful area with lots of great swimming. Many sites associated with Jesus and bible in this area. Donít forget Tel Dan!

· Beth Shean: The famous archaeological site is located in the center of the city and well worth a visit.

· Haifa: A port city of Israel, where the boats for Cyprus and Greece depart from. Also where the Bah'ai Temple is located.

Nahal Tillah Animal Bones - Excavation and Processing

Compiled by Dr. Caroline Grigson
Odontological Museum
Royal College of Surgeons
London, England

1. EQUIPMENT

Each supervisor needs a dental pick, a brush less than l cm broad, a small trowel, small cardboard boxes, a collection of small paper bags and plastic bags and a number of small plastic tubes with stoppers. Please make sure that you have all of this equipment before you begin excavating.

2. EXCAVATION

2.1 General: Because bone preservation at Nahal Tillah is very poor the bones tend to be fragile, so all bones MUST be excavated with even more care than other special finds, using small trowels, dental picks and brushes. Some bones will be thickly coated with a dirty grey deposit and so it will be difficult to recognize as being bone. ALL bones, however small or broken, must be kept, nothing must be thrown away at any stage. If a bone is broken in excavation please ensure that all the bits are collected and bagged together. Immediately after removal from the deposits all bones should be put into bags- most can go into paper bags, but any jaw bones or collections of teeth should be placed in individual plastic bags. DO NOT OVER FILL THE BAGS. Place the bags in a bucket separate fro the pottery and flint buckets. DON'T put pottery and/or flint in tile same bucket, otherwise the bones will -et crushed. If any large heavy bones are found they should be put into separate buckets for the same reason. Keep all bones in the shade, direct sunshine will cause them to dry too rapidly and they will twist and break.

2.2 Special Bones: Every effort should be made to excavate all skulls, jaw bones or collections of teeth entire without loss of teeth. Each jaw and any loose teeth from it should be placed 't's own individual plastic (or paper) bag,. Bones that look special, that is any that appear to be in any kind of particular relationship to each other or to other finds (i.e. at Gilat in 1993 we found a fenestrated basalt vessel in situ surrounded by animal bones and some gazelle horn cores) should be recorded as such and then planned and then photographed in situ. This means that none should be removed until the area has been completely excavated and all relationships have been examined. Keep such bones to(,ether in a special bag, of their own and label "articulated bones" or "bones associated with chum" etc...

2.3 Human Bones: as soon as you see anything that might be human STOP DIGGING and think about it .... tile main characteristics of human bones are (1) they tend to be grouped together as complete skeletons (although not always the case), (2) the skull is large, rounded and thick walled and the main bones are usually very long and narrow. If you think you have human bones consult with your supervisor and assistant supervisor who will then call in the human bone expert. It is essential that the work slow down to a pace at which every part of the skeleton can be removed from the ground without too much damage. CONSULT WITH THE HUMAN BONE PERSON.

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A HANDY GLOSSARY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL TERMS

annealing: In copper and bronze metallurgy, this refers to the repeated process of heating and hammering the material to produce the desired shape.

archaeological culture: A constantly, recurring assemblage of artifacts assumed to be representative of a particular set of behavioral activities carried out at a particular time and place.

Archacology: A sub discipline of anthropology involving the study of human past through its material remains.

archaeozoology: Sometimes referred to as zooarchaeology, this involves the identification and analysis of faunal species from archaeological sites, as an aid to the reconstruction of both human diets and to an understanding of the contemporary environment at the time of deposition.

artifact: Any portable object used, modified, or made by humans: e.g. stone tools pottery, metal weapons.

assemblage: A group of artifacts recurring together at a particular time and place, and representing the sum of human activities.

association: The co-occurrence of an artifact other archaeological remains, usually, in the same matrix.

attribute: A minimal characteristic of an artifact such that it can not be further subdivided: attributes commonly studied include aspects of form, color, and raw material.

central place theory: Developed by the geographer Christaller to explain the spacing and function of the settlement landscape. Under idealized conditions, he argued, central places of the same size and nature would be equidistant from each other, surrounded by secondary centers with their own smaller satellites. In spite of its limitations, central place theory has found useful applications in archaeology as a preliminary heuristic device.

chiefdom: A term used to describe a society that operates on the principle of ranking, i.e. differential social status. The chiefdon generally has a permanent ritual and ceremonial center, as well as be characterized by local specialization in crafts.

context: An artifact's context usually consists of its immediate matrix (the material surrounding it e.g. gravel, clay, or sand), it's provenience (horizontal and vertical position within the matrix), and in association with other artifacts.

contract archarology: Archaeology research conducted under the aegis of federal or state legislation, often in advance of highway construction or urban development, where the archaeologist is contracted to undertake the necessary research.

core: A lithic artifact used as a blank from which other tool or flakes are made.

cultural recourse management (CRM): The safeguarding of the archarology heritage through the protection of sites and through salvage archaeology (rescue archaeology), generally within the framework of legislation designed to safeguard the past.

ecofact: Non-artifactual organic and environmental remains which have cultural relevance, e.g. faunal and flora material as well as soils and sediments.

ethnoarchacology: The study of contemporary cultures with a view to understanding the behavioral relationships which underlie the production of material culture.

excavation: The principle method of data acquisition in archaeology, involving the systematic uncovering of archaeological remains through the removal of the deposits of soil and other material covering them and accompanying them.

flotation: A method of screening (sieving) excavated matrix in water so as to separate and recover small ecofacts and artifacts.

formation processes: Those processes affecting the way in which archaeological materials came to be buried, and their subsequent history afterwards. Cultural formation processes include the deliberate or accidental activities of humans: natural formation processes refer to natural or environmental events which govern the burial and survival of the archaeological record.

geomorphology: A sub discipline of geography, concerned with the study of the form and development of the landscape.

groundstone: Usually non-flint stone which has been pecked, chipped, or otherwise modified. Typical examples include grinding slabs, mortars, hammerstones and handstones (manos) made from basalt, limestome, and beachrock.

loess sediments: Deposits formed of a yellowish dust of silt-sized particles blown by wind and redeposited on land newly deglaciated or on sheltered areas.

more to come...