Avraham S. Tendler, Bar-Ilan University and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)

The Agricultural Settlement Systems of the Modi’in Region from the Hellenistic Period until the Modern Era

I am a doctoral student in the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University and a field and research archaeologist in the Israel Antiquities Authority central district. My research under the direction of Prof. Boaz Zissu focuses on the agricultural settlement systems of the Modi’in region from the Hellenistic period until the modern era. The goal of this research is to create a well-defined typology for the variety of the archaeological remains of agricultural settlement systems surveyed and excavated in in the Modi’in region. The prominent archaeological features and material culture of each settlement system will be identified, characterized and analyzed and their historical–geographical contexts discussed.

The term agricultural settlement system used here refers to both the architecture and artifacts of the settlements themselves as well as the agricultural features—installations, plots, terraces and paths in the landscape surrounding the settlements. These features are the remains of intense agricultural activity throughout the various periods of settlement at the sites. This research will attempt to characterize the remains of the agricultural activity in the different periods and correlate between elements of the agricultural systems to specific stratum of the settlements. The various settlement systems existed in different historical–geographical environments. The correct identification and detailed knowledge of each settlement type will result in a more comprehensive understanding of those ancient environments and their historical causes, consequences and implications.

The core of this research will be the presentation and analysis of large scale archaeological projects and additional smaller excavations and surveys that I directed in the Modi’in region. Each project generated detailed data regarding different types of agricultural settlements of the Modi’in region from the early Hellenistic period until the modern era.

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© April 2019