UChicago Tell Keisan Excavations

Location: Tel Kison: Tamra, Israel

Season: August 29, 2020 to September 25, 2020

Session Dates: CLASS DAY(S) Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri LENGTH 5 weeks

Application Deadline: May 31, 2020

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://keisan.uchicago.edu/

Program Type:
Field School, Volunteer

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
The University Of Chicago Tell Keisan Excavations

Project Director:
Dr. David Schloen

Project Description:

Tell Keisan was first excavated briefly in the 1930s, and then for several years in the 1970s by the École biblique et archéologique française in Jerusalem. The current excavations began with a geophysical survey of the site in 2015, followed by one-month excavation seasons in the summers of 2016, 2018, and 2019. We are focusing on the Iron Age remains of the Phoenician period, when the inhabitants of Tell Keisan became integrated into the emerging Mediterranean economy pioneered by the Phoenicians, and also developed close links to the kingdom of Israel, whose border ran nearby in the Galilee hills and Jezreel Valley.

The next excavations at Tell Keisan will take place from August 29 to September 25, 2020. We are taking applications from volunteer diggers to join our team (no archaeological experience required). Students from the University of Chicago and elsewhere can earn course credit while digging by enrolling in the “Field Archaeology” course in the UChicago Summer Session. Please note that students will pay for their own airfares and living expenses, in addition to the tuition fee for the course. However, College Research Scholar grants for airfare and other expenses are available for UChicago undergraduates. These are awarded on the basis of academic merit and relevance to the student’s program of study. (Recipients of College Research Scholar grants are not required to enroll in the “Field Archaeology” course, although they are encouraged to do so.) For more information, please contact Prof. David Schloen via email at dschloen@uchicago.edu.

Period(s) of Occupation: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, in partnership with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is excavating Tell Keisan (Tel Kison), a prominent mound nine miles northeast of Haifa that is the site of an ancient city of the Bronze and Iron Ages (ca. 3000 to 600 BCE). In the era of the Israelite kings, this city and the surrounding coastal region were incorporated into the Phoenician kingdom of Tyre — an important maritime power with close economic, political, and cultural ties to the neighboring Israelites. Tyre famously sent fleets of ships to explore the Mediterranean coastlands in search of silver and other goods, establishing trading posts and colonies as far west as Spain.

Notes:
The application deadline is rolling and spaces are limited so it is first-come-first-served, however, the final deadline for application is no later than May 31, 2020. Contact Prof. David Schloen (dschloen@uchicago.edu) for details. Exact dates are August 29 to September 25, 2020. It is an opportunity for volunteers and is run as a field school with lecture and field trips (and course credit). It is not RPA certified. And we are looking for 1-24 participants this year. The volunteer fee is $3,500 for 4 weeks plus airfare to Tel Aviv. The minimum length of stay is 4 weeks.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 4 weeks

Minimum Age: Undergrad / Grad

Experience Required: The next excavations at Tell Keisan will take place from August 29 to September 25, 2020. We are taking applications from volunteer diggers to join our team (no archaeological experience required). Academic requirements include the completion of assigned readings and a final written examination. For more information about this archaeological field opportunity in Summer 2020, see http://keisan.uchicago.edu. Students who are enrolled in this course will pay a Summer Session tuition fee in addition to the cost of participation in the dig. UChicago College students are eligible to apply for College Research Scholar grants to fund their participation.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Please note that students will pay for their own airfares and living expenses, in addition to the tuition fee for the course. However, College Research Scholar grants for airfare and other expenses are available for UChicago undergraduates. These are awarded on the basis of academic merit and relevance to the student’s program of study. (Recipients of College Research Scholar grants are not required to enroll in the “Field Archaeology” course, although they are encouraged to do so.) For more information, please contact Prof. David Schloen via email at dschloen@uchicago.edu.

Academic Credit:
This course entails four weeks of full-time, hands-on training in field archaeology in an excavation directed by a University of Chicago faculty member. At the Tell Keisan site in Israel, students will learn techniques of excavation and digital recording of the finds; attend evening lectures, and participate in weekend field trips. Students from the University of Chicago and elsewhere can earn course credit while digging by enrolling in the “Field Archaeology” course in the UChicago Summer Session.