The Negev Byzantine Bio-Archaeology Project

18/04/2019

Michael McCormick one of the leading figures in Roman history just published this great commentary on our recent paper:
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/04/15/1904037116

25/03/2019

Published in PNAS: our newest paper on collapse in the Byzantine-period Negev

Archaeologists thought Elusa, a popular Roman wine center, collapsed with Islam’s arrival. Its trash reveals a very different—and alarming—reason.

13/02/2019

9-minute Ted-style talk on our project by Daniel F**s
(in Hebrew, hoping to add English captions in the future)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbc0iwrIn_4

בית אבי חי Beit Avi Chai

הזבל שלנו מספר עלינו לא מעט. בתוך האשפה של תושבי הנגב מלפני 1500 שנה מסתתר סיפור שטרם סופר על עלייתה ונפילתה של ההתיישבות הביזנטית בנגב. דרך מחקר חדשני של זר...

23/01/2019

The PhotoArchaeology exhibition opening and symposium this Thursday (Jan 24th) at the Hecht Museum, University of Haifa.

(further details in the poster and invitation to attend)

10/12/2018

"One of Oldest Wicks in the World Uncovered", the Negev project of the University of Haifa scoring once again with an unprecedented and unique Byzantine find.

A microscopic examination showed the wick was made of linen, which Mishnah Shabbat cites as a high quality wick.

18/11/2018

The first ever portrayal of the Baptism of Christ found in Israel:
This cute video shows a glimpse from the process of discovery, just uploaded by the photographer who was part of the project.

15/11/2018

Fox News has just reported on our discovery of the Baptism of Christ, check out the video in the link:

A previously-unknown 1,500-year-old painting of Christ’s face has been uncovered at a Byzantine church in Israel’s Negev desert.

24/04/2018

"Appetite for the Past", JOIN US IN NY THIS APRIL for this NYU Symposium, Antiquity's tastes brought back to life

15/01/2018

Radio and online interviews from yesterday with Tal and Guy about the project and recent discoveries in the Negev:

http://www.kan.org.il/Radio/item.aspx?pid=20244
(from minute 14:23)

https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5069502,00.html

שלושה שיודעים

11/01/2018

Tal Fried et al. just published these latest results from the Negev in the prestigious Royal Society journal.
These ancient rodent bones show that the Byzantines 1500 y ago made the desert green with their sophisticated irrigation and farming technologies. This is a great example of the triumph of human ingenuity, though we still don't have an answer as to why their society eventually failed and collapsed.
(ps. the evil media distorted our message, saying we found evidence for climate change :-/

חוקרים מאוניברסיטת חיפה מצאו עדויות לכך שבתקופה הביזנטית האקלים באזור הנגב היה גשום יותר, דבר שאיפשר התבססות של חקלאות מרשימה

20/10/2017

Exciting 2 new papers just out from our group, check them out by following the links:

The first direct evidence for systematic use of pigeon manure in fertilizing (fertigation) nutrient-poor Negev soils by Byzantine farmers:

fil:///C:/Users/LENOVO/Downloads/Tepperetal.2017JAE.pdf

&

Using technology to unravel a previously unknown Transfiguration scene in the Byzantine and Early Christian site of Shivta in the Negev
(see more highlights in the comments below)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320050121_Visible_induced_luminescence_reveals_invisible_rays_shining_from_Christ_in_the_early_Christian_wall_painting_of_the_Transfiguration_in_Shivta

Yotam Tepper
Baruch Rosen
Annat Haber
Guy Bar-Oz

Ravit Linn
Yotam Tepper
Guy Bar-Oz

Official Full-Text Paper (PDF): Visible induced luminescence reveals invisible rays shining from Christ in the early Christian wall painting of the Transfiguration in Shivta

14/05/2017

This is how archaeology actually works in our brand new 360 degree video.

(the remnants of walls and architecture are actually remains of agricultural terraces built in the Byzantine period ***were the living trees planted here by the Byzantines and survived on their own for 1500 y? We aim to find an answer to that intriguing question***

***added May 19.