Publications
Deutsch-Israelischer Wissenstransfer und Begegnungsgeschichte
A two-decade German-Israeli academic exchange program, centered in Beer Sheva's desert edge, successfully fostered cross-cultural knowledge transfer and interdisciplinary learning. This initiative, documented in a volume of academic articles, essays, experience reports, and obituaries, demonstrated the profound impact of immersive educational experiences on participants' understanding of Jewish and Israel Studies, archaeology, history, geology, anthropology, and sociology. The program's unique blend of Hebrew language instruction, German-language lectures, and regular study visits to significant sites in the Negev desert highlighted the region's cultural and scientific significance, contributing valuable insights into the encounter between German and Israeli academic traditions.
Nabatean Tent Sites on the Ruhot Plain, Central Negev, and Nomadic Visibility
Research on Nabatean tent sites in the Ruhot Plain, Central Negev, reveals a lesser-known pastoral nomadic component of Nabatean society that contrasts with the established caravan route and urban centers. Analysis of architectural, geographic, and ceramic data from four sites shows these campsites differ significantly from those linked to the classic Incense Road, offering insights into the nomadic lifestyle of the Nabateans. The study compares these findings with earlier Timnian and later Byzantine/Early Islamic desert pastoral systems, as well as modern desert societies, providing a unique perspective on the archaeology of pastoral camps, often considered inaccessible.
Shiqmim II: The Phase II Excavations at a Chalcolithic Settlement Center in the Northern Negev Desert, Israel (1987–1993)
The Phase II excavations at Shiqmim, a Chalcolithic settlement center in the northern Negev Desert, Israel (1987–1993), reveal a complex farming community with extensive above-ground and subterranean architectural features. The study challenges previous classifications of Ghassulian society as a chiefdom, instead emphasizing detailed analyses of subsystems like production, distribution, and spatial organization. Radiocarbon dating suggests the site was abandoned by 3800 cal BCE, aligning with broader Chalcolithic chronology. The research uses stratigraphic, architectural, and radiocarbon methods to reconstruct social structures and settlement dynamics.
A lifetime track of a griffon vulture: The moving story of Rehovot ( Y64 )
A griffon vulture named Rehovot, tracked for eight years using GPS technology, demonstrated age-related changes in movement and foraging behavior, providing critical insights into the species' ecology and conservation. The study revealed that juvenile vultures, like Rehovot, move greater distances and utilize thermals less efficiently than adults, highlighting the importance of learning in flight performance. Rehovot's data also aided in detecting poisoning incidents, showcasing the potential of long-term tracking for endangered species management. This research underscores the value of individual lifetime studies in understanding behavioral adaptation and ecological dynamics.
Desert Depths
A critical architectural approach to the Negev/Naqab Desert challenges Eurocentric and settler colonial narratives of emptiness, revealing complex, layered histories and ecologies. The study employs hybrid mapping techniques to spatialize conditions of migration, erasure, and power, creating deep cartographies that expose interdependent cultural and climatic worlds. By centering marginalized perspectives and confronting the Western gaze, the research offers a more inclusive and empathetic understanding of desert landscapes, countering dominant perceptions through student-led, open-ended design exercises.
The Perspectives of Nessana: New Studies of the “Caravan City” in Southern Israel
Nessana, a Byzantine and early Islamic period settlement in the Negev desert, emerges as a pivotal caravan junction on the Christian pilgrimage route to St. Catherine's Monastery in Sinai. This study highlights Nessana's transformation into an urbanized hub with a population of around five thousand people, supported by economic benefits from pilgrimage, numerous churches, and caravanserais. The research leverages unique archaeological evidence, including papyri, building inscriptions, and pilgrimage graffiti, to shed light on early Christian pilgrimage dynamics. Despite previous excavations, the site's stratigraphy and layout remain unclear, prompting a new expedition to address these gaps through systematic fieldwork and interdisciplinary analysis.
The Southern Levant and Northern Arabia in the Iron Age
During the first millennium BCE, arid regions of the southern Levant and northern Arabia experienced significant societal transformation, marked by the emergence of independent polities with varying social complexities. These societies, often overlooked through the lens of Near Eastern empires' written records, were primarily organized around nomadic semi-pastoralism and limited agriculture, heavily influenced by environmental factors like aridity. The study reveals how these regions became integrated into broader Near Eastern economic systems, particularly through trade networks involving mineral resources such as copper from Wadi Arabah and incense from South Arabia. Neighboring empires, notably the Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian, sought to dominate these routes and co-opt tribal groups controlling them, though with mixed success. The research leverages local epigraphic and archaeological evidence to elucidate this pivotal period of political and economic organization.
‘Our forest-our home’: leisure and tourism among the Bedouin minority in southern Israel
A groundbreaking study reveals that forests in southern Israel serve as neutral 'enabling spaces' for the Bedouin minority, fostering social integration and empowerment while also highlighting internal societal divides. The research, conducted among Negev Bedouins from 2019 to 2020 using both quantitative and qualitative methods, demonstrates a trend of adaptation by the Bedouin community to the leisure patterns of the Jewish majority, alongside physical closeness during recreational activities. Notably, it identifies emerging internal processes, such as the empowerment of marginalized groups and a growing gap between urban and rural Bedouins, which had not been previously documented. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of leisure dynamics among ethnic minorities.
Caravanserai middens on desert roads: a new perspective on the Nabataean–Roman trade network across the Negev
Archaeological test-pit excavations of rubbish middens at three Nabataean–Roman caravanserai along the Incense Route reveal new insights into long-distance trade networks across the Negev. The study demonstrates that these small desert stops, often overlooked in favor of major urban centers, played a crucial role in connecting the Arabian Peninsula and Red Sea to the Mediterranean during the peak periods of Nabataean and Roman trade. Material culture from the middens, combined with archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data, provides evidence of extensive inter-regional connections while also illuminating the subsistence basis of caravan trade. This research shifts focus from commodities in transit to the smaller nodes of trade networks, offering a more nuanced understanding of ancient economic and social dynamics.
Stables in the Negev: an overview
The Negev region, southern Israel, witnessed significant urbanization during the Roman and Byzantine periods (1st–7th century CE), primarily under Nabataean influence. This study highlights the strategic role of stables in the region, particularly along the Incense Road—a key trade route connecting Petra to Gaza. The research reveals that these structures were integral to the Nabataeans' logistical network, facilitating commerce and control over movement between desert cities and coastal ports. By analyzing architectural and archaeological evidence, the study provides insights into the organization of trade routes and urban planning in this historically pivotal region.
Archaeology and Material Culture of Nabataea and the Nabataeans
Nabataean civilization, centered in Petra, thrived as a wealthy Arab kingdom controlling vital trade routes from Arabia to the Mediterranean and Egypt. Their mastery of stone-cutting and pottery production, particularly during the Roman era, allowed them to dominate international markets with exquisite ceramic vessels and perfumed oils. As a client state under Augustus, their prosperity persisted even after Roman annexation in 106 CE, maintaining economic influence until the 3rd century CE. Their written language, Aramaic, laid foundational linguistic groundwork for modern Arabic. This study synthesizes archaeological evidence and material culture to illuminate Nabataea's geopolitical significance, economic strategies, and cultural legacy in the southern Levant.
Emplaced resistance in Palestine and Israel
This research reveals how space serves as both a resource and outcome of protest against settler-colonial domination, particularly in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It demonstrates that subaltern groups employ localized strategies of resistance, engaging with the materiality of place, territory, and landscape to challenge regimes of control. Through a comparative study of three contested sites—H2 area in Hebron, Silwan neighborhoods, and al-Araqib village in the Negev desert—the research highlights diverse spatial repertoires of contention used by Palestinian communities to resist dispossession and expulsion. Conducted via fieldwork between 2012 and 2015, this work offers a nuanced understanding of resistance strategies rooted in local contexts, contributing significantly to political geography, sociology, and conflict studies.
Impacts of Non-Local versus Local Moisture Sources on a Heavy (and Deadly) Rain Event in Israel
A deadly rain event in Israel's semi-arid Negev desert, particularly around the Tzafit river gorge near Dimona, was significantly influenced by both local and non-local moisture sources. Research using factor separation techniques revealed that local ground moisture substantially increased Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), leading to heightened precipitation and lightning rates, especially near Jerusalem. Meanwhile, non-local moisture sources facilitated weak but widespread convection, with localized peaks in the Tzafit river area. The combined effect of these moisture sources intensified convective activity, contributing to severe flooding on April 26, 2018. This study underscores the importance of accurately depicting soil moisture in forecast models for the Levant, particularly during the typically dry spring season, to improve predictions of convective rainfall and associated hazards.
Six milestone stations and new inscriptions discovered in the Negev along the Petra-Gaza Incense Route
Archaeologists have uncovered six milestone stations and four inscribed milestones along the lost segment of the ancient Petra-Gaza Incense Route in the Negev Desert, bridging a 7 km gap previously identified by Zeev Meshel and Yoram Tsafrir. These inscriptions represent the first dated texts from the incense route in the region, offering new insights into Nabataean trade networks and historical chronology. The discovery was made during a winter survey in 2018, confirming the scholars' earlier hypothesis about the road's continuity despite the absence of visible remains along the presumed path.
Milestones near Roman Army Installations in Desert Areas of the Provinces of Palaestina and Arabia
Roman milestones in the Negev Desert, including those along the Incense Route, were likely erected by local Roman Army units near military installations rather than as part of the broader imperial road network. This finding contrasts with the northern and central regions of Palaestina, where such markers are more common along well-preserved roads. The study suggests that these milestones serve as evidence of localized military activity in desert areas, a pattern also observed east of the Via Nova Triana in southern Jordan. By analyzing known milestones and their distribution, the research sheds light on Roman military logistics and infrastructure in arid regions.
You are here:
World Heritage Explorer > World Heritage Research > World Heritage Sites > Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev