NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY/BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

 WHAT IS NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY?

By : Elssey Elizebeth

The period of time from the emergence of sedentary life in the early Neolithic (about 10,000 BCE) to the widespread conquest of the Near East by Alexander the Great (around 330 BCE) is the focus of Near Eastern archaeology. Near Eastern archaeology is part of general history studies.It focuses on the material legacies left behind by the ancient civilizations of the Near East. The analysis and reinterpretation of archaeological relics as historical sources of Near Eastern cultural history and settlement history constitute the primary focuses of this particular study. When conducting research on historical eras, it is absolutely necessary to make use of historical textual materials from the ancient Near East. (IAA, 2023)

• Mesopotamia, the area between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, is significant to the study of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology. One of the earliest advanced cultures in human history emerged in Sumer. As time went on, Mesopotamia formed the backbone of powerful empires like the Akkadian, Assyrian, and Babylonian ones. (IAA, 2023)
• Cyprus (ancient Alashiya), a large island in the eastern Mediterranean was a separate cultural entity during most eras of human occupation. However, its proximity to both Anatolia and the northern and southern Levant was responsible for impacts from and to both these regions. This was especially the case as Cyprus was an important source of copper for much of the area. (Wikipedia, 2022)

WHAT DOES A NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGIST DO?

Near eastern archaeologist focuses on the settlement and cultural history of the Ancient Near East, from human settlement to the stages of urbanisation and the growth of territorial states, and finally to the creation and fall of the ancient Near Eastern empires.

(Wikipedia , 2022) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_Eastern_archaeology

Meskalamdug helmet, British Museum electrotype copy, original was in the Iraq Museum, Bagdad. The holes around the border suggest that another piece was normally affixed, as for example in the full mask attributed to Sargon of Akkad. The hairbun attached at the back of the head is visible in other rulers as well, such as Sargon or Eannatum in the Stele of the Vultures.