Archaeology Dig 2007: Tel Dor, Israel

The 2007 season of excavations at Tel Dor, Israel will be held between June 26 and July 28 next summer. Tel Dor was first excavated in the 1920s by John Garstang and an intensive research project was launched in 1980-2000 under Prof. Ephraim Stern; this is the fourth season of the new excavations by a consortium of Hebrew and American universities led by Ilan Sharon of the Hebrew University and Ayelet Gilboa of Haifa University.

Tel Dor (Khirbet el-Burj) is a large mound located on Israel's Mediterranean coast, about 30 km south of Haifa. It is identified with D-jr of Egyptian sources, Biblical Dor, and with Dor/Dora of Greek and Roman sources. The documented history of the site begins in the Late Bronze Age (though the town itself was founded in the Middle Bronze Age, c. 2000 BCE), and ends in the Crusader period. The port dominated the fortunes of the town throughout its 3000-odd year history. Dor was eventually ruled by the Canaanites, the Sea Peoples, the Israelites, the Phoenicians, the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans.

Excavation plans for next summer include the completion of the excavation of a large Hellenistic temple (possibly one of a pair), and investigation of early Roman industrial installations above and around it; digging the elite section of the city, with large Iron Age Phoenician public structures; excavating area D5 on the southern slope of the acropolis, aiming to reach the Bronze Age city, never before exposed at Dor; and analysis of both finds and stratigraphy at the site museum.

Tel Dor staff are recruited both by the participating institutions and centrally by the project. Volunteers are recruited by the participating institutions. The programs offered by the various institutions may vary somewhat, but all are based on the shared experience of actual digging at Dor and the expertise of the professional staff there. Depending on availability, a number of internships/trainee staff positions are offered at cost-sharing prices. For details please inquire at dor-proj@mscc.huji.ac.il.

• Tel Dor Project Page, for more details about the site's history, archaeology, and ongoing project results
• Archaeology Digs in the Middle East
• Archaeology Digs 2007
• Archaeology of Israel

This photograph of the crew at work at Tel Dor is in Area D1: Persian and Roman buildings (photo credit Howard Karesh); the aerial photo is of the south-west corner of the mound (recently excavated) and South Harbour (photo credit Sky Balloon, Inc.).