Cultural similarities do not neccesarily equal biological relatedness

With the extensive application of DNA studies in archaeology, and the clear importance and contribution of this field, but at the same time, along with the unfortunately all-too-common misunderstanding of the implications of such research, it is important, time and again, to remind those practicing, and interested, in archaeology, that cultural similarities do not always equal biological relatedness. In other words, groups with similar cultural attributes can, but also cannot, be biologically related (as seen in genetic profiling), and at the same time, groups with diffferent cultural attributes can, or cannot be biologically related.

Thus, simplistic equations between genetics, material culture and group identity should be avoided.

To illustrate this very nicely, see the just published study, by Wang et al., on a genetic study of two groups of “Avars” from late Antiquity and early medieval central Europe. These two groups, despite having similar material culture, retained dinstinctively separate genetic profiles, over a period of two centuries.

While this study deals with other regions and periods than those covered and discussed here, the methological and practical implications are just as relevant for cultures and groups of the Bronze and Iron Age Levant. One must repeat again and again: what DNA tells us is first and foremost about biological relatedness. Additional conclusions based in DNA studies (and in particular ancient DNA studies) are complex and should not be simplistically interpreted!

Here is the full title (and link) – check it out:

Wang, K., Tobias, B., Pany-Kucera, D. et al. Ancient DNA reveals reproductive barrier despite shared Avar-period culture. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08418-5

And here is the abstract:

After a long-distance migration, Avars with Eastern Asian ancestry arrived in Eastern Central Europe in 567 to 568 ce and encountered groups with very different European ancestry. We used ancient genome-wide data of 722 individuals and fine-grained interdisciplinary analysis of large seventh- to eighth-century ce neighbouring cemeteries south of Vienna (Austria) to address the centuries-long impact of this encounter. We found that even 200 years after immigration, the ancestry at one site (Leobersdorf) remained dominantly East Asian-like, whereas the other site (Mödling) shows local, European-like ancestry. These two nearby sites show little biological relatedness, despite sharing a distinctive late-Avar culture. We reconstructed six-generation pedigrees at both sites including up to 450 closely related individuals, allowing per-generation demographic profiling of the communities. Despite different ancestry, these pedigrees together with large networks of distant relatedness show absence of consanguinity, patrilineal pattern with female exogamy, multiple reproductive partnerships (for example, levirate) and direct correlation of biological connectivity with archaeological markers of social status. The generation-long genetic barrier was maintained by systematically choosing partners with similar ancestry from other sites in the Avar realm. Leobersdorf had more biological connections with the Avar heartlands than with Mödling, which is instead linked to another site from the Vienna Basin with European-like ancestry. Mobility between sites was mostly due to female exogamy pointing to different marriage networks as the main driver of the maintenance of the genetic barrier.

Israel Antiquities Publications Portal

Joe Uziel has kindly updated me about the new Israel Antiquities Publications Portal which is in the process of being put online.

The portal will give access to all IAA publications, of the past and present, in an accesible and very handsome manner.

Very nice!

Explaining the “Weshesh”!

A truly Eureka moment occured today!

For years, explaining the meaning and origin of the Weshesh group of the Sea Peoples, who are only mentioned by Rameses III, has been unclear. Various etymologies for this name have been suggested, now that clear.

Now, I believe we have the answer!

In the Safi lab, we got a small cup washing machine, as you can see in the pictures below.

And now, all is clear! The Weshesh are in fact the “Washwash” – the Sea Peoples group in charge of washing all the dishes of the other groups! :-)

We also managed to retrieve a video of a genuine Weshesh dishwasher, on the job!

Yannis Hamilakis – an example of “white privilege” in its purest form

In a thinly-veneered, seemingly academic response to a discussion in a forum in the Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies about their book “Archaeology, Nation and Race”, Yannis Hamilakis and Raphael Greenberg weave a vitriolic and hateful diatribe about archaeology in Israel, and of course connect it to their quite unsurprising views about the current situation in the Middle East. Utilizing, ad nauseum, much of the au courant “progressive” terminology (“whiteness”, “dehumanization”, “apartheid”, “Global south”, etc.), they replicate and expand on their views expressed originally in the book.

I don’t intend to debate them, as it is useless to argue with those who see themselves as being ideologically “pure”, and see the world only in black and white hues, but I would suffice to say that their representation of archaeology in Israel, and of Israel in general, is very narrow minded, with a “one-size-fits-all” understanding of what is perhaps the most complicated geo-political context in the world.

I’m only here to comment on one thing. As part of his response, Hamilakis writes the following:

“I see, thus, as our responsibility today not only to oppose ethnic cleansing and apartheid but also oppose Zionism anywhere, as one of the current faces of white supremacy.”

• First of all, I’ll start with saying that I’m disappointed with the editors of the journal who enabled such charged and politically motivated statements to be published in an academic journal, a journal that aims to be a platform for cutting-edge archaeological research.
• Second, while it is clear to me that there is “nobody at home” to debate with Hamilakis about the roots, background, aims and viability of the political and national movement known as Zionism, I’m happy to say that despite his nasty comment, Zionism per se is not the current face of white supermacy”, despite if there are those who identify themselves as Zionists do things that are not to be condoned. The national aspirations of an indigenous people in their ancestral homeland should not be denied (even if they happen to be Jewish).
• But the most glaring point in this is that Hamilakis, who is a Greek teaching in an American Ivy League university, is most probably, one of the best examples of “white privilege” in its purest form. His job, his publications, his funding, and most of all, his training and workplace, are drenched in the blood of indigenous peoples, who first the Greeks, and then the Americans, butchered, raped, plundered and stole from, during centuries upon centuries of conquest, colonization, dehuminization and slavery.

There is a Talmudic saying: הפוסל, במומו פוסל – roughly translated as: “He who disqualifies, disqualifies according to his fault”.

Or, “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”…

Joint Minerva RIAB Center Workshop on “Israelites, Phoenicians and Arameans in the North”

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, a very interesting workshop will be conducted, jointly organized by the Kinneret Academic College, Ben-Gurion University and Minerva RIAB Center. The workshop, which will be conducted in Hebrew, will take place at the Kinneret College campus at Zemah (at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee.

The workshop’s title is: “Israelites, Phoenicians and Arameans in the North Valley, the Galilee Mountains and the Coastal Plain” and will include 11 lectures by scholars from various institutions in Israel.

As you may recall, this meeting was scheduled for earlier this year, but had to be cancelled due to Hizballah rocket attacks. Now that things have calmed down a bit, we hope all will go well with our current plans!

Here is the workshop’s schedule:

הזמנה לסדנת מחקר – כנרת – 11.2.25Download

Nice finds from “picking” – a possible Sekhmet amulet

One of the methods used in modern archaeology, to maximize find-retrieval, is the use of the “picking” method.  In this method, sediments are collected on site and brought to the lab. Then, the sediments are spread out on a tray, and are meticulously picked through (in good lighting and at times with magnification), to remove all kinds of finds. This method has various advantages. First of all, the finds are better preverved than when you sift sediments in large sifter using a powerful motion. Similarly, in sediments that are “wet-sifted”, the stream of water can damage finds.

Although “picking” is a very slow and labor intensive method, it often is worth the effort, bringing up all kinds of finds. This includes micro-faunal (such as the bones of small animals) and botanical remains, and various types of material culture. For example, we often find very small beads – almost microscopic in size – that would slip though the holes of the sifters used in most sifting. Sometimes, one get some really intersting finds!

Today, Batya Ofan, who is a student in our department and has been conducting “picking” on sediments from Tell es-Safi/Gath, discovered a very nice find!

As you can see below, it is a small faience amulet, probably of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet. We have discovered such amulets previously at the site, and it is known from other Bronze and Iron Age sites in the region.

Very cool!

Tel Nagila Excavation Report Submitted!

Glad to report that the excavation report on the Amiran/Eitan excavations at Tel Nagila, conducted in 1962-1963, has been submitted to de Gruyter publishers. Hopefully, it will be out in mid-2025!

This report brings to light archaeological materials from an excavation that should have been published decades ago. The volume contains 20 chapters on the finds from various periods. These studies were based on the available finds and documentation, which, unfortunately in some cases were incomplete, due to the more than 60 years since the excavations. Nevertheless, we believe that this is important to publish, as fully as possible, the interesting remains from this multi-period site!

The full title of the forthcoming volume is:

Uziel, J., Ilan, D., Susnow, M., and Maeir, A. M., eds. In press. Tel Nagila: The Amiran/Eitan Excavations. Archaeology of the Biblical Worlds. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Call for papers: 3rd Annual Meeting on the Archaeology of the Modern Period, May 8, 2025

Following the success of the annual conference on the archaeology of the Modern period in the last two years, on Thursday, May 8, 2025, we will once again convene this meeting at Bar-Ilan University.

See below the call for papers, to be submitted by Jan. 30, 2025.

קול קורא-כנס 3 _ארכיאולוגיה של העת החדשהDownload

Silk Roads Forum IAS

I participated this evening in the first meeting of the “Silk Roads Forum” of the Israel Academy of Sciences, organized by Prof. Michal Biran (HUJI) and Prof. Ronit Ritcci (HUJI). The forum, which will meet several times in the coming academic year, is composed of a fascinating group of scholars from institutions from all over Israel, from various fields (archaeology, history, linguistics, music, art, anthropology, etc.) who deal with topics relating to the “Silk Roads” of Eurasia.

Each meeting, case studies will be presented by selected participants, which will then be discussed by the group. Today, in the first meeting, we heard Prof. Michael Shenkar (HUJI) talk about Silk Road cities in Sogdiana, and Profs. Gideon Shelach-Lavie, and Michal Biran, talk about cities in the Mongolian steppes. Each lecture was followed by a fascinating discussion.

Can’t wait for the next sessions. I’m participating in this forum, among other reasons, as I’m in the process of developing a joint research project in Central Asia.

What can I say – life is interesting…

Tour of Safi with Japanese ambassador

Following his visit to the Safi lab at BIU, earlier this week, on Friday, I had the honor and pleasure to give HE, Ambassador Arai, the Japanese Ambassador to Israel, a tour of Tell es-Safi/Gath (along his assistant Mr. Takume Matsuse).

The weather was great, and we did an extended, two hour tour, covering most of the site.

We finished with some freshly brewed Turkish coffee, which I made on the spot, to round off a great tour of the site.

See some pics below: