Directors of Program Prof Steve Weiner
Department of Structural Biology
Weizmann Institute
Rehovot 76100 Israel
Telephone: 972-8-9342552
E-mail: steve.weiner@weizmann.ac.ilProf. Aren M. Maeir
Director, The Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project
Co-Director, The Joint BIU/WIS Program in Archaeological Science
Institute of Archaeology
Bar-Ilan University
Ramat-Gan 52900 ISRAEL
maeira@mail.biu.ac.il; arenmaeir@gmail.com
(h) +972-2-6710404
(c) +972-54-6205082
(w) +972-3-5318350
www.dig-gath.org
http://gath.wordpress.comThe Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science was established at the Weizmann Institute in 1996, toward the purpose of educating a new generation of archaeologists who would be familiar with both the natural sciences and archaeology, in the belief that this is an important future trend in the field of archaeology. The Kimmel Center has an active program, with MSc and PhD students. The Center's activities have impacted the field of archaeology in Israel and abroad, in that there are collaborations and interactions with archaeologists, some inter-university/Weizmann Institute courses, several major research programs.
New Program to Integrate Archaeology and the Natural Sciences
Representatives of Bar-Ilan University and the Weizmann Institute of Science have signed an agreement to collaborate on a unique program for multidisciplinary teaching and research in archaeology and the natural sciences.
The program involves three scientists who are presently involved in various fields that combine hard science with archaeology (Dr Elisabetta Boaretto:carbon 14 dating, Dr Ehud Weiss: archaeo-botany and Dr Ruth Shahack-Gross: geo-archaeology) to carry out research in the framework of the Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for Archaeological Sciences at the Weizmann Institute, in conjunction with the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University. As part of the program, they teach courses in their areas of scientific archaeology at Bar-Ilan University, and participate in archaeological research that incorporates scientific methods and use of the Weizmann Institute research infrastructure.
To allow students to become fully versed in both the natural sciences and archaeology, Bar-Ilan University has created several double major programs, starting with students studying for a bachelor’s degree, and later extending to graduate studies. Each student will take courses in the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology and one other, such as Geography and Environment, Chemistry, or the Life Sciences Faculty.A major focus of this joint program is the unique field work conducted at the archaeological site of Tell es-Safi/Gath. As part of this ongoing project an intense integration of archaeological field work and archaeological science in the field is carried out. In this work we fully integrate, in the field, the work of the field archaeologists and the archaeological scientists, with labs set up in the field itself and in the base camp. In addition, a specialized field school in archaeological science is carried out, for students from throughout the world, who wish to get experience in archaeological science in the field (see additional details below).
This is the first program of its kind in Israel, and one of a very few in the world, and its initiators hope it will make a significant contribution to Israeli archaeology and help put it at the forefront of world-wide research. Students in the program learn from the outset to integrate different approaches and research methods from the natural sciences and archaeology. This ensures that they receive a ensure they receive a truly multidisciplinary training; one that will be expressed in their future research programs.
The agreement was signed in 2007 by Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Moshe Kaveh, Rector Prof. Yosef Yeshurun, and Prof. Aren Maeir, from the Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology and project Co-director. Weizmann Institute President Prof. Ilan Chet, and Prof. Stephen Weiner, Head of the Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science and project Co-director, signed for the Weizmann Institute.
Further information on this project can be obtained from the directors, Prof Aren Maeir or Prof Steve Weiner.
Future Program
The Weizmann Institute invites other universities to enter into a partnership similar to the one that has been agreed upon with Bar-Ilan University. Our overall objective is to establish an inter-university/Weizmann Institute program in which archaeological scientists will be members of two or more university departments, as well as of the Kimmel Center for Archaeological Sciences at the Weizmann Institute. They will perform most of their teaching at their home university and most of their research at the Weizmann Institute. They will have direct access to the scientific infrastructure at Weizmann, and will benefit from the interdisciplinary scientific environment that characterizes the Institute. Through their home universities, the archaeological scientists will have access to essential facilities, staff and students of archaeology, enabling them to be fully integrated into the archaeological establishment in Israel and abroad.
Start-up funds to finance the research infrastructure and half of the first 5 years salary of one appointee will be provided by the program. We hope that this prestigious and lucrative appointment will be an attractive inducement for young archaeological scientists to enter this field, as well as a major incentive for the universities and the Weizmann Institute to continue to vigorously pursue this exciting line of research.