Tell el-Hesi Archaeology Dig Main Site

Tell el-Hesi is an archaeological mound that is located southwest of the modern Israeli city of Qiryat Gat, at point 12451063 of the Israel grid, or at 34 degrees 43 minutes 50 seconds east longitude and 31 degrees 43 minutes and 45 seconds north latitude. The site was originally excavated between 1890 and 1892 by the Palestine Exploration Fund in a series of five campaigns directed first by William Matthew Flinders Petrie and then by Frederick Jones Bliss. They published their reports in 1891 and 1894.

A second more recent series of excavations began in 1970 under the Joint Archaeological Expedition to Tell el-Hesi at the behest of the American Schools of Oriental Research and its President G. Ernest Wright. The original core staff of directors for the project included John Worrell - Director; Lawrence Toombs - Senior Archeologist; Philip J. King - Administrative Director; H.T. Frank - Education Director; and W. J. Bennett, Jr. and Lawrence E. Stager as Field Directors. The Joint Expedition excavated at the site from 1970 to 1983 in a series of eight summer seasons. The project emphasized excavation in two areas of the site: the acropolis and its associated wall system (Fields I and III), and the lower southeast tell comprising a 19th century Muslim cemetery and EB III wall system and glacis of the lower city (Fields V, VI, and IX).

The Joint Expedition excavations of Early Bronze remains on the southern tell began in the 1975 season under the direction of John Peterson. Peterson conducted a series of probes on the southeast (Field VI) and southwest (Field V) portions of the tell. Both probes revealed a Muslim cemetery from the early 19th century CE with EB remains directly underneath. Under the supervision of Lawrence E. Toombs, plans were made for the following season to expand and begin excavation of Field VI. A large portion of a Muslim cemetery was carefully excavated and immediately below it was an EB wall system and domestic area. The EB wall system was expanded into Field IX towards the east. Field V excavations did not resume in 1977, but were conducted in 1979 and 1981. Also, some EB remains were uncovered in Field III and in probes in Field IV and VII in various seasons.

EB excavations in Fields V, VI, and IX were supervised by several staff. The archaeological director for the entire campaign was the late Lawrence E. Toombs. The late James F. Ross was at Hesi as Field VI and IX supervisor for the 1977, 1979, and 1983 seasons. Patty Gerstenblith was field supervisor in 1979 for part of Field VI and Valerie Fargo was field supervisor for Field V in 1979 and 1981. Fargo also was co-project director in 1983. The late D. Glenn Rose was Project Director and Field VI supervisor in 1981.

Roger W. Anderson received his Ph.D. from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. His dissertation, The Civic Responsibility of Israelite and Judaean Kingship, focused on analysis of texts and archaeological sites related to building cities. Gösta W. Ahlström, Edward F. Campbell, Jr., and Lawrence E. Stager comprised the dissertation committee. Roger was a volunteer in 1977 and area supervisor in 1979, 1981, and 1983 in Fields VI and IX. During these seasons, Roger worked closely with the Hesi supervisory staff, especially the Lawrence E. Toombs, James, F. Ross, Patty Gerstenblith. and Frank Koucky. He now is the general editor and principal author of the final excavation report on EB Hesi.