Newswise — “Archaeologists can never be sure that a particular interpretation is correct, still less that it can never be improved,” the late Bruce Trigger, eminent historian of archaeological thought, wrote in 1998. He continued: “Yet today they are asking more questions than ever before, have more techniques to analyze data than ever before, and are increasingly aware of their biases and try to compensate for them, . . . but multiple standpoints do not simply create multiple, incompatible archaeologies. They challenge all archaeologists, wherever possible, to use this multiplicity to create more holistic and objective syntheses.” Eastern Mediterranean archaeology spans three continents and encompasses the remains of some of the world’s oldest civilizations. As Professor Trigger foresaw fifteen years ago, archaeologists working in this region today must incorporate an ever-changing variety of archaeological approaches and need to keep up with a range of sources in order meet the demands of the modern academic world. The Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies (JEMAHS) responds to this need by introducing the unique concept of inclusiveness and by inviting contributions from practitioners of virtually every scholarly pursuit that enhances our knowledge of the past. Similarly eclectic in its geographical range, the journal covers the archaeologies of Greece and the Aegean, Anatolia, the Levant, Cyprus, Egypt, and North Africa. For the first time, the work of archaeologists of Near Eastern, classical, biblical and more recent historical periods, as well as that of material science experts, museum and heritage studies specialists, anthropologists, historians, and epigraphers are brought together on the pages of one publication.
In addition to discussing archaeological topics, JEMAHS will focus on heritage, a field that is sometimes described as the study of “the present past.” Topics relevant to archaeological practice today will be covered in a Forum section. This section will explore, from the viewpoint of different authors, such questions as open access archaeological data publishing, archaeology and the global economic crisis, and performing archaeological research in conflict zones. Including a large number of full- color photographs and drawings, the journal engages with “the future past”—that is, with students, both graduate and undergraduate.
The inaugural issue, February 2013, demonstrates the journal’s determination to be both comprehensive and comprehensible—and attests to its mission to cover the Eastern Mediterranean past and the cultures influenced by the Eastern Mediterranean in a way that has not been done before. The first issue of JEMAHS includes an intriguing and beautifully illustrated article about the progress in preserving the Temple of the Winged Lions at the legendary site of Petra in Jordan, an exploration of the Nabataean Incense Road, an insightful examination of the significance of Khirbat al-Mafjar for the Palestinian Past, and a narrative about the use of archaeological sites in the Eastern Mediterranean as backdrops for visits by political leaders—including a timely case study of presidential visits to Jerusalem.
The Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies is published by The Pennsylvania State University Press. Questions and requests for interviews may be addressed to editors Ann Killebrew (a[email protected]) and Sandra Scham ([email protected]), or Patrick Alexander, director of the press ([email protected]). Examination copies are available upon request and may be directed to [email protected].
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