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Tel Burna

Tel Burna

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Used with permission from BibleWalks.com


Names
Transliterated Name Source Name
Tel Burna Hebrew ‎תל בורנה
Tell Bornât Arabic ‎تل برنات
Libnah Hebrew לִבְנָה‎
Introduction
Introduction

Tel Burna (תל בורנה) is an archaeological tell in the southern Shephelah (Judean foothills) of Israel, located along Guvrin and near modern Qiryat Gat. The site occupies a strategic position in a fertile valley that connected the Judean highlands with the coastal plain, placing it within a border zone between Judah and Philistia during the Iron Age.

The mound consists of a central upper tell and surrounding lower areas. Settlement began in the Early Bronze Age and continued through the Middle Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age into the Iron Age, with evidence of activity in later Persian and Byzantine periods. Excavations initiated in 2010 by the Tel Burna Archaeological Project have uncovered fortifications, domestic structures, pottery assemblages, cultic installations, and seal impressions, indicating sustained occupation and regional interaction.

Because of its location and Iron Age material culture, Tel Burna has been identified by several scholars with the biblical city of Libnah, a fortified town mentioned in Joshua and Kings. Although the identification remains debated, the archaeological evidence demonstrates that Tel Burna functioned as an important settlement in the Shephelah during periods of political and cultural transition.

Maps, Aerial Views, and Plans
Maps, Aerial Views, and Plans

Maps

Normal Size

  • Fig. 3 Location Map
    Fig. 3

    Map of Tel Burna and the Judean Shephelah.

    Prepared by J. Rosenberg. Photograph © Tel Burna Archaeological Project.

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab

    McKinny et al. (2020)
    from McKinny et al. (2020)

Magnified

  • Fig. 3 Location Map
    Fig. 3

    Map of Tel Burna and the Judean Shephelah.

    Prepared by J. Rosenberg. Photograph © Tel Burna Archaeological Project.

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab

    McKinny et al. (2020)
    from McKinny et al. (2020)

Aerial Views

Normal Size

  • Annotated Satellite Image
    Annotated Satellite Image of Tel Burna

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    Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
    of Tel Burna from BibleWalks.com
  • Annotated Aerial Image
    Annotated Aerial Image of Tel Burna

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    Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
    of Tel Burna from BibleWalks.com
  • Tel Burna in Google Earth
    Tel Burna

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth
  • Tel Burna on govmap.gov.il
    Tel Burna

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in govmap.gov.il

Magnified

  • Annotated Satellite Image
    Annotated Satellite Image of Tel Burna

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab

    Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
    of Tel Burna from BibleWalks.com
  • Annotated Aerial Image
    Annotated Aerial Image of Tel Burna

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab

    Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
    of Tel Burna from BibleWalks.com
  • Tel Burna in Google Earth
    Tel Burna

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth
  • Tel Burna on govmap.gov.il
    Tel Burna

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in govmap.gov.il

Plans

Site Plans

Normal Size

  • Fig. 4 Topographical Map
    Fig. 4

    Tel Burna: topographical map, showing squares excavated

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    Shai et al. (2012)
    with excavation squares from Shai et al. (2012)
  • Fig. 3 Map of excavated
    Fig. 3

    A map of the excavated areas at Tel Burna

    drafting: J. Rosenberg

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    Tavger et al. (2023)
    areas from Tavger et al. (2023)

Magnified

  • Fig. 4 Topographical Map
    Fig. 4

    Tel Burna: topographical map, showing squares excavated

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab

    McKinny et al. (2020)
    with excavation squares from Shai et al. (2012)
  • Fig. 3 Map of excavated
    Fig. 3

    A map of the excavated areas at Tel Burna

    drafting: J. Rosenberg

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab

    Tavger et al. (2023)
    areas from Tavger et al. (2023)

Area Plans

Summit

Normal Size

  • Fig. 1 Aerial photograph
    Fig. 1

    Aerial photograph of Tel Burna with excavation areas after the 2018 season

    Photograph © Tel Burna Archaeological Project.

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab

    McKinny et al. (2020)
    of Tel Burna with excavation areas after the 2018 season from McKinny et al. (2020)

Magnified

  • Fig. 1 Aerial photograph
    Fig. 1

    Aerial photograph of Tel Burna with excavation areas after the 2018 season

    Photograph © Tel Burna Archaeological Project.

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab

    McKinny et al. (2020)
    of Tel Burna with excavation areas after the 2018 season from McKinny et al. (2020)

Archaeoseismic Chronology
Stratigraphy

Prelimianry Stratigraphy, 2009-2018

Table 2

Stratigraphic chart of Tel Burna, 2009–2018

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McKinny et al. (2020)


Chronological Divisions

The Iron Age in the Southern Levant

Bronze Age of the Levant

Notes and Further Reading
References

Articles and Books

McKinny, C., Tavger, A., Cassuto, D., Sharp, C., Suriano, M. J., Ortiz, S. M., & Shai, I. (2020). Tel Burna after a Decade of Work: The Late Bronze and Iron Ages . Near Eastern Archaeology, 83(1), 4–15. - at JSTOR

Shai, I., Cassuto, D., Dagan, A., & Uziel, J. (2012). The Fortifications at Tel Burna: Date, Function and Meaning . Israel Exploration Journal, 62(2), 141–157. - at JSTOR

Tavger, Aharon; McKinny, Chris; Cassuto, Deborah; Gaastra, Jane; Ortiz, Steven; and Shai, Itzhaq (2023) "The Fortifications of Tel Burna: A Reappraisal after Twelve Seasons of Excavations (2010–2022)," 'Atiqot: Vol. 111, Article 5 - Open access

Websites

The Tel Burna Excavation Project

The Tel Burna Excavation Project

The Tel Burna Archaeological Project on facebook

Archaeology in Israel: Tel Burna at the Jewish Virtual Library

Tel Burna at BibleWalks.com

Bibliography from the Tel Burna Excavation Project

Articles

  1. 2010: Uziel, J. and Shai, I. “The Settlement History of Tel Burna: Results of the Surface Survey,” Tel Aviv 37: 227-245.
  2. 2010: Uziel, J., Ben-Shlomo, D., Ilan, D., Shai, I., Maeir, A. “Middle Bronze Age II Pottery Production in the Western Shephelah: Comparing Methods from Tel Nagila, Tell es-Safi/Gath and Tel Burna,” Leiden Journal of Pottery Studies 25: 141–162.
  3. 2012: Shai, I., Cassuto, D., Dagan, A., Uziel, J. “The Fortifications at Tel Burna: Date, Function and Meaning,” Israel Exploration Journal 62.2: 141-157.
  4. 2013: Shai, I., Dagan, A., Cassuto, D., and Uziel, J. “Community Based Archaeology: A View from Tel Burna.” Pp. 205-215 in The Ethos of Academia: Standing the Test of Time. Ariel, Israel.
  5. 2013: McKinny, C. and Dagan, A. “The Explorations of Tel Burna,” Palestine Exploration Quarterly 145.4: 294-305.
  6. 2013: Shai, I. and Uziel, J. “Archaeology for the Masses: Tearing Down the Barriers between Archaeology and the Public.” The Ancient Near East Today, November 2013.
  7. 2014: Uziel, J., Shai, I., and Cassuto, D. “The Ups and Downs of Settlement Patterns: Why Sites Fluctuate,” in Material Culture Matters: Essays on the Archaeology of the Southern Levant in Honor of Seymour Gitin, eds. John Spencer, Robert Mullins, and Aaron Brody. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
  8. 2014: Shai, I., Dagan, A., Riehl, S., Orendi, A., Uziel, J., and Suriano, M. “A Private Stamped Seal Handle from Tel Burna, Israel.” ZDPV 130: 121-137.
  9. 2014: Shai, I. and Uziel, J. “Addressing Survey Methodology in the Southern Levant: Applying Different Methods for the Survey of Tel Burna, Israel.” Israel Exploration Journal 64: 172-190.
  10. 2015: Shai, I., Ben-Shlomo, D., Cassuto, D., and Uziel, J. “Tel Burna in Iron Age II: A Fortified City on Judah’s Western Border.” Judea and Samaria Research Studies 24: 27-34.
  11. 2015: McKinny, C., Cassuto, D., and Shai, I. “The Late Bronze and Iron Age Remains After Five Seasons.” The Bible and Interpretation, April.
  12. 2015: Riehl, S. and Shai, I. “Supra-regional trade networks and the economic potential of Iron Age II sites in the southern Levant.” Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 3 (September): 525-533.
  13. 2015: Dagan, A. and McKinny, C. “The Beginning of Modern Archaeological and Historical Research at Tel Burna.” Moreshet Israel 12: 11-29.
  14. 2015: Shai, I. “How Canaanites Worshiped.” Biblical Archaeological Review 41(05): 30-31.
  15. 2015: Shai, I., McKinny, C., and Uziel, J. “Late Bronze Age Cultic Activity in Ancient Canaan: A View from Tel Burna.” BASOR 374: 115-133.
  16. 2015: Sharp, C., McKinny, C., and Shai, I. “The Late Bronze Age Figurines from Tel Burna.” Strata 33: 61-76.
  17. 2016: Shai, I. and Uziel, J. “All for Archaeology and Archaeology for All: The Tel Burna Archaeology Project’s Approach to Community Archaeology.” Journal of Community Archaeology and Heritage 3: 57-69.
  18. 2016: Tavger, A., Uziel, J., Raviv, D., and Shai, I. “Addressing Survey Methodology in the Southern Levant.” The Bible and Interpretation, June 2016.
  19. 2016: Maeir, A. and Shai, I. “Reassessing the Character of the Judahite Kingdom: Archaeological Evidence for Non-Centralized, Kinship-Based Components.” In From Sha‘ar Hagolan to Shaaraim: Essays in Honor of Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, eds. S. Galon, I. Kreimerman, K. Streit, and M. Mumcuoglu, pp. 323–340. Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem.
  20. 2017: Shai, I. “Tel Burna – A Judahite Fortified Town in the Shephelah.” Pp. 45-60 in O. Lipschits and A. M. Maeir (eds.), “…as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the Shephelah” (I Kings 10:2): Recent Archaeological Research in the Shephelah of Judah: The Iron Age. Eisenbrauns: Winona Lake, Indiana.
  21. 2017: Šmejda, L., Hickman, M., Horák, A., and Shai, I. “Ancient settlement activities as important sources of nutrients (P, K, S, Zn and Cu) in Eastern Mediterranean ecosystems – the case of biblical Tel Burna, Israel.” Catena 156: 62-73.
  22. 2017: McKinny, C. and Shai, I. “Adapting PlanGrid to Archaeology.” Popular Archaeology 28 (Fall).
  23. 2017: Šmejda, L., Hejcman, M., Horák, J., and Shai, I. “Element Mapping of anthropogenically modified soils and sediments at the Bronze to Iron Ages site of Tel Burna in the southern Levant.” Quaternary International (2017): 1-13.
  24. 2017: Greenfield, T., McKinny, C., and Shai, I. “I Can Count All My Bones: A Preliminary Report of the Late Bronze Faunal Remains from Area B1 at Tel Burna, Israel.” In The Wide Lens in Archaeology: Honoring Brian Hesse’s Contributions to Anthropological Archaeology, eds. Justin Lev-Tov, Paula Wapnish, and Allan Gilbert.
  25. 2017: Orendi, A., Šmejda, L., McKinny, C., Cassuto, D., Sharp, C., and Shai, I. “The Agricultural Landscape of Tel Burna: Ecology and Economy of a Bronze Age/Iron Age Settlement in the Southern Levant.” Journal of Landscape Ecology 10(3): 165–188.
  26. 2018: McKinny, C. and Shai, I. “Using Tools in Ways in Which They Were Not Intended: A Test Case of the Use of PlanGrid for Field Registration at Tel Burna.” In Cyber-Archaeology and Grand Narratives, eds. T. E. Levy and I. W. N. Jones, pp. 51–66. Springer.
  27. 2018: Shai, I. and McKinny, C. “Canaanite Religion at Tel Burna in the 13th century BCE.” Ancient Near East Today 6(3).
  28. 2018: McKinny, C., Yang, B., Cassuto, D., and Shai, I. “Illuminating a Canaanite and Judahite Town: The Archaeological Background of Tel Burna.” In The Old Testament in Theology and Teaching: Essays in Honor of Kay Fountain, eds. Teresa Chai and Dave Johnson. Asia Pacific Theological Seminary Press.
  29. 2018: Shai, I., Sharp, C., de Freitas, A., Cassuto, D., and McKinny, C. “Trade and Exchange in the Southern Levant in the 13th Century BCE: A View from Tel Burna, a Town in the Shephelah, Israel.” Pp. 177-183 in Interchange in Pre- and Protohistory, BAR S2891, eds. Ana Cruz and Juan F. Gibaja. BAR Publishing, Oxford.
  30. 2019: McKinny, C. and Tavger, A. “From Lebonah to Libnah: Historical Geographical Details from the PEF and other Early Secondary Sources on the Toponymy of Two Homonymous Sites.” Pp. 107-122 in Exploring the Holy Land – 150 Years of the Palestine Exploration Fund, eds. D. Guervich and A. Kidron. Equinox, Feb 2019.
  31. 2019: Shai, I., McKinny, C., Spigelman, Ben-Shlomo, D., Karasik, A., Namdar, D., and Uziel, J. “Late Bronze Age Trade as Seen through the Eyes of Two Cypriot Pithoi on a Shephelah Hilltop.” Tel Aviv 46: 63–80.
  32. 2019: McKinny, C., Tavger, A., and Shai, I. “Tel Burna in the Late Bronze – Assessing the 13th Century BCE Landscape of the Shephelah.” Pp. 148–170 in The Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages of Southern Canaan, eds. A. M. Maeir, I. Shai, and C. McKinny. Berlin: de Gruyter.
  33. 2020: McKinny, C., Tavger, A., Cassuto, D., Sharp, C., Suriano, M. J., Ortiz, S. M., and Shai, I. “Tel Burna after a Decade of Work: The Late Bronze and Iron Ages.” Near Eastern Archaeology 83.1: 4–15.
  34. 2020: Shai, I. and McKinny, C. “Canaanite Votive Offerings and Their Significance within Their Context at Tel Burna.” Israel Exploration Journal 70: 1–17.
  35. 2020: Shai, I., Tavger, A., and McKinny, C. “A Glimpse into the Canaanite Ritual Practices at Tel Burna during the Late Bronze Age.” Pp. 47–58 in Ashkelon and Its Environs: Studies of the Southern Coastal Plain and the Judean Foothills in Honor of Dr. Nahum Sagiv, eds. E. Klein, A. Sasson, and A. Levy-Reifer. Ashkelon: Ashkelon Academic.
  36. 2020: Sharp, C., Šmejda, L., McKinny, C., Nicoll, K., Orendi, A., and Shai, I. “Bedrock Installations Used and Reused Outside Tel Burna.” Judea and Samaria Research Studies 29(1): 5–24.


Presentations

  1. 2009: Shai, I. and Uziel, J. “The Role of Tel Burna in the Settlement Pattern and Hierarchy of the southwestern Shephelah during the Bronze and Iron Ages,” ASOR Annual Meeting, New Orleans, November 2009.
  2. 2009: Shai, I. and Uziel, J. “The Tel Burna Archaeological Project: Goals, Methods and Biblical Archaeology Today,” SBL Annual Meeting, New Orleans, November 2009.
  3. 2010: Shai, I., Uziel, J., Cassuto, D., and Dagan, A. “The Tel Burna Archaeological Project” (poster presentation), ASOR Annual Meeting, Atlanta, November 2010.
  4. 2011: Uziel, J. and Shai, I. “The Tel Burna Archaeological Project: Report on the First Two Seasons of Fieldwork,” The Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem, January 2011.
  5. 2011: Shai, I., Suriano, M., and Uziel, J. “In Search of Biblical Libnah,” Bar Ilan University, Conference in Memory of Hanan Eshel, June 2011.
  6. 2011: Shai, I. “Processes of Change: The Philistine Paradigm,” ASOR Annual Meeting, San Francisco, November 2011.
  7. 2011: Uziel, J. and Shai, I. “The Tel Burna Archaeological Project: Results of the 2010-2011 Seasons,” ASOR Annual Meeting, San Francisco, November 2011.
  8. 2011: McKinny, C. and Dagan, A. “The Explorations of Tel Burna,” ASOR Annual Meeting, San Francisco, November 2011.
  9. 2011: Shai, I. and Uziel, J. “Border Cities of Judah: A View from Tel Burna,” SBL Annual Meeting, San Francisco, November 2011.
  10. 2012: Shai, I. and Uziel, J. “The Tel Burna Archaeological Project” (poster presentation), ASOR Annual Meeting, Chicago, November 2012.
  11. 2013: Shai, I. “The Late Bronze Age and Iron Age Remains at Tel Burna,” The 16th World Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, July 2013.
  12. 2013: Shai, I., Dagan, A., Cassuto, D., and Uziel, J. “Community Based Archaeology: A View from Tel Burna,” The 10th International Conference on Contemporary Issues in Higher Education: The Ethos of the Academia – Standing the Test of Time, Ariel, September 2013.
  13. 2013: Suriano, M., Shai, I., Dagan, A., and Uziel, J. “A Private Stamp Seal from Tel Burna and Its Parallels,” ASOR Annual Meeting, Baltimore, November 2013.
  14. 2013: Shai, I. “Tel Burna Archaeological Project: The Results of the 2012-2013 Seasons,” ASOR Annual Meeting, Baltimore, November 2013.
  15. 2015: Shai, I., McKinny, C., and Uziel, J. “The Late Bronze Age Cultic in Ancient Canaan: A View from Tel Burna,” SBL Annual Meeting, November 2015, Atlanta, Georgia.
  16. 2015: Shai, I., McKinny, C., and Uziel, J. “The Late Bronze Age Cultic in Ancient Canaan: A View from Tel Burna,” 1st Annual Ackerman Family Workshop and Biblical Archaeology, Bar Ilan University, April 2015.
  17. 2016: Shai, I., McKinny, C., Spigelman, M., Ben-Shlomo, D., Karasik, A., Namdar, D., and Uziel, J. “Two Cypriot Pithoi from Late Bronze Age Tel Burna,” ASOR Annual Meeting, November 2016, San Antonio, Texas.
  18. 2016: Shai, I. “Tel Burna Archaeological Project: The Results of the 2014-2015 Seasons,” SBL Annual Meeting, November 2016, San Antonio, Texas.
  19. 2016: Greenfield, T., Gaastra, J., McKinny, C., and Shai, I. “I Can Count All My Bones: A Preliminary Report of the Late Bronze Faunal Remains from Area B1 at Tel Burna, Israel,” ASOR Annual Meeting, November 2016, San Antonio, Texas.

Wikipedia pages

Tel Burna



Libnah