Tell Iztabba (Nysa-Scythopolis) – A Seleucid-Founded Town in the Near East

德国和以色列的联合考古项目集中在Tell I Bethleabba（靠近Beth She'an）的希腊化定居点，该定居点由塞琉古人在公元前2世纪上半叶建立，并在本世纪末被Hasmoneans的犹太王朝摧毁。这座山在后来的时期只有零星的定居者。告诉我阿卡巴为地中海南部的希腊化时期的考古调查提供了一个独特的环境。希腊化时期的一般和塞琉古王国，特别是没有很好地了解在这个地区的世界。我们对塞琉古王朝的城市结构和物质文化的了解是有限的，这是由于随后（哈斯蒙、罗马、拜占庭和中世纪）时期的城市发展和建筑计划。然而，像Beth She'an这样的城市的塞琉古起源对于理解该地区的政治，文化和经济发展至关重要。该项目的目的是对Tell I Bagarabba遗址进行新的全面考古调查。考古发掘与考古测量方法相结合，将提供新的见解塞琉古定居点的性质，从而启发塞琉古参与在这一地区发生的历史情况。这将通过分析城市结构和物质文化来完成。此外，我们希望了解塞琉古镇的可持续性和经济背景。通过对塞琉古时期的职业遗迹进行分析，我们将了解塞琉古时期的定居历史，以及为什么在哈斯蒙时期或罗马时期，该遗址在哈斯蒙时期被摧毁后从未得到妥善安置。该项目是我们德国-以色列基金会（GIF）资助项目的延续，该项目包括磁力勘探和2019年9月和2020年2月的两次挖掘活动。在这些活动中，我们开始探索希腊化遗址，发现有关家庭结构，房屋库存和私人消费习惯的重要信息。根据我们的调查，新项目打算继续在选定的地区开展工作，重点关注公共建筑和城市基础设施，并回答有关定居点及其腹地的公民组织和社会经济可持续性的更广泛的研究问题。

The joint German-Israeli archaeological project focusses on the Hellenistic settlement on Tell Iẓṭabba (close to Beth She’an), which was founded by the Seleucids in the first half of the 2nd century BCE and destroyed at the end of this century by the Judean Dynasty of the Hasmoneans. The hill was only sparsely resettled during later periods.Tell Iẓṭabba offers a unique situation for an archaeological investigation of the Hellenistic period in the southern Levant. The Hellenistic period in general and the Seleucid realm in particular is not well understood in this region of the world. Our knowledge about the urban fabrics and material culture of Seleucid foundations is limited, due to urban growth and building programs during subsequent (Hasmonean, Roman, Byzantine and medieval) periods. However, the Seleucid origin of cities like Beth She’an are crucial for understanding the political, cultural and economic developments of the region. The project aims at a new and comprehensive archaeological investigation of the site of Tell Iẓṭabba. Archaeological excavations combined with archaeometric methods will provide new insights into the nature of the Seleucid settlement and thereby enlighten the historical situation in which Seleucid engagement happened in this region. This will be done by an analysis of the urban fabric and material culture. Furthermore, we want to understand the sustainability and economic background of the Seleucid town. An analysis of the Seleucid occupational remains will clarify the settlement history and why the site was never properly resettled after its Hasmonean destruction in either Hasmonean or Roman times.The project is a continuation of our German-Israeli Foundation (GIF) funded project that included magnetic prospections and two campaigns of excavations in September 2019 and February 2020. During these campaigns we have started to explore the Hellenistic site, uncovering important information about domestic structures, inventories of houses and private consumption habits. Based on our investigation, the new project intends to continue the work in selected areas, in order to focus on public buildings and urban infrastructure and to answer broader research questions regarding the civic organization and socio-economic sustainability of the settlement and its hinterland.