Mission Archeologique de la Bekaa Centrale
The mission explores the ancient settlements in Central Bekaa, Lebanon. The project investigates the evolution of human occupation from the Neolithic to modern times.
Mission History: A first Franco-Lebanese mission, Population Dynamics and Occupation Patterns in Central and Western Bekaa (Lebanon) (DPM Bekaa), began in 2020 with two years of funding from the CEDRE PHC program. It was a collaboration between the French Institute of the Near East (Ifpo), the Lebanese University, and Archeorient. After two years of surveys, the mission focused on the Anjar region due to the discovery of well-preserved sites and the urgent need to safeguard endangered cultural heritage sites threatened by ongoing construction in Central Bekaa.
The Franco-Lebanese archaeological mission in Central Bekaa BEKAc, approved for funding by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs MEAE in 2023, began the fieldwork in June 2023. It is a collaboration between Archeorient, the University of Lyon 2, Ifpo, the Lebanese University, and the Lebanese Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA). The excavations focus on two primary sites: Tell Deir Zanoun and Tell Salhiye/Shamsine.
