Mission Archeologique de la Bekaa Centrale
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.
Objectives: Focus on landscape archaeology, settlement patterns, and human-environment interactions in the Central Bekaa region. Include the mission's multidisciplinary approach involving archaeology, geophysics, and paleoenvironmental studies. The scientific goals of the mission focus on three topics based on excavation results:
Economy and Environmental Exploitation: Studying the relationship between human activity and natural resources.
Spatial and Territorial Organization: Understanding how space and land were structured and used.
Interactions and Influences: Investigating cultural exchanges and external influences on the region.
Research Focus
Tell Deir Zanoun: Description of its importance as a settlement site, particularly in the Bronze Age, with details of stratigraphy and architectural remains.
Tell Salhiye/Shamsine: Explanation of its significance, focusing on its occupation during the Chalcolithics, Hellenistic and Roman periods, and findings such as pottery and small artefacts.
Methods: The methodology of the project is multidisciplinary, mixing archaeology, bioarchaeology, and geography. Data is managed via a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a MySQL database. The fieldwork includes pedestrian and aerial surveys, geophysical prospections, and excavations at Tell Salhiye/Shamsine, and at Tell Deir Zanoun. Landscape archaeology focuses on geomorphology and river systems, while materials studies involve ceramics, archaeometry, and flotation for botanical remains and analysis of animal and human bones.
