Journal: Bible and Spade (Second Run)
Volume: BSPADE 05:1 (Winter 1992)
Article: 1991 Khirbet Nisya (Ai) Excavation Report
Author: Anonymous

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BSP 5:1 (Winter 1992) p. 16

1991 Khirbet Nisya (Ai) Excavation Report

During October 1991, 20 volunteers and core staff excavated for two weeks at Khirbet Nisya near Ramallah, Israel. ABR is investigating this site as a possible alternative for Biblical Ai. Dr. David Livingston was director of the excavation, joined by Dr. Bryant Wood of ABR and Professor Wilbur Fields of Ozark Bible College as core staff. Living accomodations while digging were provided by the orthodox Jewish settlement, Psagot, near Ramallah/El-Bireh. They also provided an armed guard during the excavation. Excavation permit #501 for 1991 was issued by the Antiquities Authority of the State of Israel.

Excavation at Khirbet Nisya was begun in 1979. The 1991 effort was the ninth time ABR research teams have excavated since that beginning. The first six seasons are reported in David Livingston’s doctoral dissertation done at Andrews University, published in 1985. The report for the seventh and eighth seasons, along with background information and a summary of the work of previous seasons, was published in Archaeology & Biblical Research, Autumn

Area 79

Retaining Wall7 is on the extreme right in the photo

Wall 15 is just to the left of an “alleyway” along Wall7

Doorway of domestic structure — center

Floor inside the structure — lower center

Above the door lintel in the balk is a 40 cm yellow clay layer

Extreme left — remains of large retaining Wall4

BSP 5:1 (Winter 1992) p. 17

Two rolling stones used in making olive oil in the Iron Age. These were found incorporated in the terrace wall behind them.

1990, p. 113f., and in the Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin, Fall 1990, p. 1f.

The 1991 Excavations

The group of 20 was from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona, California, and Idaho. We worked 11 days during October 6-17. The first day was spent getting settled into our quarters. Most of the next two days were spent moving a dump from the previous season (the first time in nine seasons that this has been necessary)!

This year we excavated 5 m square Area 79 and 4 x 5 m Area 80 in Field C to bedrock, finished digging and planning a wine storage pit and associated installations, continued work on a square from 1990, and surveyed two terraces near the spring. Besides that, a plan was drawn of a previously excavated tomb.

A drawing was also...

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