Contract Archaeology

חפירות הצלה וייעוץ ליזם – בעברית

Contract Archaeology, also known as Public Archaeology or Salvage Excavation, is often a necessity. This is especially the case in a country like Israel with its dense population and large scale development, where the density of archaeological sites is one the highest in the world. These are some of the parameters that influence the decision making process and the dynamic of the ever evolving practice of Contract Archaeology in Israel.

The Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa has been involved in contract archaeology since the early 90’s. The Institute is one of the few organizations in Israel that are Roim1 eligible to conduct surveys and salvage excavations through an official permit of the IAA (Israel Antiquity Authority). The various excavation projects, for government, public and private developers, take place in different locations in Israel. Some projects last for few days while others continue for up to a year in the field and for many months in labs, accompanied by report writing and finally presenting the results of the excavation in scholarly and professional publications.
The excavations that the Institute manages are conducted by a highly experienced and professional team. As a matter of policy, and to ensure the highest professional standards, the Zinman Institute does not employ private companies for conducting the excavations. The field work, including all logistic and research aspects, is conducted by the Institute’s own research fellows and students. Our researchers specialize in a wide range of periods; from the Prehistoric, through the Biblical, Classical and Middle Ages, which allows the Institute to take on a wide variety of projects.
Most of the post-dig process is conducted in our own specialized laboratories, including those dealing with use-wear analysis, archaeozoology, ceramics and stone tools. Other laboratory work, such as carbon dating, is sent to labs in Israel and abroad.
The institute, through its staff, is supplies the following services for developers:

  • Consulting – Consulting during the pre-excavation and development phases. Often, the correct advice in this phase can save a considerable amount of time and money, alerting the developer to the risks and costs involved and allowing for the option of changing the development plans. When dealing with large scale projects where archaeology standards and the IAA are involved, professional advice is imperative. IMG 0771
  • Surveys – Archaeological surveys are conducted prior to the excavation to determine the risks, locations of antiquities and the archaeological density of the site, giving the developer an important tool for decision making.
  • Salvage Excavations – Where a salvage excavation is deemed obligatory according to IAA guidelines, an archaeological team from the Institute may begin excavations.

The institute is well known world-wide for its high professional standards and for completing its projects within required time schedules.

For additional information please contact Dr. Michael Eisenberg:
Tel. +972-4-8249392, Fax. +972-4-8249876, Mobile: +972-(0)528699835,
E-mail: arch@research.haifa.ac.il