Biblical Archaeological Institute

• University of Wuppertal
• Theological College Wuppertal / Bethel

The Biblical Archaeological Institute Wuppertal (BAI ) was established by the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland in 1999. It is an institute of the Church University Wuppertal / Bethel and an affiliated institute of the University of Wuppertal with doctoral degrees at both universities. For the necessary funding for the Institute provides a circle of friends ( eV ).

Scientific Objectives

Four scientific areas are tracked since 1999:

• Excavation projects (especially in the eastern Mediterranean )
• Application of modern methods in archeology - for example, geophysics ( geoelectric tomography with; geomagnetics; GPR ) and terrestrial photogrammetry
• Archaeometry ( chemical and mineralogical investigations ceramics; Nachbrennversuche ); The goal is to write a history of ceramic production technology in the target area
• Experimental Archaeology ( manufacture of ceramic replicas in historically correct procedure).

Various projects

The Biblical Archaeological Institute conducted excavations and geophysical investigations in Italy, Greece, Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in recent years.

• Villa Adriana ( Italy) from 2002 to 2004
• Geophysical prospecting in Olympia ( Greece) 2001
• Esch- Schallaf ( Jordan), 1998-1999
• Ba'ja I at Petra (Jordan) 1999
• Sal ( Jordan), 1999-2000

Archaeological main projects

The Gadara Region Project and the Tall Zira'a

The Tall Zira'a in spring 2008

Experimental archeology at Tall Zira'a 2006

Finds from Tall Zira'a from 2007

With the Gadara Region Project is since 2001 the focus of the work on the exploration of the region around Gadara. The largest city in the study area is the Tall Zira'a with more than 5,000 years of settlement history. Here is a Tell- Survey was conducted in 2001 and 2003 began the first excavations a long-term project, which will still extend until at least 2015. Since 2004, the German Protestant Institute is a partner of the project for Archaeology in the Holy Land Amman. Since 2006, the institute of the same name in Jerusalem.

On the Tall Zira'a settlements to be excavated from over five millennia. In addition, the pedological and agricultural possibilities, flora and fauna, geology, hydrology, trade relations (roads, infrastructure) and the strategic importance of the Wadi el-Arab to be explored. Examines the Wadi el -'Arab is ( south of ancient Gadara ) to a size of 25 km ². In this area there are more than 100 prehistoric and ancient sites.

With the help of Archaeometry is clarified from What materials are the artifacts found at Tall Zira'a. The focus is on the exploration of the composition of pottery from different periods, the information about their place of production and the current state of ( manufacturing ) technology are. Is accompanied by the Archaeometry of experimental archeology, where the old furnace building techniques and firing of ceramics to be adjusted.

In the geophysical exploration of the Tall Zira'a the geoelectric mapping, the two-dimensional and three-dimensional tomographic imaging techniques have been used to

• Archaeological excavations in advance exactly to plan and to establish precise excavation strategies,
• To gain insights also not excavated areas and
• To obtain larger excavation areas for future generations intact.

Director

The first, established in 1999, director of the Biblical Archaeological Institute is Dieter Vieweger. Since November 2005 he is also the director of the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology in the Holy Land in Jerusalem and Amman.

Location

The entrance of the BAI in the UW rooms on campus Freudenberg was committed on 13 June 2003 solemnly in the presence of the Rector of the University, the Rector of the Theological Seminary and of Oberkirchenrat Dembeck (Evangelical Church in the Rhineland ). In the ceremony with 350 guests in the main auditorium of the University Center Auditorium hard lectures by Ricardo Eichmann ( German Archaeological Institute, Berlin) and Günther were Schauerte (Deputy Director General of the National Museums in Berlin ) held.

The BAI on campus Freudenberg, University of Wuppertal are easily reached by car from the A1 and A46 via L 418 By public transport from Wuppertal main station take the local bus "E". The Institute is located on the third floor of the building FD.