Department History

The Archaeological Publication Department, formally established in 1990, inherited a publishing legacy dating back to 1968. Directed by Paul J. Ray, the department is responsible for the various publishing requirements of the Institute of Archaeology. This work includes the various copy-editing, graphic- design, page layout, and pre-press operations for all Institute publications including several major series such as:

The department also publishes individual titles as well as the Newsletter of the Institute and Siegfried H. Horn Museum. From 1997-2015 this department also published the Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin. Click here to see available titles.

The Heshbon Reports

Publication is an integral part of modern research design. From the inception of field archaeology at Tell Hesban by Andrews University in 1968, the publication of data loomed as a major responsibility. Plans were laid to publish the excavation finds and analysis in preliminary form. These were published seasonally in the Andrews University Seminary Studies (vols. 7, 11, 13, 14, 16), and later gathered and re-issued as “Heshbon” reports by year. The reports were multi-authored by many specialists and co-edited by the dig directors, Roger S. Boraas and Siegfried H. Horn (later, Lawrence T. Geraty). The case-bound blue volumes, along with additional titles (Heshbon Pottery 1971 by James A. Sauer and Pottery from Heshbon by Edward N. Lugenbeal and Sauer), became the standard-issue preliminary publication of the Heshbon Archaeological Expedition for the next 20 years and marked the first publication of a major excavation in Transjordan.

The Assyriological Papers

In fulfillment of the dream to publish the Hartford Cuneiform Tablet collection housed in the Horn Archaeological Museum, Lawrence T. Geraty (later, David Merling) undertook the publication of the Assyriological Series (AS) which included volumes of the Andrews University Cuneiform Text (AUCT) series. The initial three AS volumes provided a concordance and lists of Isin-Larsa king-year names while the remaining volumes would include various subsets of the Hartford Tablet collection.

 

Hesban Final Publication Series

Soon after the cessation of fieldwork at Tell Hesban, plans were laid for final publication of the site. The Hesban Final Publication Series (HFPS) would incorporate certain overarching methodological themes including biblical history and cultural processes. HFPS Series Editors Lawrence T. Geraty and Øystein S. LaBianca designed a 14-volume report drawn from the analyses of a broad spectrum of specialists. The Andrews University Institute of Archaeology became the natural “home” for coordinating the preparation of manuscripts and production of these volumes. This is done as a joint venture with the Andrews University Press.

Madaba Plains Project Series

With the onset of fieldwork on the Madaba Plains in 1984, publication of the new data was a high priority with the project directors. Rather than a Heshbon-style 2-phase system of “preliminary” and “final” publication, the MPP series was envisioned as stand-alone, seasonal publications wherein basic data would be made available to the scholarly community with a minimum of interpretation. Each volume was to cover the entire spectrum of research pursuits of the MPP during a given season: site excavation, hinterland surveys, and limited post-season analysis; authored by twenty or more specialists, edited by the project directors, prepared for publication by the Publications Department, and co-published with AU Press.

More Titles

Soon after the inception of publication activity at the Institute, it became apparent that there were projects of interest to the archaeological community beyond the immediate scope of site reports. These projects include festschriften, manuals, special studies, symposia papers, and text books which were authored, co-authored, or edited by faculty and staff of the Institute in the pursuit of their academic specialties. The Institute of Archaeology and the Horn Museum have offered two series of “Occasional Papers” over the years, designed to include smaller booklets and pamphlets of narrow focus.

The Beginning of In-House Publication

Beginning in the mid-1980s and continuing for about six years, a number of students and staff were coordinated by Øystein S. LaBianca to form several in-house archaeological publications teams. Two teams of workers were organized to focus on individual projects under the daily management of Lori A. Haynes and Lorita E. Hubbard. They coordinated the work of a series of student-assistants and editorial specialists including Oscar Canale, Bryce Cole, Larry W. Coyle, Tung Isaiah Duong, Stefanie P. Elkins, Jon Hearon, Ralph E. Hendrix, Jennifer Johnson, Pearl Pankey, Sandra L. Penley, Leona G. Running, Cynthia Shuberg, Eric Shults, and Toni A. Stemple. The teams, ranging in size at any given time from 5-7 student managers and assistants, worked on the Assyriological Series, the Hesban Final Publications Series, the Madaba Plains Project Series, and several miscellaneous titles. The establishment of these teams marked the beginning of “in-house” archaeological publication which remained so configured until mid-1990.

Under LaBianca’s supervision, these two publication teams completed a number of important projects, all Co-published with AU Press. Environmental Foundations (Hesban 2), multi-authored and edited by LaBianca and Larry Lacelle, was published in 1986. The Archaeology of Jordan and Other Studies (The “Horn Festschrift”) multi-authored and edited by Lawrence T. Geraty and Larry G. Herr, was published in 1986. Archaeological Survey of the Hesban Region (Hesban 5), a monograph by Robert D. Ibach, Jr., was published in 1987. Early Israelite Agriculture, edited by LaBianca and David C. Hopkins, was published in 1988. Historical Foundations (Hesban 3), multi-authored and edited by Geraty and Leona G. Running, was published in 1989. The 1984 Season at Tell el-Umeiri (Madaba Plains Project 1), multi-authored and co-edited by Geraty, Herr, LaBianca, and Randall W. Younker, was published in 1989. Sedentarization and Nomadization (Hesban 1) by LaBianca was published in 1990.

Simultaneous to the operation of these two teams was that of a third headed by James K. Brower. In his position as Systems Analyst (and later by private contract), Brower worked with the Horn Museum in cooperation with Andrews University Press to prepare the printer-ready manuscripts for the Assyriological Series, publishing the Museum’s cuneiform tablets.

Neo-Sumerian Account Texts I (AS IV, also AUCT I) by Marcel Sigrist was published in 1984. Concordance of Isin-Larsa Year Names (AS I), authored by Alfred H. Kromholz and Sigrist, was published in 1986. Neo-Sumerian Account Texts II (AS V, also AUCT II) by Sigrist was published in 1988. Neo-Sumerian Account Texts III (AS VI, also AUCT III) by Sigrist was also published in 1988. Isin Year Names (AS II) by Sigrist was a third volume which appeared in 1988. Larsa Year Names (AS III) by Sigrist was published in 1990 as was Old Babylonian Account Texts (AS VII, also AUCT IV) by Sigrist.

The Horn Museum undertook the publication of The Luchnaria by Eugenia L. Nitowski in 1986 as part of its series of occasional papers.

During the very productive years of 1984-1990, the various archaeological publications teams produced four HFPS volumes, one MPP volume, seven AS volumes, and three associated archaeological titles. Such productivity was the direct result of the energetic promotion of publication by Øystein S. LaBianca and the active support of Andrews University leadership, especially the director of Andrews University Press. As the period of greatest activity progressed, personnel adjustments and budget considerations encouraged University administrators to review the disparate sources of archaeological funding and organization with an eye to consolidate the various publication assets into one formal department.

The Archaeological Publications Department

In late 1990, the informal publication teams were reorganized into an official department within the Andrews University Institute of Archaeology under the direction of managing editor Ralph E. Hendrix. During an interim period of one year, this new department was responsible for continuing publication of the Madaba Plains Project Series while work on the Hesban Final Publication Series continued under the management of Lori A. Haynes. In mid-1991, all of the publication aspects were combined under the Publications Department, with Hendrix as its director. The tasks of the department broadened as years passed to include not only the Assyriological, Hesban, and Madaba Plains Project series, as well as miscellaneous related titles, but excavation forms, project advertisements and brochures, and the Institute of Archaeology/ Horn Archaeological Museum Newsletter.

Typically, departmental personnel has included the director and 1-3 key student staff members functioning as artists, photographers, or general editorial assistants. Serving in this latter capacity during the early 1990s were Philip R. Drey, Laura M. Bredall, Stefanie P. Elkins, Jennifer L. Groves, Toni A. Stemple, and Mark S. Ziese. Additional technical assistance was provided by R. William Cash, Larry W. Coyle, Lori A. Haynes, Denise D. Herr, and Stephanie C. Merling.

During the period 1990-1996, the Archaeological Publications Department completed numerous volumes co-published with Andrews University Press. The 1987 Season at Tell el-‘Umeiri (Madaba Plains Project 2), a multi-authored report edited by Herr, Geraty, LaBianca, and Younker, was published in 1991. Hellenistic and Roman Strata (Hesban 7) by Larry A. Mitchel appeared in 1992. Faunal Remains (Hesban 13), multi-authored and edited by LaBianca and Angela von den Driesch, was published in 1995.

Several titles were also completed during this period which were published entirely by the Institute of Archaeology. Hesban After 25 Years, multi-authored and edited by David Merling and Geraty, was published in 1994. The Excavation Manual: Madaba Plains Project by Herr and Younker was also published in 1994 (revised, 1998 by Larry G. Herr and Gary L. Christopherson, with contributions by Randall W. Younker and David Merling). Ancient Pottery of Transjordan by Ralph E. Hendrix, Philip R. Drey, and J. Bjørnar Storfjell was published in 1996. In 1997 the William H. Shea festschrift entitled To Understand the Scriptures: Essays in Honor of William H. Shea edited by David Merling was completed. During this period, the Archaeological Publications Department produced one MPP volume, two HFPS volumes, and three additional archaeological titles.

In 1997 Ralph Hendrix was succeeded by Jennifer Groves. Under her direction The Necropolis of Hesban: A Typology of Tombs. Hesban 10. by S. Douglas Waterhouse was completed and the DEIR system for recording archaeological data on the computer was created and revised. Jennifer Groves was then succeeded by Paul Ray in March of 1999. About the same time Dr. David Merling, curator of the Museum, was elected by the Near East Archaeological Society to be the new editor of the their journal. The publications department under the direction of Paul J. Ray made a series of changes to the cover and format which gave the Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin a new look. In July 2000, Madaba Plains Project al-‘Umayri 4: The 1992 Season at Tall Al-‘Umayri and Subsequent Studies edited by L. G. Herr, D. Clark, L. T. Geraty, Ø. S. LaBianca and R. W. Younker was completed and is now available.

In 2001, the book Tell Hesban and Vicinity in the Iron Age, Hesban 6, by Paul Ray was published. This was followed by the Madaba Plains Project al-‘Umayri 5, edited by Larry Herr, Douglas Clark, Lawrence Geraty, Randall Younker and Øystein LaBianca, in 2002, Assyriological Series Vol. 8, by Marcel Sigrist, in 2003,  William Foxwell Albright and the Origins of Biblical Archaeology, by Peter Feinman, in 2004, Small Finds: Studies of Bone, Iron, Glass, Figurines, and Stone Objects from Tell Hesban and Vicinity, Hesban 12, edited by Paul Ray, in 2009, and Ceramic Finds: Typological and Technological Studies of the Pottery Remains from Tell Hesban and Vicinity, Hesban 11, edited by James Sauer and Larry Herr, in 2012. During this period, the department transitioned from producing books in camera-ready copy to full-electronic publishing in PDF format. Student staff members during this time included Robert Bates, Matthew Grey, Christopher Chadwick, Darrell Rohl, Owen Chesnut, Kevin Burton, and Justin Singleton.