معرفی
Benjamin A. Saidel is Professor of Anthropology at East Carolina University, specializing in Near Eastern archaeology with focus on Bedouin communities in the southern Levant. Holding a PhD from Harvard University (1998) and M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, his research bridges ethnography and archaeology to examine tribe-state relations across antiquity (3000-2000 BCE) and the recent past (1700-1948 CE).
- Degree in Anthropology from Harvard University
- Specialization in Near Eastern archaeology
- Fieldwork expertise in Negev Highlands and southern Levant
His research explores nomadic groups through settlement patterns, material culture, and interdisciplinary approaches. Key projects include analyzing Bedouin dry farming practices at Qubūr el-Walēyide, reassessing Nahal Mitnan cairn fields, and studying Gaza Ware pottery production. He examines transitions from pastoralism to agriculture during Ottoman and British Mandate periods, emphasizing voluntary sedentarization and complex tribal-state dynamics.
Recent publications span topics like Bedouin architecture at Al-ʿObeidat structures (2019), Kütahya ware coffee consumption (2018), and Nahal Be'erotayim encampment studies (2014). His work integrates excavation data, aerial photography, and ethnohistorical sources to document ephemeral Bedouin practices and reassess established chronologies.
Current projects include:
- Negev Emergency Survey data synthesis
- Bedouin settlement pattern analysis
- Ottoman-Mandate period material culture studies
- Interdisciplinary approaches to ancient/modern syntheses
