Ḥaluẓa – 2022

In July–August 2022, the sixth excavation season was conducted at H alu z a (Elusa, el-Khalasa) in the western Negev (License No. G-7/2022; map. ref. 16710/55625). The project, a joint venture on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Cologne and the Department of Christian Archaeology of the University of Bonn, was funded by the German Research Foundation (Grant No. HE 3680/13-1) and directed by M. Heinzelmann and S. Schrenk. The excavation was assisted by C.A. Schöne (organization, coordination and map preparation), F. Jordan (organization and coordination), T. Erickson-Gini (ceramics), L. Heinze and L. van der Schüür (finds recording, ceramics and portable X-Ray Fluorescence), S. Knura and A. Schröder (excavation technique), M. Kühn and D. Langgut (archaeobotany), D. Heinzelmann (architectural documentation), A. Smadi (final drawings) and the CEZA Mannheim Laboratory (radiocarbon dating). Students of both Cologne and Bonn Universities participated in the work. We thank the Israel Antiquities Authority and Israel Nature and Parks Authority for their excavation permits and continuous support of our project.