Andrew Danielson
Andrew Danielson is an Assistant Professor of Levantine Archaeology in the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department at Harvard University. His research focusses on questions related to sociopolitical organization and complexity, cross-cultural interaction, and identity negotiation. He is the co-director of the Town of Nebo / Khirbat al-Mukhayyat Archaeological Project in Jordan.
Presenter at
Spring Bible & Archaeology Fest 2025, April 5-6, 2025
Edom Abroad: Cross-Cultural Interaction and the Extension of Influence in the late Iron Age Southern Levant
The late Iron Age (ca. 800–539 BCE) of the southern Levant was characterized by competing kingdoms that negotiated a tenuous position between their local populace and the Mesopotamian empires that came to dominate the region. For kingdoms such as Judah and Edom, this period was also one of opportunity due to their geographic position at the intersection of Mediterranean and Arabian trade networks. Economic opportunity through trade, combined with subsistence practices rooted in mobility, resulted in a diverse and contested social landscape in the northeastern Negev borderland region between these kingdoms. This talk explores the multifaceted nature of cross-cultural interaction that occurred within this landscape, focusing on themes such as foodways, religious practice, and the complex textual traditions associated with the region. Ultimately, we will explore the lived realities of the inhabitants of this borderland region, emphasizing social diversity and entanglement as an integral feature of the region.
