Dr. Mark Schuler

About Dr. Mark Schuler

https://markschuler.com

Posts by Dr. Mark Schuler:

Schematics of the churches at Hippos

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Schematics of the churches at Hippos

Our friends at the Hippos (Sussita) Excavations Project have made available schematics of the churches excavated at Hippos to date. Our thanks for these and permission to use them. They allow side-by-side comparison of the churches and can be the basis for comparative research.

As with any schematic drawings, details are adjusted for the sake of uniformity and in view of common usages. So, published drawings must always be consulted on minor points. For example, the schematic for the Northeast Church shows five columns for both aisles. What we found in the excavation was a highly disturbed site with six columns (one missing) on the north and four on the south. The posited fifth column on the south accommodates a standard spanning distance between the columns; but there is no evidence for the western-most column in the field (at least, not yet).

As to the “Archaeology of Liturgy” project, work has slowed as I am teaching this semester and have taken on some other temporary professional duties. The “difficulties” in Israel are also a factor. I am looking forward to resuming work more fully in the summer of 2024.

Exploring Arabia

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Exploring Arabia

I have completed work on the largest block of churches in the data set — those from the northern part of Arabia. When I began the work, I had identified fifty five churches.  I have decided to use only forty four.  The main reason for the reduction is because I am now using a 100 km circle from Hippos to identify the dataset. Thus, I have dropped the many churches at Madaba and around Mt. Nebo.

Unique to the dataset from northern Arabia is the frequent clustering of multiple churches in one site — a characteristic shared with Hippos. Gerasa, Rihab, and Umm al-Jimal are the prime examples.

I am also becoming more convinced that regionalism will be more significant than over-arching theories (such as that of Mulholland).  My upcoming work at the Albright will seek to tease out these factors.

But before I travel, I have two small sets to put into the site: churches from the Syrian Hauran and churches from southern Phoenicia.  As there is little published on these sites and some have been documented without excavation, I should be able to complete the dataset in the next couple of weeks.

Then on to Jerusalem!

Exploring Palaestina Secunda

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Exploring Palaestina Secunda

I have now posted materials for the first phase of the research I am doing into the Archaeology of Liturgy. Using a Google Map, I have linked 25 church sites from Palaestina Secunda including plans, summary data and initial analysis. This set is the first of three blocks of materials that I am preparing based on the work I did in the spring of 2023 at the Albright in Jerusalem. The other two are the northern part of Arabia and the southern part of the Syrian Hauran. Together they comprise the dataset for the writing I will do when I return to Jerusalem later in the year.

Back to the Albright

Back to the Albright

My associate fellowship at the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem has been renewed for the 2023-2024 academic year. As a result, I will be returning to the Albright to continue work on the “Archaeology of Liturgy Project” which began in the spring of 2023.

During the spring, I identified 106 churches in Palaestina Secunda, northern Arabia, and the Syrian Hauran to provide a local context for understanding the diversity of layouts in the church plans of the excavated structures at Hippos. I also gathered available preliminary and final reports on the sites and prepared initial summaries. Currently, I am finalizing the summaries and collating lists of characteristics, especially datable materials when they occur.

My second term at the Albright will allow me to write a paper that synthesizes an analytical protocol (in so far as it is possible to construct one), to apply it to the structures at Hippos, and to seek feedback on the analysis.

Revised edition of the Final Report

Revised edition of the Final Report

Two years ago, I published a final report on the Northeast Insulae Project at the Hippos/Sussita Exvacations. the report described the work, discoveries, and current understanding of the site.

Additional research, especially my time at the Albright, has brought about some rethinking, especially pertaining to the annexes on the south side of the Northeast Church. These new perspectives, along with a number of editorial and layout changes, are presented in a revised edition of the final report, Northeast Insulae Project: Context and Analysis.

The report in currently available at https://northeastinsulaeproject.org and will soon be available from the official repository: DigitalCommons@CSP.

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