Kinneret Regional Project is an international archaeological expedition focusing on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The project operates under the auspices of the Universities Bern (Switzerland), Helsinki (Finland), Leiden (The Netherlands), Tübingen (Germany), Tulsa (OK, USA) and Centre College (Danville/KY, USA) and in collaboration with the Finnish Institute of the Middle East (FIME).
The Kinneret Regional Project investigates the cultural history, material heritage, and paleo-ecology of the region, with a particular emphasis on the Bronze and Iron Age city at Tel Kinrot and the Roman-Byzantine village at Horvat Kur. Excavations at Tel Kinrot (2003–2008) explored Early Iron Age remains, as well as Bronze Age and Iron Age II layers. While the findings from the Bronze and Iron Age II layers have already been published, the Early Iron Age remains are currently being prepared for publication. Following the cessation of excavations at Tel Kinrot, the project broadened its chronological and geographical scope, conducting excavations at Horvat Kur from 2007 to 2019, which included the discovery of a synagogue in the Roman-Byzantine village. Findings from Horvat Kur are also currently being prepared for publication. In 2022, excavations at Tel Kinrot resumed, now focusing on late Iron Age remains on the acropolis.
In the near future, the Kinneret Regional Project will focus on analyzing the wealth of finds and publishing results, supported by past and ongoing contributions from the Shelby White & Leon Levy Program for Archaeological Publications, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, and further funding agencies.
Once fieldwork resumes, students from around the globe will be invited to join the Kinneret Regional Project contributing to the exploration of the fascinating and important cultural heritage on the Sea of Galilee.
Previous and Present Sponsors and Collaboration Partners
Arco – Conservation and Traditional Construction Works, Yodfat • Skyview Photography Ltd, Petah-Tikva • Griffin Aerial Imaging • The Zinman Institute of Archaeology, Haifa • Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot • Romanian Cultural Institute Tel Aviv • University of Bucharest • University of Tartu • Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC • Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL • The University The Finnish Institute in the Middle East • Finnish Cultural Foundation • Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz • Geocycles, Mainz • i3Mainz • Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz • Auswärtiges Amt der Bundesrepublik Deutschland • Deutscher Verein vom Heiligen Lande, Köln • Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, Bonn • Schröter Stiftung, Neustadt • Swiss National Science Foundation • UniBern Research Foundation, Bern • Dr. h.c. Emile Dreyfus-Stiftung, Basel • Universität Basel (IPNA and Faculty of Theology) • Leids Universiteits Fonds, Leiden • Leon Levy Program for Archaeological Publications (Harvard University) • SFB 1070 RessourcenKulturen, Tübingen • The Netherlands Institute for the Near East • Gerda Henkel Stiftung
