Guide to Contributors
HA-ESI presents two types of articles on excavations and surveys in Israel: final reports of limited excavations and surveys conducted by the IAA, and short, descriptive reports of preliminary results of large-scale excavations and surveys conducted by the IAA or by research-institute expeditions. Preliminary reports on small- and medium-sized excavations should be no longer than 2500 words, and reports on large-scale excavations—no longer than 4000 words. It is advised that reports be concise and that the number of figures and bibliography items is proportionate to the length of the article and the nature of the finds. All reports are subject to an in-office scientific review process and undergo thorough editing for language, structure, concise and coherent phrasing and formatting.
The process of work on the article
The article will be reviewed in the Publications department and if it does not meet the required criteria (below), it will be returned to the author for revision.
After approval and acceptance into the HA-ESI board, it will be sent (in the order of arrival) for scientific and linguistic editing, and then sent to the author for proofreading (if there are several authors, the article will be sent to the first author). This proofreading is the main proofreading of the article, and care should be taken to read the entire text along with the illustrations, answer the editor's questions and correct if necessary. During this time, the article editor will handle the illustrations with the journal's graphic designer.
After the article has been proofread, it will be translated (into English or Hebrew), and the translated version will undergo translation editing.
In the next stage, after both Hebrew and English versions and the illustrations are ready, they will be sent to the author for final proofreading. It is the responsibility of this author to forward the files for proofreading by the additional authors, including chapter authors. After the author's corrections have been made, the article will be uploaded to the journal's website. At this stage, we will wait two weeks for the author's response, and then we will upload the article even without receiving the final proofreading.
No corrections will be allowed after the article has been uploaded to the website.
Submitting Reports
Reports should be submitted using the designated form: Template for HA-ESI reports. Please follow the instructions in the Template. The length of the text and the number of illustrations should be in accord with the findings and the journal format.
All the components of the article should be submitted by e-mail to:
publications@israntique.org.il
as follow:
–Word file of the article written in the 'Template for HA-ESI reports'
–Word files of all appended reports (such as coins or glass finds)
–Illustration files (maps, plans, plates and photographs); do not 'paste' illustrations into the text file
–Word file of tables accompanying plates (if any)
–The email subject will include the name of the journal, final or initial, the name of the report, permit/license number, and the name of the excavator. For example, "HA-ESI Final, Tel Ashraf, A-7890, Sabina Levy".
Filenames
A text file name will include the following elements: author's last name, license/permission number, preliminary (hp) or final (hf) report. For example, weinberg_6234hp.doc.
A figure file name will include the main elements of the text file name followed by the figure number. For example, weinberg_6234hp-Fig. 6.jpg.
A table file name will include the main elements of the text file name followed by the letters tbl. For example, weinberg_6234hp-tbl.doc.
Accompanying Studies
Accompanying studies are the work of other researchers and are their responsibility. These studies address topics such as coins, glass artifacts, petrography, physical anthropology, archaeozoology and more. They will be published as part of the final report or as separate appendices (PDF file). There are three options for their inclusion in the publication:
Option A — A concise factual report, including a few lines of information. Such a report will be included in the main article, with a mention of the researcher's name in the introduction.
Option B — A medium-sized factual report, including a brief description of the find. Such a report will be included as a chapter in the article, with the researcher's name noted. The illustrations will be numbered sequentially with the illustrations of the main article, and the bibliographic items will also be included in the reference list of the main article. The reference to this type of related study will be as follows: (See Cohen, below).
Note: Accompanying studies written in English cannot be included within a main article in Hebrew. Therefore, if an accompanying study in English meets the definition of 'Option B', it will be published separately as if it were 'Option C' (see below).
Option C — An extensive report or scientific discussion. Such a report will be submitted as independent article and published as an appendix in an attached PDF file. The author of the accompanying study must address the excavation results in the main article, to the chronology and function of the site. Any discrepancies (for example, chronological) between the conclusions of the author of the accompanying study and the main report must be addressed.
Important: The author of the main article must address the results of accompanying studies published as separate articles (Option C) and include a citation and bibliographic reference for each of them, according to the language of the accompanying articles (for example: see Cohen, this volume). Similarly, the accompanying studies must include a reference to the main article and provide a citation to the main article in the bibliography at the end of the accompanying study.
Writing Guidelines
Article Language — Articles will be submitted in Hebrew. Only those whose native language is not Hebrew may submit articles in English.
Style — An article in English will be organized with 1.5 spacing, Times New Roman font, size 12, and aligned to the left.
Spelling and Grammar — English spelling should follow standard American English conventions, as should the grammar. Except for specific instructions here, the directives of the Chicago Manual of Style (16th and 17th editions) should be followed. For Hebrew and Arabic words that have entered English—for example, kibbutz, menorah, wadi and tell—please check American English spelling in a dictionary.
The transliteration of names into English should follow the rules of the Academy of the Hebrew Language.
Writing years — ‘Before the Common Era’ is abbreviated to BCE. The ‘Common Era’ is abbreviated to CE. For example: 600–500 BCE, 600–670 CE.
Centuries are written out in full (e.g., seventh century CE, not 7th c. CE), however, use figures for centuries in tables (e.g., 13th c.).
Writing numbers — Up to the number ten, the number should be written in words, and from 11 and above it should be written in numbers.
Use Arabic numbers in all figures and plates references, as well as in journal volume numbers (even when Roman numerals are used in the original publication).
Numbering in the names of rulers will be written in letters (e.g., Antiochus IV). Use Roman numerals for ancient rulers (e.g., Ramses II, Sargon I) and for Egyptian dynasties (e.g., Dynasty XIII).
Writing measurements — The frequent inclusion of measurements in the text can disrupt the flow of reading. Therefore, avoid mentioning measurements for details that do not contribute to the discussion. All measurements should be given in the metric system (e.g., 3 km, 0.8 m, 5 cm, 100 sq m, 21 g) and written in digits. Use centimeters up to 9 cm and meters from 0.1 m and up.
Measurements should generally be included in parentheses, following this order: length, width, height, depth.
The unit of measurement should be placed before the value (e.g., length 5 m, width 0.5 m, height 2.4 m, diam. 3.2 m, depth 0.5 m). Use standard abbreviations for units: km, m, cm, mm, sq m, kg. Write out grams and liters in full.
Maintain consistency in the use of measurement units; do not switch units mid-description. Architectural units should be expressed in meters, except when the measurement is smaller than 10 cm. Finds should typically be noted in centimeters or millimeters.
Typically, it is sufficient to use up to two digits after the decimal point. Do not add trailing zeros unless indicating elevation above/below sea level (e.g., 324.50 asl) or on either side of a mathematical symbol, such as a multiplication sign (×), or on either side of an en dash (to indicate a range).
The smaller measurement will be indicate first, for example (5.00 × 7.65 m).
Writing numerical data — Locus and Wall numbers, dimensions and figure numbers will usually be shown in parentheses. If they are listed together in parentheses, they will be listed in a fixed order: locus; dimensions; figure. For example, "A hewn winepress was uncovered, including a treading surface (L105; 2.7 × 3.0 m, depth 5 cm; Fig. 3)". Any locus or wall number that appears in the text must appear on the plan. However, additional data may appear on the plan.
Site Names
The title of the article will usually be the same as the name given in the permit/license, except in cases where this name does not reflect the location of the excavation. Site names are transliterated according to the Registry of Monuments and Historical Sites, published in Reshumot—Yalqut Hapirsumim (1964→), or as printed on maps published by the SOI (Survey of Israel; MAPI—Ha-Merkaz Le-Mipui Yisra’el), and if necessary, on the PEF or the British Mandate maps.
In the absence of a declared name or a name mentioned in the above sources and in the event that the declared name does not correspond to the location of the excavated site, the site will be referred to in relation to the names of objects in the landscape (for example, names of mountains and streams), or in relation to the names of contemporary settlements, roads or intersections, as indicated on maps of Israel.
If the excavation was conducted in a modern-day settlement, the name of the street where it was conducted and the house number should be indicated, if possible.
Biblical place names that are cited for the site name (e.g., in pottery parallels) should be transliterated according to the Hebrew site name, for example, Ḥaẓor, not Hazor; Tel Lakhish, and not Lachish; Afeq, and not Aphek; Ta‘anakh, and not Ti‘inik. Place names that are not transliterated are: Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias, Caesarea, Haifa; but note Ẓefat (not Safed), Elat (not Eilat). Definite articles of Hebrew site names are transliterated with a hyphen, and both components are capitalized, e.g., Rosh Ha-‘Ayin, Gan Ha-Shelosha. Personal names appearing in street names are spelled according to their rendering on official street maps.
Coordinates
It is essential to carefully verify the excavation’s coordinates. The required level of precision is up to six digits (i.e., an accuracy of 10 m). When the reported excavation covers a large area, a range of coordinates may be provided. The northing and easting values should be separated by a slash. The ranges should be indicated with an en dash.
Credits
It is mandatory to acknowledge in the preface all those who assisted in the excavation, including area management, surveying, drawing, restoration, illustration, photography and material processing. The names of contributors—first and last names—should be written in full. It is the author’s responsibility to verify the correct spelling of the names.
Headings
The description of the remains and finds will be adjusted to a division of up to three levels of headings:
1 — Centered heading, bold, on a separate line.
2 — Left justified heading, bold, on a separate line.
3 — Left justified heading, bold, on the same line as the paragraph following it.
Note: Do not use italics or underline.
Names of periods and ancient cultures
Archaeological periods should always be written out in full in titles and the first time they appear. Do not abbreviate archaeological periods when they stand alone, e.g., Middle Bronze Age. However, when followed by a specific subdivision they should be abbreviated, e.g., PPNB, MB IIA, except for the Iron Age, which is never abbreviated (e.g., Iron Age I). The following are the accepted abbreviations for the subdivisions of archaeological periods:
Epipalaeolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age (EB 1, 2, 3, 4), Intermediate Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age (MB 1, 2; MB 2A, 2B), Late Bronze Age (LB 1, 2, 3), Iron Age (1, 2, 3; 1A, 1B, 1C), Persian period, Hellenistic period, Roman period, Second Temple-period, Byzantine period, Early Islamic period (Umayyad and Abbasid periods), Fatimid period, Crusader period, Mamluk period, Middle Ages, Ottoman period, British Mandate-period, present day (twentieth and twenty-first centuries).
Ancient cultures: Mousterian culture, Kabarite culture, Natufian culture, Wadi Rabah culture, Halaf culture, Ghassulian culture.
Illustrations
Photographs — Good quality JPG files with a resolution of 300 DPI must be submitted. If there is a caption on the photograph, a clean photograph must also be submitted. IAA employees may submit only the photograph number in the archive (number B), and we will order the photograph.
Maps, plans, sections and plates — Good quality vector files must be submitted in PDF format separated into layers or in ai (Illustrator) format. In the plans, remember to mark the scale, the north arrow, all loci and wall numbers mentioned in the article and the location of the sections, if any.
Plates of vessels scanned in the IAA — A final plate in a PDF format (vector file) or a mock-up plate along with the original scans of the vessels in good quality TIFF files must be sent.
Photographs of small items — Make sure that all photographs of items and coins include a scale (if not, please indicate dimensions in the caption or in the body of the article). It is advisable to photograph small items and groups of items on a white background. If an item is submitted photographed on a background of a different color, the journal's editorial staff reserves the right to change the background color only, according to publication considerations.
The Find Plates
The find plates can include only paintings, only photographs or a combination of paintings and photographs. It is possible to present unique vessels in a painting with a photograph next to it.
The items on each plate will be numbered starting with number 1, from left to right.
The vessels in the ceramic plate will be presented according to their types, from open to close and from small to large, as is customary.
When vessels from several periods are presented on a plate, a dividing line will be drawn between each period, and in each period the vessels will be presented according to their types.
It is advisable that the maximum number of vessels on the plate does not exceed 20. However, the final size of the find panels will be determined when editing the article.
For employees of the IAA, in reports that include a plate with photographs, the B number of the photograph in the Menorah system must be noted.
Authors must be careful to indicate the scale in the tables; if some of the vessels are presented in a different scale from that of the rest of the vessels, it must be noted next to the relevant vessels.
Ceramic vessels will be published in a final scale of 2:10, with the exception of particularly large vessels, which will be published in a scale of 1:10. Fragments will generally be published in a scale of 1:2. If an enlargement of a detail of the vessel (decoration, for example) is included alongside a drawing of the vessel, there is no need to include an additional scale for it.
Glass vessels will be published in a final scale of 1:2.
Flint items will be published in a final scale of 1:1. Extra large tools — at a scale of 2:3.
Metal and stone items will be published at a final scale of 1:2. Extra large tools — at a scale of 1:4.
Architectural items will be published at a final scale of 1:10.
Each of the vessels appearing on the plates must be referred to in the description of the excavation or in the description of the finds.
In final reports, a specification tables for the items presented on the tables must be attached.
Tables
The journal distinguishes between two types of tables: specification tables that accompany find plates, and descriptive, dimensional and statistical tables, which are part of the text and are intended to facilitate the presentation of lists of data or cumbersome information.
When using tables, the same data should not be repeated in the text.
In final reports, specification tables must be submitted for all find plates (pottery, glass, flint, stone, metal etc.). The specification table must include the object number in the plate, the type of item, locus number and basket number; a description, period and parallels can also be added. A maximum of two references for parallels can be added to each item.
The specification tables should be compiled into one Word file. Each table should refer to one find plate. The title of the table is the figure number and the figure caption.
Each of the items appearing in the specification table should be referred to in the description of the excavation or in the description of the finds.
Figure Captions
The list of illustrations in the template must include the illustration numbers, titles (captions), and the name of the file or its B number in the Menorah system. In excavations on behalf of external parties, the name of the attached digital file must be specified.
The titles of the illustrations must be short. Periods and other information that appears in the body of the article must be avoided.
In the titles of photographs, the orientation of the photograph must also be specified, e.g. "looking north".
Bibliographic references within the text
Bibliographic references will be included in the text in parentheses and will include the authors last name, the year of publication and, if necessary, the number of pages and/or illustrations and tables (after a colon). The abbreviation (ibid) should not be used, but rather a full reference.
Bibliographic references will be written in chronological order. If there are several works from the same year, the references should be organized by the authors' last names. The references will be separated from each other by a semicolon.
In references to articles in the electronic format of HA-ESI, to a map in the Archaeological Survey of Israel or to a site in a survey map, an Internet link will be included.
Bibliographic list at the end of the article
The list of references is set at the end of the article. It should include full references for all the in-text refrences in alphabetical order of the last name of the author and the accepted abbreviations for corpora and numismatic reference books. There must be a complete correspondence between the bibliographical references in the text and the bibliographical list.
Articles and books that have a digital identifier (doi) must be included at the end of the bibliographical item. For example:
Noy T. 1998. The Flint Artefacts. In C. Epstein. The Chalcolithic Culture of the Golan (IAA Reports 4). Jerusalem. Pp. 269–332. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1fzhf0s.9
Every bibliographical reference to HA-ESI, ‘Atiqut and Qadum must be followed by a doi.
The list of sources will display in alphabetical order of the authors' last names. When two references or more are by the same author, they will be ordered by year; when two such references or more have the same year of publication, they will be ordered alphabetically according to the title (disregarding the articles a, an and the) and the year will be accompanied by a serial letter (a, b, etc.).
The bibliographic list should include all the bibliographic information according to the accepted formulation, as seen in the References list that is updated from time to time, on the IAA website. Periodical and series names should be abbreviated in accordance with the Abbreviations list on the journal's website.
