2023-2024

2021

A. Anfeh land excavations and studies



2024
This small excavation has revealed a babies’ and infants’ cemetery from the Crusader period (12th-13th centuries) lying inside what seems to be a church. The monument seems to have been used until the 20th century, replaced in 1944 by an oratory dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian.

2023
The investigation of plots 732 and 734 of Hraysheh area comprised a visual survey and the opening of 22 test trenches. The material recovered fron the survey included a handful of flint flakes dating to Prehistory as well as some pottery sherds from the Late Ottoman period. As for the excavation, it revealed an agricultural soil of 10 to 30 cm of depth, devoid of any material, and directly covering the bedrock.

2022
The joint archaeological mission conducted with the Archaeological Museum of the American University on the site of Ras el Qalaa has yielded several remarkable results. These include the discovery of a Byzantine rock-cut oil press as well as a long staircase connecting the second moat to the upper Crusader structures. The excavations have also focused on a medieval oil press which had already been revealed in a former campaign as well as massive fortification walls standing between the second and the third moat. These walls seem to have been destroyed by stone catapult balls as a lot of over 200 of them have been retrieved from the same area.
Antaki, P. (2022). A Enfé, une campagne archéologique livre de remarquables découvertes. L'Orient le Jour
Antaki, P. (2022). In Anfeh, an archaeological campaign delivers remarkable discoveries. L'Orient Today

2021-2023

2020
The remains of four walls, hewn blocks and a plaster floor have been documented south of the modern Saydeh chapel. These findings might belong to an older chapel. The collected material dates back to the Byzantine and Medieval periods.
publication in progress
 
2019 This survey was conducted jointly by the Honor Frost Foundation (HFF) and the DAM team. 340 survey points were recorded. Following the first archaeological prospection. We launched an excavation campaign that resulted in the opening of 12 soundings and 2 larger excavations around the Deir en-Natour area.
 
An 883 m² quarry was unearthed under the modern and natural deposits. After its abandonment, a press installation was implemented in a section of the quarry.
publication in progress

The excavated atûn or lime kiln is made of an oval wall which has a diameter of 7 x 5.5 m and a height of 2.4 m. At its bottom lies a five-meter long ventilation channel made of two parallel walls. The kiln has a one-meter wide entrance to the south made of two parallel walls and a flight of nine descending steps. Next to the kiln, a working space made of a plaster floor contains a basin with two drains. Although no material was found, a comparative study allows us to date this artisanal structure to the mid-18th century.
publication in progress
 
2018
Two occupation levels were identified on this site (10 x 6.30 m): a 63 m² quarry with two small basins, later converted into a cemetery made of six rock-cut tombs still containing disturbed human remains. The tombs were levelled off and disturbed by a modern building.
publication in progress

 
This in-depth study showcased how geology has framed and fashioned the morphology of Anfeh region and hence the life of its inhabitants throughout the centuries. In this regard, the 100 meter-wide and 480 meter-long peninsula that holds the archeological site of Ras al-Qalaat has yielded structures such as trenches, water tanks and ramps, which were conditioned by the lithological properties and physical conditions of the existing limestone rocks.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. De l’époque cananéenne aux califats abbasside et fatimide. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).
Antaki-Masson, P. La ville franque de Néphin : l'apport des sources écrites. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).
Antaki-Masson, P. Enfeh dans les récits de voyage et les cartes d’époque ottomane. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

In the Late Bronze Age, the city was known under the name of Ambi as it appears six times in the Amarna letters. In his correspondence with the pharaoh Akhnaton, Rib-Addi, king of Byblos, who was a faithful subject of the Amarna court, mentions the port and the fleet of Ampi. During the Phoenician period, an Assyrian document from the 7th c. BC enumerates all the coastal cities, including Ampa, as part of the Sidonian kingdom. In the Greco-Roman-Byzantine period, Anfeh was identified by a few travelers and scholars with the city of Trieris, which however seems to rather be located in El-Heri.
Anfeh was then conquered by the Umayyad caliph Mu‘āwiya in the 7th c. From that period onwards, it is mentioned several times in the Islamic sources under its modern name. During the Crusader period, Anfeh, or Nephin, was a lordship of the County of Tripoli. It was known as a well-fortified town famous for its wines. In 1289, following the fall of Tripoli, Mamluk sultan Qalawun captured Anfeh and likely destroyed its fortifications. During the Ottoman period, the place remained a modest coastal village.

 2014-2018
Over five consecutive years, fourteen soundings were opened in different areas on the peninsula of Ras el Qalaat. They have revealed several occupation layers, mainly from the Protobyzantine period (cisterns, water channels and mosaics) and the Medieval one (fortress and moats) with few remains attested to the Early Bronze Age and the Ottoman period.  
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). Les fouilles du promontoire. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 272-281.
 
2015-2017
The St. Marina rock shelter surroundings revealed multiple uses of space, ranging from religious and artisanal occupations to a domestic one, stretching from the Byzantine period to present times. A network of water channels and basins were apparently used for lime production and pigment processing.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N., & Mady, S. (2018). The Marina Rock Shelter in Qalamoun: Archaeological Investigations. BAAL, 18, 224-241.
 
2016
The visual study of this double church has shown that it was built in three main phases. The first one can possibly be attributed to the Byzantine period as attested by the remains of a pier on the facade. The second phase dates back to the Crusader period with remains of frescoes in the southern apse. The third and last phase corresponds to the Ottoman period, featuring pottery vessels inserted in the northern vault for acoustic purposes.
Published in:
Antaki-Masson, P. L’église Saint-Siméon le Stylite et Saint-Michel d’Enfeh. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

2015
This natural hill (10 ha) yielded pottery that mainly goes back to the Roman/Byzantine period and to the Crusader one, with few sherds belonging to the Fatimid and the Mamluk periods, as well as some Prehistoric flint tools. Next to a modern chapel, 24 structures have been identified and consist of quarries, caves, rock-cut stairs, walls and blocks.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). La prospection terrestre. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 260-272.
Parayre, D. et al. Tallet Mar Antonios. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

A survey of the prehistoric era was carried out in and around the small village of Anfeh’s caves, rock shelters and open-air sites. Altogether, 40 sites were evaluated wherein 22 yielded lithic artefacts. The study has considerably expanded our knowledge of Northern Lebanon’s Prehistory, seeing as all prehistoric periods are present in the area with an emphasis on Middle Palaeolithic, Epi-Palaeolithic, and PPN finds.
Published in:
Leder, D. Anfeh Prehistoric Survey 2015. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).  

Several sites in Anfeh have yielded evidence of workshops for pottery production dating from the Mamluk period. These are kiln bars, tripod supports and over-fired pottery sherds. The presence of local clay deposits in the area confirms this artisanal activity. In addition to these finds, several vessels also attributed to this period have been recovered, mainly marmites and bowls.
Published in:
Shaddoud, I. Watching brief 2 : une production potière d’époque mamelouke? In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

This natural hill (27 ha) yielded pottery mainly dating back to the Crusader period with a few sherds from the Roman/Byzantine period. An abundant lithic material was also recovered, as well as some prehistoric flint tools. Identified structures include quarries and tombs.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). La prospection terrestre. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 260-272.
Parayre, D. et al. Tallet Missaiki. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).
 
This study has revealed no traces of the alleged antique origin of the monastery. Indeed, the complex of buildings that constitute the monastery were built during the Ottoman period, in five main phases. Its mention in the historical texts also appears for the first time in the 17th century.”
Published in:
Antaki-Masson, P. (2016). Le monastère saydet el Natour Enfé. Résultats de l’étude historique et de l’archéologie du bâti. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 283-285.
Antaki-Masson, P. Le monastère Saydet el Natour d’Enfeh. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

2013-2014
A systematic survey of the coast of Anfeh, its peninsula and its neighboring hills has led to the identification of a large number of both open-air and subterranean quarries. The most common type of extracted stone was sandstone, although limestone was also largely exploited. Several methods of extraction have also been documented.
Published in:
Abdul Massih, J. (2016). Notes sur les carrières maritimes d’Enfeh. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 285-287.
Abdul Massih, J. L’exploitation de la pierre à Enfeh. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

The architectural drawings and analysis of the remains of the Medieval fortress that survives on Anfeh’s peninsula have revealed how it was well adapted to the particular topography. The study identified the main stronghold structures: the entry system, the defensive enclosure with its towers, posterns and curtain walls, as well as the main lord building located at the western end.
Published in:
Chaaya, A. (2016). Le château médiéval d’Enfeh. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 281-283.
Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 281-283 Chaaya, A. Nouvelle lecture et reconstitution du château médiéval d’Enfeh. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

The site consists of a ruined chapel with rock-cut cisterns, presses’ installations, tombs, several walls and a column. The collected finds comprise potsherds, tiles, tesserae, flints, and stone grinders. Their date ranges from the Roman period to the Medieval one.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). Les fouilles du promontoire. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 272-281.
Panayot-Haroun, N., Amhaz, S. & Alaeddine, A. Mar Edna. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).
 
2014
A cistern and three tombs were recorded on this site.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). La prospection terrestre. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 260-272.
Panayot-Haroun, N., Amhaz, S. & Alaeddine, A. Watching brief 1: le caveau de Mar Abda. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

publication in progress

2013
A survey was conducted in the vast al-Hraycheh plain, occupied today by salt marshes, olive trees and wild fields of medicinal plants. The surveyed surface of more than 345 ha has yielded only a small amount of pottery sherds due to the presence of salt marshes. This material has been ascribed to the Roman, Byzantine, Medieval and Ottoman periods.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). La prospection terrestre. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 260-272.

This excavated tomb is a rock-cut vaulted room reached by a squared entrance and two rock-cut steps. It is divided into three parts separated by two low walls. It included remains of skeletons, as well as finds from the Byzantine, Medieval and Ottoman periods that indicate several occupational sequences.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). Les fouilles du promontoire. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 272-281.
Alaeddine, A., Amhaz, S. & Panayot-Haroun, N. Watching brief 1: le caveau de Mar Abda. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

The aim of this project was to establish a topographic plan of the site and to assess its archaeological potential. It was divided into two phases: the first was the recording of the architectural structures and the second the picking up of potsherds. The identified architectural structures were all rock-cut ones: a room on the south side of the peninsula with an entrance door and three moats. The collected potsherds numbered 28,456- of which 2,600 were identified and dated. The most represented period is the Medieval one (mainly 13th c.), followed by the Byzantine one. Other attested periods are the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, as well as the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). La prospection terrestre. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 260-272.
 
Saydet el-Kharayeb is a modern church built on top of an older one whose remains are still visible. A surface pottery recovery campaign of the surrounding area yielded an enormous quantity of potsherds mainly dating back to the Byzantine and Medieval periods, with few ones from the Late Bronze Age, the Hellenistic, Roman, first Islamic and Ottoman periods.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. et al. (2016). La prospection terrestre. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 260-272.
Panayot-Haroun, N. Saydet El Kharayeb. In N. Panayot (Ed.). (in press). BAH (Hors-Série).

This site has yielded ceramic material from the Late Bronze Age/Iron Age I and II, which should probably be associated with two maritime ramps found on site. Several walls were attested to the late Byzantine era. A Medieval abandonment phase (13th -14th centuries) consists of few potsherds but no structures. A maritime road and some retaining walls can be attributed to the Ottoman or modern period. The upper level was made of salt marshes basins from the 1960’s.
Published in: in progress

2011-2012
The archaeological investigation revealed the chronological occupation of the site. Prior to the construction of the chapel, some Early Bronze Age ceramic sherds were found as deposits in rock cavities. Later on, a hydraulic system covered the whole area. It included six rock-cut rectangular cisterns and two cylindrical ones linked by channels and used to collect rain water. From the material found inside, they can be dated to different periods, from the Iron Age III until the 13th century. The Hellenistic period is attested by a small ceramics deposit and the Late Roman period by a floor associated with a cistern.
As for the small chapel (7.75 x 3.65 meters), it was built in the Byzantine period. Its surviving remains are a semi-circular apse and parts of the south and west walls with an altar foundation and a mosaic floor. The remains of a room south of the chapel with two walls, another mosaic floor and a floor north of the chapel were also uncovered from the same period.
The site was probably abandoned from the 7th to the 11th century until the chapel was rebuilt with two extensions in the Crusader period: a narthex to the west and a room to the north. The church had two doors, one in the west and one in the south wall and it was decorated with frescoes. The floor level was also identified. To the north lays a room as attested by the presence of an arch departure and three floor levels. It seems that the church was destroyed in the 14th century as several liturgical pieces were found inside the chapel cistern. The site was then abandoned until the late Ottoman period.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. (2016). Saydet El Rih (Notre Dame du Vent) . In N. Panayot (Ed.). (2016). BAAL, 16, 255-260.
Panayot-Haroun, N. (2016). Excavation Results of the Chapel of Saydet El Rih [Our Lady of the Wind], Anfeh. Berytus,LIX, 189-200.
Panayot-Haroun, N. (2015). Anfeh unveiled: Historical background, ongoing research and future prospects.JEMAHS, 3(4), 296-415.

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B. Anfeh underwater excavations and studies



From 2016 to 2018, Dr. Lucy Semaan undertook a three-year post-doctoral fellowship, at the University of Balamand with the support of the Honor Frost Foundation (HFF). The research was focused on the development, significance, and affordances of the seascape of the ancient site of Anfeh, in North Lebanon, and looked into how people used and modified this seascape through time. It was undertaken under the joint supervision of Dr. Nadine Panayot-Haroun, head of the Department of Archaeology and Museology (DAM) at the University of Balamand (UOB), Lebanon, and Dr. Lucy Blue, Senior Lecturer at Centre for Maritime Archaeology (CMA) at the University of Southampton (UOS), UK. The post-doc was preceded by previous endeavours regarding the underwater cultural heritage at Anfeh undertaken by Dr. Semaan and funded by HFF since 2013. Hence, Dr. Semaan undertook several fieldwork seasons at the site of Anfeh, with the participation of national and international specialists, between 2013 and 2018. She also collaborated with several specialists on other maritime related investigations at the site. All the fieldwork campaigns are listed below by year from the start of the research until more recent campaigns.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. and Semaan, L. (2019). Preserving the Landscape of Anfeh: a maritime heritage site in north Lebanon. In L. Blue (ed.), In the footsteps of Honor Frost: The life and legacy of a pioneer in maritime archaeology (pp. 151–164). Leiden: Sidestone Press.
Panayot-Haroun, N. and Semaan, .L. Enemy ships at Ampi: a cry from Byblos. In “Three Global Harbors of the Ancient World Tyre, Sidon, Byblos”, Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, 25th-29th of October, Beirut. Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises. Beirut: Direction Générale des Antiquités (in press).
https://honorfrostfoundation.org/2018/01/01/anfeh-lebanon/ and https://honorfrostfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20181217-LS-_PDF-Triannial-report-2.pdf
 
2018
Dr. Clément Flaux undertook a geomorphological survey in April 2018 along Anfeh’s coastal strip, which mainly focused on the characterisation of the coastline, identifying past sea-level indicators, and recording erratic boulders that are quite abundant along Anfeh’s coast. This survey also identified main coastal morphogenesis processes which provided a preliminary discussion about the taphonomy of coastal archaeological remains.
Published in:
Flaux, C. and Carayon. N., 2020. Geomorphological survey along Enfeh coast. In Nadine Panayot-Haroun (ed.), Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises. Beirut: Direction Générale des Antiquités (submitted).
Flaux, C., 2018. Geomorphological survey at Anfeh coast: fieldwork report, University of Balamand (unpublished report).

In September 2018, Dr. Ziad el Murr undertook the sampling of seven anchors retrieved from the sea at Anfeh and of ancient quarry sites in the village in order to determine the anchors’ provenance. The sample analysis was undertaken at the facilities of the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission - National Council for Scientific Research (LAEC-CNRS), and comprised several techniques such as: Standard thin section petrography; Elemental analysis using Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE); Scanning electron microscopy observation and Energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS); Microanalysis and X-ray mapping; and Raman spectroscopy and Time of Flight - Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). These studies established the provenance of a number of anchors from Anfeh while others were sourced further afar.
Published in:
El Morr, Z., Roumié, M., Noun, M., and Srour, A., 2020. Characterizing stone anchors from the Anfeh underwater survey. In Nadine Panayot-Haroun (ed.), Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises. Beirut: Direction Générale des Antiquités (submitted).
El Morr, Z., Noun, M., Roumié, M., and Srour, A., 2018. Analysis of some stone anchors from Enfeh, LAEC-CNRS, University of Balamand (unpublished report).

2017
In the period of June/July and September, excavations were conducted north of the promontory of Ras al-Qalaat at Anfeh, by Dr. Semaan and her team. The main incentive behind undertaking these excavations were to ground-truth subsurface anomalies that were identified and mapped through the 2017 marine geophysical survey undertaken by UoP. The excavation of two trenches revealed archaeological layers containing concentrations of archaeological material, including organic and inorganic artefacts. The bone remains were analysed by Dr. Jwana Chahoud from the Lebanese University.
Published in:
Chahoud, J., 2020. Note on the Faunal Remains from the 2018 Underwater Excavations at Anfeh. In Nadine Panayot-Haroun (ed.), Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises. Beirut: Direction Générale des Antiquités (submitted).
Semaan, L., 2020. Preliminary Report on the 2018 Underwater Excavations at Anfeh. In Nadine Panayot-Haroun (ed.), Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises. Beirut: Direction Générale des Antiquités (submitted).
Semaan, L., Cocca, E., Fuquen, C., Kovacevic, D., and Athanasopoulos, P., 2018. Joint report of the underwater excavations at Anfeh, June-July 2018. University of Balamand (unpublished report).
Semaan, L., 2018. Report of the underwater excavations at Anfeh, September 2018. University of Balamand (unpublished report).

In June 2017, a remote-sensing survey was undertaken at the site of Anfeh in collaboration with the Marine Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography at the Geology Department of the University of Patras (UoP). Four different systems were used during the survey: a bathyswath interferometric multibeam system; a dual frequency side-scan sonar; a digital single-beam hydrographic echosounder; and a Chirp sub-bottom profiler. Visual inspection of some of the identified targets and regions of interest was carried out using a SEAVIEWER underwater tow camera. The survey permitted to establish the underwater topography and characterisation of the seabed as well as the paleogeography of the area. It also allowed the identification and assessment of the underwater cultural heritage at the site, through detecting surface and subsurface targets of potential archaeological interest.
Published in:
Papatheodorou, G., Geraga, M., Georgiou, N., Christodoulou, D., Dimas, X., and Fakiris, E. Marine Geoarchaeological survey offshore Anfeh, Lebanon. In Nadine Panayot-Haroun (ed.), Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises . Beirut: Direction Générale des Antiquités (in press).

In July 2017, Dr. Lucy Semaan directed an underwater visual survey in the Hraishi area located northeast of Deir al-Natour and west of al-Qalamoun, in order to assess the underwater cultural heritage of the area and explore its potential as an ancient anchorage. After a total number of 14 dives, 53 artefacts were recorded, of which 40 artefacts were retrieved. These included pottery sherds, stone anchors and a few metal objects.
Published in:
Semaan, L., Looking at the land from the sea: Considerations on Anfeh’s seascape. In N. Panayot-Haroun (ed.) Mission Archéologique d’Enfeh-Liban. Valoriser et préserver: les enjeux d’un défi scientifique. Volume I: prospections et études ethnographiques. Bibliothèque Archéologique et Historique de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie de Beyrouth. Beirut: Institut Français du Proche-Orient (in press).

In the autumn of 2017, an underwater survey was conducted by Dr. Lucy Semaan on the southern coast of Anfeh. Additional photogrammetry recording was also performed by the team. The survey was successful at verifying the presence of underwater archaeological material and completing the photogrammetry of several archaeological features and artefacts, including slipways and masonry blocks.
Published in:
Semaan, L., and Salama, M. S., 2019. Underwater Photogrammetric Recording at the Site of Anfeh, Lebanon. In J. McCarthy and J. Benjamin (eds.), 3D recording and interpretation for maritime archaeology, Coastal Research Library Vol. 31, pp. 67-87. Springer International Publishing.

2016 In April-May 2016, a second underwater survey was undertaken at Anfeh that mainly aimed at documenting and recording, through photogrammetry, previously located artefacts and features. These included: four slipways, and a large number of submerged masonry blocks, as well as stone anchors that had either been retrieved or left underwater for in situ documentation.
Published in:
Semaan, L., and Salama, M. S., 2019. Underwater Photogrammetric Recording at the Site of Anfeh, Lebanon. In J. McCarthy and J. Benjamin (eds.), 3D recording and interpretation for maritime archaeology, Coastal Research Library Vol. 31, pp. 67-87. Springer International Publishing

Dr. Lucy Semaan, along with her students, volunteered to work on applying preliminary conservation on a private collection of ceramic artefacts retrieved from the sea by a member of the fishing community in Anfeh. The objective of this projects was two folds: first to raise awareness on the protection of archaeological artefacts, and the importance of following the right prevention procedures when such artefacts are encountered in the field; second to provide the students with a hands-on opportunity to train in the methods of preliminary conservation of ceramic artefacts

In September 2016, Dr. Lucy Semaan and Dr. Nicolas Carayon from the University of Southampton (UoS) undertook a preliminary geomorphological study of the coast of Anfeh. The aim of this study was to locate potential variation in sea levels and possible maritime ways of access on the coastal strip of the promontory and the wider study area of Anfeh. Documentation was made on land and underwater, by taking photographs, measurements and notes of features that indicates past-sea levels.

2014
In 2014, Dr. Lucy Semaan oversaw the making of a documentary by WAHM Productions focused on the maritime archaeological aspect of the multi-faceted archaeological project at Anfeh in 2013. The documentary was funded by the Honor Frost Foundation and presented a pedagogic approach to the wider audience in an attempt to raise awareness about the importance of underwater cultural heritage in Lebanon.
Published in:
https://vimeo.com/179158553
https://vimeo.com/wahmproductions

2013
In 2013, a first underwater survey campaign was undertaken at the site of Anfeh and was the precursor for the establishment of Dr. Semaan postdoctoral research at UOB. It complemented the terrestrial survey and excavations on several sites in the town of Anfeh, and neighbouring hills. The project aimed at assessing the underwater archaeological potential surrounding the peninsula and the modern village of Anfeh, from the promontory of Ras al-Natour to the north, stretching along 1.5 km south of Ras al-Qalaat. This survey documented the physical settings and underwater topography, and assessed the underwater cultural heritage while identifying areas of high archaeological potential. 176 objects were recovered out of 274 artefacts recorded which included ceramics artefacts; masonry elements; stone anchors; fish weights; and two metal finds. To aid the diving operations and mapping, the Marine Resources and Coastal Zone Management Program at the Institute of the Environment (UOB) provided the project with a bathymetry map.
Published in:
Semaan, L., Fuquen. C., Van Rensburg, J. J., and Safadi, C., 2016. The underwater visual survey at Anfeh. In N. Panayot (ed.), Mission Archéologique d’Enfeh: Résultats Préliminaires des Travaux de Prospection et de Fouille de 2011 à 2015. Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises, 16, 287-291.

Semaan, L., 2016. Surveying the waters of Anfeh, Lebanon: Preliminary results. Skyllis, 16(1), 54-67.

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2007-2011
The study and the excavations of Balamand monastery have allowed us to gain new insight into this remarkable monument. Results have mainly led to the reassessment of the architectural evolution of the monastery and have shed light on the importance of its movable cultural heritage.
Published in:
Panayot-Haroun, N. (2012). Le monastère patriarcal de Balamand. BAAL,14.
بنايوت هارون، ن. (إشراف ). ( ٢٠١٨ ). دير سيدة البلمند البطريركي: آثار، تاريخ وتراث مادي . منشورات جامعة البلمند .

2008-2010
Joining the Directorate General of Syrian Antiquities and the Lebanese University, the DAM team undertook excavations at Cyrrhus (tell Nebi Mend), a major archaeological site of northern Syria. The investigation of the Byzantine basilica church revealed several structures inside it, as well as part of the main cardo street and some artisanal installations adjoining it.