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.
֍ 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.
֍ 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 (excluding the bibliography list; examples can be found in Lipschits et al. 2021; Maeir 2021).
֍ Please read this guide prior to submitting your report. Reports that are not submitted according to the following guidelines will be returned to the author.
 
Submitting Reports
 
Reports should be submitted on the designated form: Template for HA-ESI preliminary reports or Template for HA-ESI final 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 with the format of the journal. All appended reports (such as coins or glass finds) must be submitted along with the main report in the same file.
All reports should be submitted by e-mail to: publications@israntique.org.il.
Reports adhering to the guidelines will be promptly accepted for editing.
 
Submitting Illustrations
֍ The digital format of HA-ESI does not restrict the number of illustrations. Nevertheless, it is advised to choose the illustrations carefully by their quality and relevance to the description in the text, while taking into account the length of the report.
֍ IAA excavation photographs must be first be entered into the MENORA system. Photographs from other excavations should be submitted as high-quality digital files (no less then 1 MB each) .
֍ The illustration captions and their file names or MENORA Numbers should be listed in the designated place at the bottom part of the template form.
֍ Please make sure that all photos of finds include a scale; if missing – state measurements in caption or in the body of the text.  
֍ Pottery figures that are made up digitally should be submitted as PDF files, ai or PSD; they are to include the serial number of each object and a scale (or scales, if necessary). When sending a mockup, make sure to send the only the relevant or. 
֍ Plans and maps that were drawn by the IAA draftspersons should be submitted as PDF-layers files. Additions may be marked manually on these figures, scanned and sent as PDF files, which will serve as mockups.
֍ Authors who wish to add texts to photos (e.g., to point out certain features), should submit two copies of such photos: one copy with the additional text and one clean copy.
֍ Digital plans and maps that are prepared by the author should be submitted in PDF-layers, ai or PSD format.
֍ Remember to include an arrow pointing to the north and a scale, as well as numbers of the walls and loci mentioned in the text.
 
Naming the Files
֍ The text file (Template for contributors to HA-ESI) and each of the figures are to be saved in separate files.
֍ The name of the text file should include the following elements: the author’s surname, underscore, permit/license no. preceded by the letter code (A, B, G, etc.) as indicated in the permit/license and an indication whether the report is preliminary or final (e.g., weinberg_A3462hp.docx).
֍ When writing the file name, insert the following codes:
IAA excavations: preliminary report = hp; final report = hf
Other excavations: preliminary report = hpe; final report = hfe
֍ The names of figure files should include the same elements as in the file name of the text (see above) with the addition of an underscore, followed by the figure number (as in the list of figures; e.g., weinberg_A3462hp_1.jpg).
֍ Please note: these strict instructions are meant to help the editorial office in keeping track of the thousands of text and figure files received yearly.
 
E-Mailing the Report
֍ The text file and the figure files should be submitted by e-mail as attachments or via a file-sharing service. Do not embed figures into the text file!
֍ The e-mail subject line should include the following: “Hadashot-ESI” followed by an indication if the report is preliminary or final, name of site, Permit/License number, name of author (e.g., Hadashot-ESI final, Tel Ashraf A-7890, Sabina Levy).
֍ Proofs returned by the author should have the same subject line, with the addition of the word “proof” and the number of the proof (e.g., Hadashot-ESI final, Tel Ashraf A-7890, Sabina Levy, proof 1).
 
 
Writing Guidelines
 
Reports should be submitted on the designated form (Template for contributors to HA-ESI). Although this format does not set any limits on the length of the report, authors should make sure that the material submitted for publication is in accord with the scope of the excavation and with HA-ESI style.
 
 
Language
HA-ESI is a bilingual Hebrew-English journal. Manuscripts may be submitted in English when the author’s primary language is not Hebrew; they will be edited, confirmed by the author, and subsequently translated into Hebrew.
 
Proofs
Manuscripts will be reviewed by the author twice: (a) the edited version will be sent by e-mail; (b) a link for accessing the final, on-line version of the digital report in the journal web site will be sent to the author. Any corrections or comments should be e-mailed to the corresponding editor. A report will become fully accessible on the journal’s website either three weeks after the digital proof is sent out to the author or earlier, once that version is confirmed by the author.
 
 
Spelling
The primary language for publication in HA-ESI is American English (spelling, style and grammar; see the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th or 16th eds.).
 
 
Site Names and Transliteration
֍ Site names are transliterated (with proper diacritics) according to the Registry of Monuments and Historical Sites, published in Reshumot–Yalqut Hapirsumim (1964 and supplements), or as printed on maps published by the Survey of Israel; when necessary, British Mandate maps should be consulted. Only a small number of biblical place names are spelled according to the English Bible (e.g., Jerusalem, Mount Zion, Tiberias, Caesarea, Hebron, Shephelah); in all other cases, the biblical place name will be set in parentheses beside the transliterated name. Personal historical names are usually retained. All other names are transliterated following the guidelines of The Academy of the Hebrew Language.
֍·The site name in the title should adhere to the permit/license unless that name does not convey the precise location of the excavation. In such cases or when no official name exists, the site should be named according to nearby geographical features (e.g., mountain or stream) or the name of a modern settlement, road or intersection, as these appear on the Survey of Israel maps.
֍ If the site was previously published with a different name, this name should appear in the opening paragraph (within parentheses; preceding the map ref.).
 
 
Authors’ Names
Hebrew and English spellings of authors’ and other contributors’ names are requested.
 
 
E-Mail address
An e-mail address of the corresponding author must be submitted.
 
 
Map References
Authors are responsible for submitting an exact map reference for their excavation site. This map reference will be indicated on a general map on the web site. All map references should be calculated according to the New Israel Grid (NIG). The longitude and latitude coordinates should be separated by a slash (e.g., 187833/659110). If the excavated area is smaller than the map reference range in the permit/license, an exact map reference should be provided. If a map reference range is required, use a dash and avoid repetition (e.g., 187833–42/659110–200).
 
 Acknowledgements
All people and companies that took part in the excavation (e.g., photographers, surveyors, administrators) and the preparation of the report (e.g., draftspersons, artists, laboratory personnel) must be listed. Please note that photographs are protected by copyright laws.
 
 
Pottery Descriptions
The finds published in final reports in HA-ESI do not necessitate lengthy descriptions; the pottery should therefore be briefly described. Nevertheless, all the various wares and vessel types comprising the assemblage, as well as their dates, are to be described according to their order in the plates. For example: Persian-period jars (Fig. 3:6–8).
 
Plates
֍ Plates may comprise only drawings, only photographs or a combination of both.
֍ Unique or rare items can be presented as a drawing accompanied by a photograph.
֍ The items on each plate will be numbered separately, beginning with 1, from left to right.
֍ Pottery vessels should be presented in plates according to type, from open to closed and from small to large.
֍ When plates include vessels from more than one period, a horizontal line should separate the assemblages of the various periods.
֍ It is advised to include up to 20 items per plate; plates with color photos should include a smaller number of items.
֍ Please note that the final size and layout of the plates will be decided during the editing and production phase.
֍ IAA authors must submit IAA Archive numbers (B numbers) for photos included in the plates; non-IAA authors should submit the original drawings as either Illustrator (ai) or vectoral PDF or PSD files along with the photographs to be included in the plates.
֍ Authors are asked to provide the scale of the presented items. IAA items are usually drawn at a scale that requires 50% reduction in size.
֍ The final scale for publication is as follows:
Pottery—2:10, except for especially large vessels (1:10). Fragments will usually be at a 1:2 scale. A photo of a detail accompanying a drawing does not require a separate scale.
Glass—1:2.
Flint—1:1, except for especially large items (2:3).
Metal and stone—1:2, except for especially large items (1:4).
Architectural elements—1:10.
֍ Each and every item presented in the plates must be referred to in the description of either the architectural remains or the finds.
֍ Tables should accompany all the plates in final reports.
 
 
Tables
Plates in final reports will be accompanied by tables (see below). Tables can also serve to present lists of data or repetitive and bulky information, such as map references or measurements. The information presented in the tables should not be reiterated in the text.
 
 
Plate Tables
֍ Each plate table should be numbered in accordance with the plate it accompanies. ֍ Plate tables should consist of the following data for each item: number of the find on the plate; type of find; locus number; basket number and item number in the basket when more than one item is presented from the basket; authors are encouraged to include a description of the clay for pottery tables.
֍ Parallels can also be presented, but they are restricted to two at the most for each item. The reference should follow the bibliographic system used in HA-ESI alongside the name of site referred to. If two parallels are provided, all pairs of parallels should be ordered in the same fashion: by distance from the site (from near to distant) or by year of publication (from early to late).
֍ If a petrographic analysis accompanies the excavation report, either within the article or as an appendix, the analyzed items should be marked in the table with a reference to the petrography report.
 
 
Numbers
֍ When part of the flow of the text, cardinal and ordinal numbers from one to ten should be generally spelled out; for larger numbers, use digits.
֍ Centuries should be written out (e.g., eleventh century BCE).
֍ Loci numbers, measurements and figure numbers should be set within parentheses in the following order: locus; measurements; figure number. For example:
The winepress consists of a square treading floor (L105; 2.7 × 2.7 m; Fig. 2) and a rectangular collecting vat (L106; 0.8 × 1.4 m; Fig. 3).
֍ All locus and wall numbers appearing in the text must appear on the plans; however, plans may contain additional information vis a vis the text.
֍ 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; abbreviations of the measuring units are not followed by periods. Use centimeters up to 9 cm and meters from 0.1 m and up.
֍ When dimensions are written out, they are preferably positioned before the measurement (e.g., diam. 3 m, depth 0.5 m) and set in the following order: length, width, diameter, depth and height.
֍ When appropriate (e.g., area of a room, an installation etc.), length and width do not have to be written out; in such cases, the width will appear to the left of the multiplication sign (e.g., 1.4 × 3.5 m).
֍ The numerals following the decimal point should be of equal precision on both sides of a multiplication sign (e.g., 1.4 × 3.0 m) or an n-dash (e.g., 0.9–1.0 m).
֍ Use Roman numerals for ancient rulers (e.g., Amenemhet III) and for subdivisions of archaeological time periods (see below).
 
 
Time Periods and Abbreviations
֍ Do not abbreviate archaeological time periods when they stand alone, e.g., Middle Bronze Age. However, when they are 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).
֍ Points of the compass are not abbreviated (northeast, not NE).
֍ The standard designation in HA-ESI for historical and archaeological dates are BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
֍ Centruies are written out in full (e.g., seventh century CE, not 7th c. CE).
֍ When in parentheses, abbreviate maximum as max. and diameter as diam.
 
 
Figure Captions
Captions should preferably be short, and do not need to include information that appears in the text (e.g., time period, stratigraphic relationships, provenance). The information in the caption should be ordered as follows: the area (if there are more than one), the stratum, the object, plan and section (if relevant), the direction (e.g., looking east).
 
 
References
HA-ESI allows for the use of in-text citations and a corresponding list of references, in accord with the accepted academic requirements.
֍ In-text citations are set in parentheses. They should always include the author’s last name and year of publication (no abbreviations such as ibid are used); specific page numbers and figure numbers may follow after a colon.
֍ Corpora and numismatic reference books are cited by using the accepted abbreviations, as seen in the References list.
֍ Citations to HA-ESI and to the on-line-only IAA survey maps should include a hyperlink to the source referred to (e.g., Abu Raya 2014).
֍ Each citation in a list of citations set within the same parentheses will be separated by a semicolon; the list should be ordered chronologically, and within each year—in alphabetical order.
֍ The list of reference is set at the end of the article. It should include full references for all the in-text citations in alphabetical order of the last name of the author and the accepted abbreviations for corpora and numismatic reference books.
֍ 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 reference list should include all the bibliographic information according to the accepted formulation, as seen in the References list. Periodical and series names should be abbreviated in accordance with the Abbreviations list.
֍ References to on-line editions of HA-ESI and to on-line-only IAA survey maps should include a hyperlink. For example:
Abu Raya R. 2014. ‘Akko. HA-ESI 126.
Rothenberg B. 2015. Eilat (266) (The Archaeological Survey of Israel).
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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