Field Projects
Since 2012, I have been an active field archaeologist. I have worked in domestic, monumental, and cemetery contexts.
I began my career on an excavation of an Indigenous Timucuan settlement in St. John's River in central Florida (2012), and since 2013, I have worked on several archaeological excavations in modern Israel. My experience there includes Tel Kabri (2013), Megiddo (2014-), Ashkelon (2015-), and Shimron (2017-). I have also consultanted for excavations that uncover human remains during their season, including at Horvat Tevet (2018), and Palmachim (2022).
More on the field projects below:
Wikimedia Commons
Chief Bioarchaeologist
2016- Present
Publications on Megiddo:
Kalisher, R. 2025. "The Human Skeletal Remains from Burial 16/H/45." In Megiddo VII: The Shmunis Excavations of Tomb 16/H/50 and Burial 16/H/45. Edited by M.S. Cradic, M.J. Adams and I. Finkelstein. Tel Aviv University: Tel Aviv
Kalisher, R. 2025. "The Human Skeletal Remains from Tomb 50." In Megiddo VII: The Shmunis Excavations of Tomb 16/H/50 and Burial 16/H/45. Edited by M.S. Cradic, M.J. Adams and I. Finkelstein. Tel Aviv University: Tel Aviv
Kalisher, R., Cradic, M.S., Martin M.A.S., Adams, M.J., Finkelstein, I. 2024. "Cranial trephination and infectious disease in the Eastern Mediterranean: The evidence from two elite brothers from Late Bronze Megiddo, Israel." PLoS One 18(2):e0281020.
Kleiman, A., Hall, E., Kalisher, R., Dunseth, Z., Sapir-Hen, L., Homsher, R.S., Adams, M.J., Finkelstein, I. 2023. "Crisis in motion: The final days of Iron Age I Megiddo." Levant 56(1): 66-93.
Amir, A., Kalisher, R., Cradic, M.S., Adams, M.J., Martin, M.A.S., Neumann, R., Gadot, Y., Finkelstein, I. 2023. "Burial offerings in intramural tombs at Middle Bronze Age Megiddo." Archaeometry 65(6): 1353-73.
Martin, M.A.S., Cradic, M.S., and Kalisher, R. 2022. "Area K: Intramural Pit and Jar Burials (Level K-10)." In Megiddo VI: The 2010-2014 Seasons. Edited by I. Finkelstein and M.A.S. Martin. Tel Aviv University: Tel Aviv. pp. 224-291.
Agranat-Tamir, L., et al. 2020. "The genomic history of the Bronze Age southern Levant." Cell 181(5): 1146-1157.e11.
Forthcoming chapters (3) in Megiddo VIII: The 2016-2022 Seasons.
Click here to learn more about the Megiddo Expedition.
Bioarchaeologist
2015- Present
Publications on Ashkelon:
Kalisher, R., Fox, S.C., Marklein, K., Faerman, M. 2025. "Osteological Results from the N5 Iron IIA Cemetery." In Ashkelon 10: The Philistine Cemetery. Edited by D.M. Master, A. Aja, and R. Kalisher. Eisenbrauns.
Aja, A., Kalisher, R., Pierce, G. 2025. "Catalogue of Burials." In Ashkelon 10: The Philistine Cemetery. Edited by D.M. Master, A. Aja, and R. Kalisher.
Kalisher, R., Master, D.M., Bailey, S.C., Bromage, T.G. 2024. "Dental wear in a marine economy: A case study from Philistine Ashkelon" International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 34(1): e3269.
Click here to learn more about the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon.
dannythedigger.com
Tel Shimron Excavations
Area Supervisor and Chief Bioarchaeologist
2017 - Present