Congratulations to HCMH’s post-doc and research fellow, Dr. Shulamit Miller, co-author of a new article entitled “A Belemnitella mucronata Fossil from Early Islamic Tiberias: New Evidence of Euro-Asian Connections” published in the Israel Exploration Journal (IEJ)!

A fossil identified as Belemnitella mucronata was discovered in excavations conducted by Y. Hirschfeld in Tiberias. The fossil originated from Upper Cretaceous chalk formations in northwestern Europe and was found inscribed with a name in Kufic Arabic script. This study analyzes the fossil, its inscription, and the stratigraphic context in which it was found, dating its deposition to the ninth or early tenth century CE. The study further assesses the possible uses of the object, as well as its significance in illuminating trade networks between the Early Islamic Levant and Viking northern Europe.