Matthew J. Adams


Matthew J. Adams is an archaeologist who specializes in the Near East. He earned his degrees at Pennsylvania State University and the University of California, Los Angeles. He served as the director of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, and is the current president of American Archaeology Abroad, Inc. He has worked on several archaeological projects in the past, and is currently director of the Jezreel Valley Regional Project, Co-Director of the Megiddo Expedition along with Israel Finkelstein and Mario Martin, and co-director of the Solomon's Pools Archaeological Project with Mark Letteney.

Media coverage

Adams' work in Tel Megiddo has been extensively covered in the press in relation to Christian eschatological interest in Armageddon. His discoveries at the site of the Roman military camp at Legio has attracted public attention, including the uncovering of a legionary burial.
In 2014, Adams and his colleagues revealed that Megiddo's proto-historic Great Temple contained evidence for mass animal sacrifice and the dawn of urbanization in the Levant. In 2018, excavators led by Adams announced the discovery of an undisturbed Canaanite royal tomb, for the first time in over a century.

Business affiliations

Adams is also the owner of Djehuti Productions, a musical/film production company, and published titles for Harvey Brooks.
He is also co-owner of St. Thomas Liquor Co., a family-run commercial real estate company owning and leasing property at St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.

Published works

Monographs and edited volumes

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    Articles

  • R. Marom, Y. Tepper, and M.J. Adams, "Al-Lajjun: Forgotten Provincial Capital in Ottoman Palestine," Levant : 1–24.
  • M.J. Adams, "," Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 37 : 17–38.
  • R. Kalisher, M.S. Cradic, M.J. Adams, M.A.S. Martin, I. Finkelstein, "Cranial trephination and infectious disease in the Eastern Mediterranean: The evidence from two elite brothers from Late Bronze Megiddo, Israel," PLOS One.
  • R. Shaar, Y. Gallet, Y. Vaknin, L. Gonen, M.A.S. Martin, M.J. Adams, I. Finkelstein, "Archaeomagnetism in the Levant and Mesopotamia Reveals the Largest Changes in the Earth's Geomagnetic Field," Journal of Geophysical Research – Solid Earth : 1–16.
  • S.J. Price, M.J. Adams, Y. Tepper, "Lifeways and Settlement Choices at Tell Abu Shusha, Israel: An Integrated Spatial Approach to Survey Archaeology," Archaeological Prospection : 1–15.
  • M. Fischer, M.J. Adams, N.L. Ben Ami, and Y. Tepper, "," Israel Exploration Journal 72.2 : 238–254.
  • L. Sapir-Hen, D.N. Fulton, M.J. Adams, and I. Finkelstein, "Temple and the Town at Early Bronze Age I Megiddo: Faunal Evidence for the Emergence of Complexity" Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 387 : 1–14.
  • I. Finkelstein and M.J. Adams, "The Megiddo Gates: Outdated Views Versus New Data," Tel Aviv 48.2 : 208–212.
  • Y. Tepper, W. Eck, G. Leyfirer, and M.J. Adams, "A Roman Military Funerary Inscription from Legio, Israel," Tel Aviv 48.2 : 248–266.
  • I. Finkelstein, M.J. Adams, E. Hall, and E. Levy, "The Iron Age Gates of Megiddo: New Evidence and Updated Interpretations," Tel Aviv 46.2 : 167–191.
  • M.J. Adams, M. Cradic, Y. Farhi, M. Peers, and Y. Tepper, "," Israel Museum Studies in Archaeology 9 : 68–91.
  • V. Linares, M.J. Adams, M.S. Cradic, I. Finkelstein, O. Lipschits, M.A.S. Martin, R. Neumann, C. Spiteri, P.W. Stockhammer, and Y. Gadot, "First Evidence for Vanillin in the Old World: Its Use as Mortuary Offering in Middle Bronze Canaan," Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 25 : 77–84.
  • M.J. Adams, M. Letteney, and M.T.B. Peers, "Survey and Excavations at Solomon's Pools, Palestine: 2018 Preliminary Report," Palestine Exploration Quarterly 151.1 : 15–35.
  • I. Finkelstein, M.J. Adams, Z.C. Dunseth, and R. Shahak-Gross, "," Tel Aviv 45.1.
  • R. Homsher, M.J. Adams, A. Prins, R. Gardner-Cook, and Y. Tepper, "," Journal of Landscape Ecology 10.3 : 154–164.
  • M.J. Adams, "," Tel Aviv 44.2 : 141–164.
  • M.J. Adams, "," Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 13 : 1–11.
  • Y. Tepper, J. David, and M.J. Adams, "Excavations at the Camp of the Roman Sixth Ferrata Legion at Legio, Israel. A Preliminary Report of the 2013 season," Strata: The Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society 34 : 87–120.
  • D. Langut, M.J. Adams, and I. Finkelstein, "," Levant 48.2 : 1–18.
  • A. Prins, M.J. Adams, M. Ashley, R.S. Homsher, "," Near Eastern Archaeology 77:3 : 196–201.
  • M.J. Adams, J. David, R. Homsher, M.E. Cohen, "," Near Eastern Archaeology 77:1 : 32–43.
  • M.J. Adams, I. Finkelstein and D. Ussishkin, "The Great Temple of Early Bronze I Megiddo," American Journal of Archaeology 118.2 : 1–21.
  • J. Pincus, T. DeSmet, Y. Tepper, and M.J. Adams, "," Archaeological Prospection 20.3 : 1–13.