Invitation to join the series of final publications on Neolithic Excavations in Southwest Asia

General

Authors who wish to have monographs, proceedings, or final publications being published in an exoriente series are kindly asked to contact Hans Georg K. Gebel (hggebel@zedat.fu-berlin.de).

Guest editors are welcomed to publish a thematic issue of Neo-Lithics (for suggestions, please contact: hggebel@zedat.fu-berlin.de or marion.benz@fu-berlin.de

On the distribution of pdf files by authors

Copyright information to authors who published/ are going to publish in Neo-Lithics or in exoriente series:

Please, understand that your contribution belongs to ex oriente Publishers and is their copyright. Authors, however, receive upon publication a pdf file of their individual contribution. They are licenced to circulate this pdf file on a private basis, but beyond that we ask you not to publish it in the World Wide Web or in any other form without prior permission.

bibliotheca neolithica Asiae meridionalis et occidentalis

In the efforts of ex oriente e.V. to promote Neolithic research in the Near and Middle East, we founded a series exclusively devoted to final publications of Neolithic sites in Southwest Asia. The bibliotheca neolithica Asiae meridionalis et occidentalis (Library of Neolithic Excavations in Southwest Asia) offers a venue for publication of all Neolithic excavations. All teams from all nations contributing to Neolithic research in Southwest Asia are invited to place their final publication on this shelf. The structure of the bibliotheca is aimed to enable rapid, high quality publication by accepting "modules" of excavation series (cf. below) representing the individual excavation project.

Structure

Each field project has its independently structured excavation series in the bibliotheca and decides about formats and style (from the design and color of the cover to the formal styles of text, etc.). This ensures an individual identity for a publication project. Only the hardcover and paper quality and the page formats are fixed by bibliotheca standards. There will be also no serial numbers within the bibliotheca series, although we expect that excavation reports would appear in a series format, as in the following example (The following list of volumes and titles/contents is offered as an example only, and does not represent a fixed bibliotheca format for a final publication.).

• Site Name Vol. I Human Ecology
• Site Name Vol. II Stratigraphy and Architecture
• Site Name Vol. II.1 The Stratigraphy and Architecture of Area X
• Site Name Vol. II.2 The Stratigraphy and Architecture of Area Y
• Site Name Vol. III The Burials and Human Remains
• Site Name Vol. IV The Industries
• Site Name Vol. IV.1 Chipped Industries
• Site Name Vol. IV.2 Ground Stone Industries
• Site Name Vol. IV.3 Vessel Industries
• Site Name Vol. IV.4 Plaster and other Moldable Material Industries
• Site Name Vol. IV.5 Ornament Industries
• Site Name Vol. V The Subsistence Economy
• Site Name Vol. VI Miscellaneous and Special Studies
• Site Name Vol. VII The Neolithic Village of Site Name. Conclusions

Quick Publication

The structure of the bibliotheca publications specifically considers the difficulties many projects have with publishing planned comprehensive monographs. Usually such publications are delayed, even by decades, because some of the contributors do not while the others who comply with scheduled deadlines face the risk that their work will be out-dated when it is eventually published (or that they will have to rework their material years later). In order to foster communication of Neolithic knowledge, the bibliotheca provides the opportunity to publish in “modules” (such “sub-volumes” should have at least 150 printed pages). For example, if the responsible editor(s) realize that a large monograph on, say, "The Finds" cannot be produced as scheduled, but that part of the chipped lithics are ready for publication, they can release this section for print as e.g. Vol. IV.1.1: The Chipped Lithic Industries. The Primary Production, as a module of Vol. IV: The Industries. If next the architecture and stratigraphy of Area Y is ready, it may appear -according the excavation series plan- as Vol. II.2: The Stratigraphy and Architecture of Area Y, representing a part of Vol. II: The Stratigraphy and Architecture. However, the plan of the excavation series should consider a final or interim volume that summarizes excavation results, perhaps as the proceedings of a symposium held for that purpose.

Editors and Responsibilities

Editing responsibilities remain completely with the individual excavation project. Editors of the volumes of an excavation series are solely responsible for the excavation's publication. They provide the pdf version of the publication to the editors of the bibliotheca (Hans Georg K. Gebel and Gary O. Rollefson). No extra work -either technical or editorial- will be accepted by the bibliotheca editors for the publication of volumes. However, we might be of assistance in some cases to overcome specific difficulties. Extra technical and other works have to be paid to the publishing house ex oriente.
It is obligatory that each volume or module that is delivered for print is accompanied by three peer reviews by distinguished colleagues not involved in the publication project. The general editors of the bibliotheca have the right to arrange for additional peer reviews, and even to reject individual parts of an excavation series in the worst case (e.g. if improvement demands are not followed). Natural sciences contributions need to be reviewed by specialists from the appropriate fields.
In order to protect the reputation of the bibliotheca, prior to agreeing to publish an excavation series, a publication program must be presented by the site report editor(s) that shows that agreements with contributors have been arranged. However, we are well aware that in one case or another such a program might not develop as originally planned, or even that a volume (or a part of one) might never appear. We also consider the possibility of producing single-volume site monographs in the bibliotheca.

Publishing House

The publisher is ex oriente, Berlin. Copyrights become the property of ex oriente e.V. if no other arrangements are made. ex oriente accepts to publish joint volumes with other series if the style and format of the bibliotheca is respected. All arrangements between a publication project and ex oriente are subject of a contract.

Publishing Quality / Costs

We publish A4 hardbound on 115 gr. paper. The quality of books is standard throughout the bibliotheca series. Colour photos, folding plans, etc. represent additional costs and are possible if these costs will be covered by the editors of the excavation series.
If a (ready layouted) pdf file of the book is provided for printing, the biblioteca may not ask for a contribution to the printing costs from the publication project. Any work necessary by the biblioteca to produce a layouted version for printing will be billed to the site report editors/ publication project by ex oriente. If a publication in the bibliotheca is done without a financial contribution from the book editors/ publication project, no free copies will be given to the editors and authors. In this case, just a limited number of copies can be obtained with a discount of 40% off the selling price. If a publication in the bibliotheca is supported financially, free copies are available according to this financial support. Contracts will be made to clarify conditions for both sides in advance.
ex oriente advertises and distributes the books, organizes book reviews, etc.

Hans Georg K. Gebel and Gary O. Rollefson

Note: From 2007, ex oriente does not publish modern country names and political borders in titles and illustrations. Instead, authors should use the names of geographical regions.