One Hundred Years of Archaeological Research in Jordan

Abstract

This three-part article presents the history of archaeological research in Jordan, especially in the last one hundred years and concentrating on methodological advances. The first part of the article by Gary Rollefson covers the prehistoric periods, first by presenting the achievements of the pioneers and then by concentrating on research developments in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods from 9,750 to 3,750 BC. The second part of the article by Katharina Schmidt covers the Bronze and Iron Ages and highlights trends in archaeological research over the past one hundred years. The third part of the article by Robert Schick presents archaeological research in the Hellenistic to Islamic Periods, focusing on the contribution of foreign researchers, and presenting developments by decade

Umm Huwaiwitat: a Neolithic site near Petra, Jordan

“…Finally, the approximately 700-year long period between Layers 3 and 6 suggests recurrent use of the site throughout the sixth millennium cal BC. This was a time of increasing aridity and settlement dispersal (Rollefson 2008; Rambeau et al 2011; Finlayson & Makarewicz 2017), with a greater focus on nomadic pastoralism relative to the preceding Pre-Pottery Neolithic periods (Rollefson & Köhler-Rollefson 1992). The study of ash in thin section reveals a change in fuel choice during this period, from an almost exclusive reliance on herbivore dung c .…”

“…The Brown University Petra Archaeological Project recorded a “nearly ubiquitous” (Knodell et al 2017: 664) distribution of chipped-stone artefacts dating to the Late Neolithic across much of the area north of Petra, which reflects the magnitude and extent of human activity during that period. Evidence for Neolithic sites, rather than artefacts, in the Petra region are few, however, though include Beidha, Shkarat Msaied, Baʾja, Sabra and Basta (Rollefson 2008) (see Figure 1).…”

“…The chronology of Beidha is contested (Birch-Chapman et al 2017; Finlayson & Makarewicz 2018), but the prevailing view is that the site was occupied in the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (8300–7200 cal BC), during which time there were at least three discernible phases of occupation. Rollefson (2008: 93) has also argued for an additional phase during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C (6900–6300 cal BC), on the basis of architectural similarities between Beidha and the settlement of ‘Ain Ghazal, best known for its ritually deposited plaster statues (Grissom 2000). One radiocarbon sample from Beidha also dates to cal 5500 BC, though it is often excluded from consideration as it comes from an insecure context (Rambeau et al 2011: 251).…”

“…The Late Neolithic history of the Petra region is much less well-known than the region's Nabataean/Roman history, not least because the Late Neolithic is elusive in Jordan (Rollefson 2008). Nevertheless, some pockets of activity, such as that identified at Umm Huwaiwitat, provide windows into life in the region at that time.…”

The Constructed Desert: A Sacred Cultural Landscape at Har Tzuriaz, Negev, Israel

“…In fact, such concentrations of cult sites are not unique to Mount Karkom but are found throughout the Levantine deserts (e.g. for the Negev, Avner 2002; Rosen et al 2007; for Sinai, Eddy & Wendorf 1999; for Jordan, Rollefson et al 2022; for Arabia, Kennedy 2011). The Har Tzuriaz region offers a case study of a particular configuration of geography and the built environment, with an emphasis on a variety of cult sites.…”