Archaeology Magazine - March/April 1987 - 56

Timnah (June 8-July 3, 1987). This site is
best known in biblicalhistoryas the center
of Samson's exploits.Excavationshave exposed strata from the fortifiedtown'sfounding to its demise in the early 5th century,
featuringBronzeAgewallsand publicbuildings, Iron Age houses, oil press buildings
and the gate area complex. Getting there:
Located about a 2% hour drive from Tel
Aviuor Jerusalem;atNahshon junctiontake
the Beer Sheba-Ashkelonroad; turn into Tal
Shahar and followroad throughthe Moshav
into the fields beyond the landing strip to
the tellnearNahal Sorek.Appointmentnecessary for admission and guide; accessible
by taxi; Shoresh Hotel nearby; Jerusalem
withmany accommodations.Volunteersaccepted; minimum age 18 years; college
credit available.Contact: George L. Keim,
Timnah Expedition, P.O. Box 2241 7, Fort
Worth, TX 76122-0417(tel)817-923-1921.
JORDAN
Abila (Qualibah) (All year; excavations
June 19-August 6, 1988). The site consists of two tellswith ruins of a theater and
possible bath complex. An extensive
Roman-Byzantinecemetery with examples
of tombs,simplegravesand cistburialsand
three undergroundaqueducts are featured.
Umm Qeis (Gadara),TabaghatFahl (Fella)
and Jerash are nearby.Getting there: Drive
8 kilometersnorth from Irbid through Beit
Ras; take the right fork on blacktop road
north-northeastand continue 8 kilometers;
take dirt road left leadingwest throughfield
to site. No appointment necessaryfor admission;guide available through Dept. of
Antiquities,Irbid, Jordan; accessibleby bus
or taxi;hotels and restaurants in Irbid. Volunteers accepted. Contact: W Harold Mare,
Covenant Theological Seminary, 12330
Conway Road, St. Louis, MO 63141 (tel)
314-434-4044.
Abu Hamid (October-November 1987).
Located in the Jordan Valley,this Chalcolithicperiod (Ghassulian)site revealsarchitectural remains, a large storage jar, flint
tools and mace-heads.Museumat Deir 'Alia
Stationfor ArchaeologicalResearchnearby.
Other sitesin the vicinityincludeTellMazar
and Telles-Sa'idiyeh.Getting there: Travel
from Amman to site 16 kilometers northwest of Deir Alia. Appointment necessary
for admissionand guide; not accessibleby
public transportation;no accommodations
nearby. Volunteers accepted. Contact:
Zeidan A. Kafafi,Institute of Archaeology
and Anthropology, Yarmouk University,
Irbid,Jordan (tel)02-271100,ext.2363 (office) or 3376 (home); or GenvieveDollfus,
CNRS, 15 Square Anatole,Paris, France
75007.

ble in season only);not accessibleby public
transportation; government resthouse in
Kerak. Volunteers accepted; college students. Contact: S. Thomas Parker, Limes
Arabicus Project, Department of History,
Box 8108, North CarolinaState University,
Raleigh, NC 27695-8108 (tel) 919-7372484.
Archaeology in Jordan (1987). Over 20
Iraq al Amir (All year). Densely settled
sites with excavationsin progress and comduring the Hellenisticperiod, this fortified
pleted excavationsare open to the public. village site features a palace built ca. 175
Getting there: Contact Adnan Hadidi, Di- b.c., which is now reconstructed. Amman
rector, The Hashemite Kingdomof Jordan,
museum and citadel nearby. Getting there:
Department of Antiquities, P O. Box 88,
Located in the WadiSir Valley,20 kilomeAmman,Jordan (tel)Amman44320-44336.
ters west of Amman. Appointment necessary for admissionand guide; accessibleby
Baq'ah Valley (June 1-July 15, 1987).
bus or taxi; restaurantsin Amman. Contact:
Workon this site has concentrated on techErnest
Will,1 rue Monticelli,Paris, France
1200
around
b.c.,
parnological change
or FawziZayadine,Department of
75011;
the
at
of
steel
the
appearance
ticularly
same time the ceramic industry declined. Antiquities,P.O. Box 88, Amman, Jordan
(tel) 962-6-661464.
(See Archaeology, September/October
1982.)The 1987 season willfocus on 2 set- Jebel Abu Thawwab (er-Rumman)(Junetlements,one an EarlyBronzeAge sitewith
July 1987). PotteryNeolithic(Yarmoukian)
surface architecture,the other occupied in
and Early Bronze Age I architectural rethe Late Bronze Age-EarlyIron Age when
mains, flint tools and pottery objects have
the Ammonitesand Israelitessettled in the
been found at this site. Jerash with musearea. The Romantownof Jerash is 20 kilom- ums and parks and DebbinPark are nearby.
eters north. Getting there: Located 20 kil- Getting there: Located 14 kilometersnorth
ometers northwest of Amman on the road
of Sweleh and 20 kilometers south of
to Jerash. No*appointmentnecessaryfor adJerash; travelon the road from Amman to
mission,but necessaryfor guide (apply at
Jerash. No appointment necessaryfor adAmerican Center for Oriental Research in
mission; no guide available; accessible by
Amman); accessibleby bus or taxi; hotels
bus or taxi; hotels and motels in Amman;
and restaurants in Amman. VolunteersacYa Halla and Abu Ahmed restaurants in
cepted; some technicalexperiencerequired. Jersash. Volunteersaccepted;photography/
Contact: Patrick McGovern,MASCA,Uni- drafting experience. Contact: Zeiden A.
versityMuseum,Universityof Pennsylvania, Kafafi,Instituteof Archaeologyand AnthroPhiladelphia,PA 19104 (tel)215-898-1164. pology, Yarmouk University,Irbid, Jordan
(tel) 02-271100, ext. 2363 (office)or 3376
Deir "Alla(All year; excavations through
(home).
April 10, 1987). This multiperiod site offers excitingfindsand extensiveinformation Khirbet Edh-Dharih (All year; June 1about settlement in the Jordan Valley.OcJuly 31, 1987). Occupied from the Nabatean (1st century a.D.),through the Roman
cupied from the Bronze-IronAges through
the Persian and Ayubid-Mamlukperiods,
and Early Byzantine periods, this agriculthis prominent tell overlookingthe valley tural village site features the remains of
features a Late Bronze/Iron Age I temple
dwellings,an oilpress,a cemeterywithmonand a small museum displayingfinds from
umental tombs and a Nabatean sanctuary
the dig. Wadi Rahub and Wadi Shalala,
with an altar and crypt. Other sites nearby.
Mugayir and Khirbet Muallaga sites and
Getting there: From Kerak to Tafilehon
other attractions nearby. Getting there: LoKingsHighway,crossthe Wadiel Hesa;cross
cated near Amman and Irbid.No appointthe Hesa bridge and continue 12 kilomement necessaryfor admission,but necessary ters on the main road; site is located on the
for guide (availableat Instituteof Archaeol- eastern slope of the WadiLaaban. No apogy);bus service and private taxisavailable pointment necessaryfor admission,but necfrom Amman and Irbid;hotels and restauessary for guide; accessibleby bus or taxi;
rants in Irbid. Volunteersaccepted; experi- hotels in Kerakand Petra. Contact François
ence necessary.Contact: M. Ibrahim or G.
Villeneuve,IFAPO, c/o French Embassy,
van der Kooij, Institute of Archaeology,
P.O. Box 374, Amman, Jordan (tel) 962Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan (tel)
6-643840 or 655959.
02-271100, ext. 3741.
Pella (Tabaqat Fahl) (All year). Neolithic
El-Lejjun (All year, Monday-Friday,
through Mamluk periods are represented
9 a.m.-noon; June 6-July 31, 1987). This
on this large tell with visibleremains from a
Late Roman legionaryfortresswas built ca.
Roman-Byzantinecivic complex, the west
300 a.D.and was the base of the Fourth
church and Umayyadstructure on the top
Mars Legion until the early 6th century.
of the mound. (See Archaeology,SeptemWell-preservedfortifications,headquarters
ber/October 1981.) Um Qeis (ancient
building, barracks and church are visible. !Gadara) is about a one-hour drive away.
(See Archaeology, September/October
Getting there: Located 2 hours from
1984.) Crusader castlein Kerakand Islamic Amman; take main road from Amman
fort in Qatrana; many sites along King's
through es Salt to Deir Alia in Jordan Valhighwaywest of site. Getting there: From
ley; go north to Mashariavillage;just north
Amman, take Desert Highway south to
of the villageturn at TabaqatFahl sign and
Qatrana; turn westand followroad to Kerak go east into the hillson a narrow winding
road for 3 kilometers.No appointmentnecfor about 15 kilometers; look for sign on
right; follow single-laneroad for 3 kilome- essaryfor admission;no guide available; acters to site. No appointment necessaryfor
cessibleby bus; no accommodationsnearby.
admission,but necessaryfor guide (availa- Contact:J.B. Hennessy,Department of Ar-
Archaeology Magazine - March/April 1987

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - March/April 1987
