ACOR Conservation Cooperative

ACOR’s former conservation technician Naif Zaban with Umayyad pottery from Pella. 2018.

The ACOR Conservation Cooperative (ACC) was launched in 2006 to assist existing archaeological and cultural resource management projects with conservation efforts needed for the successful completion of the projects.

The ACC assists with conservation and restoration needs in order to help projects move toward final publication and realize museum displays of artifacts recovered from the excavations. The work of the ACC has been primarily executed by ACOR’s former conservation technician, Mr. Naif Zaban.

Most of the ACC efforts take place in the ACOR Conservation Lab, which was created with a grant from ASHA (American Schools and Hospitals Abroad) in the early 1990s and receives upgrades to its equipment through ACOR’s Cultural Heritage Fund. Since the start of the ACC, this initiative has helped conserve material from dozens of projects and for several museums. The ACC has also assisted conservation projects at archaeological sites, including Darat al-Funun, the Amman Nymphaeum, and the Petra Church, among others.

Thanks to permissions granted by the Department of Antiquities, the ACC has restored ceramic vessels of a wide range of periods and locations: Bronze Age (Muryghat and Khirbet Umm al-Ghozlan); Iron Age (Amman, Khirbet Ataruz, Khirbet Mudayna, Pella); classical periods, including Nabataean and Roman (Humayma, Petra, Tall Abu Sarbut); and Islamic and medieval (Bayda, Pella, Khirbat Sheikh ‘Issa and Ghor as-Safi). Zaban has also cleaned coins from a multitude of sites. This work ultimately assists final excavation publications.

You can find out more about the ACOR Conservative Cooperative and the contributions of Naif Zaban in an article about the cooperative from 2015.

If you require conservation assistance for your archaeological artifacts or at archaeological sites, please contact acor@acorjordan.org for more information.


Below is a list of projects that the ACC has assisted between 2006 and 2020. These data were digitized in early 2021 based on handwritten records; if you notice an error or omission, please feel free to contact us at acor@acorjordan.org.

Site NameProject Director(s)/ClientInstitutionNationalityMaterialYear/Season
Abu Sarbut, TallMargareet SteinerGroningen UniversityThe NetherlandsCeramics2012, 2014–2016
Amman Citadel, Iron Age excavations France / Jordan
Amman NymphaeumHamdi Mango CenterUniversity of JordanJordanConservation Service (Naif Zaban)2015
Aqaba CastleReem ShqourUniversity of GhentBelgium / JordanCoins2014
AylaDon Whitcomb / Kristoffer DamgardUniversity of ChicagoUnited StatesIvory2011
Ayn Gharandal excavationsRobert and Erin DarbyUniversity of TennesseeUnited StatesPainted plaster, coins, metal objects, vessels, ceramics2011, 2013–2017, 2019
Baptism SiteRustum MkhjianThe Baptism Site CommissionJordanMosaic work (materials support)2014
Bayda / Islamic Bayda ProjectMicaela Sinibaldi / Sue Alcock and Chris TuttleCardiff University / Brown University-ACORUnited Kingdom / Italy / United StatesCoins, small finds; metals and pottery; various objects2014–2016, 2018–2019
Bayt Ras Tomb ProjectJehad Haron, ACOR-SCHEPACORInternational / JordanCoins2018–2019
Bir MadhkhurAndrew SmithGeorge Washington UniversityUnited StatesCoins, site assistance2013–2016
BusayraBen Porter et al.University of California BerkeleyUnited StatesCeramics, coins, pottery2012–2015
Darat al-FununPierre BikaiUnited States / JordanColumn restoration2013
Dhiban / Tall Dhiban Excavation and Development ProjectBen Porter et al. University of California Berkeley / Stanford University / University of LiverpoolUnited States / United KingdomCoins, stone vessels, stone objects2010, 2011, 2019
Department of Antiquities Madaba Museum CuratorDepartment of Antiquities of JordanJordanCeramics2014
Darat as-Saraya Museum, Department of AntiquitiesCuratorDepartment of AntiquitiesJordanObjects2014
Irbid Darat as Saraya MuseumAlia Khasawneh, CuratorDepartment of AntiquitiesJordanObjects2009–2010
Eastern Badia Archaeological Project (EBAP)Gary RollefsonWhitman CollegeUnited StatesBone 2018
Ghor es Safi (Masna es-Sukkar, Khirbet Sheikh Al-Issa)Konstantinos D. PolitisHellenic Society for Near Eastern StudiesGreece / United Kingdom / AustraliaCeramics2008, 2011, 2013
German Protestant Institute of Archaeology (GPIA)Frauke KenkelGerman Protestant Institute of ArchaeologyGermanyBronze2014
HumaymaBarbara ReevesQueen’s University at KingstonCanadaCeramics, coins, pottery2012, 2019
Iraq al-AmirDepartment of AntiquitiesDepartment of AntiquitiesJordanCoins2019
JerashJacques SeigneInstitut français du Proche OrientFranceCoins2013
JerashAdnan ShiyyabUniversity of JordanJordanCoins, masks2018
Jordan MuseumFatma Marii / Nofa NasserThe Jordan MuseumJordanHijaz Railway Car, mosaic conservation, various2010, 2012–2013
Khirbet al-Balua / Balu’a Regional Archaeological ProjectsMonique Vincent et al.Walla Walla UniversityUnited StatesCeramics2019
Khirbet ‘AtaruzChang Ho JiLa Sierra UniversityUnited StatesCeramic2012
Khirbet Dasuq Elodie VigourouxInstitut français du Proche OrientFranceCoins and metal objects2019
Khirbet Mudayna / al-MudaynaMichele Daviau / Michael WeiglWilfred Laurier University / University of ViennaCanada / AustriaCeramics2008, 2017
Khirbet Nawafleh / Wadi MusaKhairieh AmrThe Jordan MuseumJordanCeramics2012
Khirbet Umm al-GhozlanJames FraserUniversity of Sydney / British MuseumAustralia / United KingdomCeramics2019–2020
Khirbet SalamehACORACOR / Department of AntiquitiesUnited States / JordanArchaeological site2020
Khirbet Samra / as-SamraJean-Baptiste Humbert́École biblique et archaéologique françaisFranceCeramics2009
Khirbet Sheikh ‘IssaKonstantinos D. Politis / Margaret O’HeaHellenic Society for Near Eastern Studies / University of AdelaideGreece / Australia2008
Madaba, TellDebra ForanUniversity of TorontoCanadaCoins2012
Mukhayat, TallDebra ForanUniversity of Toronto / Wilfred Laurier UniversityCanadaCeramics2012, 2015, 2017, 2019
PellaStephen BourkeUniversity of SydneyAustraliaCeramics2011, 2014, 2016–2018
Petra Church ProjectACOR / Franco SciorilliACORUnited States / Jordan / ItalyMosaics2011, 2014
Petra Garden and Pool ComplexLeigh Ann BedalPenn State BehrendUnited StatesCeramics, coins2010, 2013, 2014
Petra: International Al Khubtha Tombs ProjectLucy WadesonUniversity of OxfordUnited Kingdom / New Zealand / SwitzerlandSmall finds2013
Petra North Ridge ProjectS. Thomas Parker / Megan PerryNorth Carolina State University / East Carolina UniversityUnited StatesCoins, metal objects2014, 2016, 2017, 2020
Petra: Brown University Petra Archaeological Project (Upper Market)Susan Alcock and Chris TuttleBrown University / ACORUnited StatesCeramic, Nabataean2012
Petra: Khirbet NawaflehMicaela SinibaldiCardiff UniversityUnited Kingdom / ItalyCeramics2013
Petra: Temple of the Winged LionsChris Tuttle / Glenn Corbett / Jack GreenACORUnited StatesMetal objects, coins, stone objects2011–2014, 2017–2018
Petra: Ad Deir Monument ProjectCynthia FinlaysonBrigham Young UniversityUnited StatesCoins2016, 2018–2019
Petra: KhubthaChristian AugeCentre national de la recherche scientifiqueFranceCoins2014
Petra: Jabal Khubtha BathsLaurent TholbeqUniversité libre de Bruxelles / IfpoBelgium / FranceCoins2016
Tall Safut / as-SafutOwen ChestnutAndrews UniversityUnited StatesCeramics2009
South Jordan Iron Age II Project Charlotte WhitingCouncil for British Research in the LevantUnited Kingdom2004–2006
Shuqayra al Gharbi / Shuqayra al-GharbiyyaYounis Shdaifat / Zakariya NaimatMutah UniversityJordanFieldwork, limestone basin2012, 2013
Tall ‘UmayriDoug ClarkLa Sierra UniversityUnited StatesCeramics, Iron Age shrine
Umm al Jimal / JimmalBert de VriesCalvin CollegeUnited StatesCoins2014–2015, 2018
Wadi Aarabah Survey / ‘ArabaUnited States2014
Wadi Feynan Excavations / FaynanRussell AdamsUniversity of WaterlooCanada2014
Tall Zira’aFrauke Kenkel / Katharina SchmidtGerman Protestant Institute of ArchaeologyGermanyMetal fragments, ceramics (vessel), coins2014–2015, 2019
Wisad PoolsGary RollefsonWhitman CollegeUnited StatesVarious small objects, stone, site support2014–2015, 2018
Wadi Hamad 27 / PellaPhilip EdwardsLa Trobe University AustraliaBone figurine2014
Private collectionFrauke KenkelGerman Protestant Institute of ArchaeologyGermanyCoins2014
Ahli Bank Numismatic MuseumNayef GoussousCoins2015
Khirbet YajuzThomas Weber-KaryotakisGerman Jordanian UniversityGermany / JordanCoin2016
FurayifaJordan
Tulul al GhusaynBernd Mueller NeuhofGerman Archaeoloigcal Institute (DAI) GermanyCeramic2015–2016
MurayghatSuzanne KernerUniversity of CopenhagenDenmark / GermanyBronze pin, ceramics2015, 2019
Wadi RayyanJames FraserUniversity of Sydney / British MuseumAustralia / United KingdomCeramics2017

If you notice an error or omission on this page, please contact us at acor@acorjordan.org!

This page was last updated in February 2021.

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