News and Events

31 July 2026 Fiscal year 2025 was a challenging one. The first half of the year was filled with uncertainty and withdrawn federal grants and the consequential losses that followed. Staff, trustees, and supporters remained resilient and kept the organization on course: aiding fieldwork, awarding fellowships, maintaining the library, offering lectures, publishing, and even self-funding […]

28 July 2026 Recently, the American Center of Research hosted four Department of Antiquities staff members for training on the Laser Aided Profiler (LAP). Designed to significantly speed up the illustration and digitization of ceramic sherds, the LAP can help further the study of ceramic analysis through the documentation of large collections, some of which

22 May 2026 As part of ACOR activities, ACOR organized Fundamentals of Library Systems & Digital Archiving workshop on May 18 – 19, 2026, at the ACOR center site in Amman. This two-day workshop was held in cooperation with the Department of Antiquities (DOA) and the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums – Syria (DGAM), under

15 May 2026 “My journey with archaeology began not in a high-tech laboratory, but in the red dust of Jordan’s ancient sites. As a student at Yarmouk University and later as a field archaeologist, I spent years unearthing the tangible remains of our past, working on projects that stretched from the Roman aqueducts of Gadara

14 May 2026; updated 15 May 2026 We are very sad to announce the passing of Dr. Pierre Bikai on May 12, 2026. Dr. Bikai was trained as an archaeologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and served as director of the American Center of Research from 1991 to 2006, where he was joined by

11 May 2026 In his lecture, Prof. Ali Al-Manaser of the Hashemite University will shed light on the Badia Epigraphic Survey (BES) Project and its most important results from the various seasons conducted so far. Particular attention will be given to the most recent field season, during which an integrated research team conducted archaeological excavations

22 April 2026 We are pleased to announce that Sarah Wenner, assistant professor at ACOR, has received a 2026 Steinmetz Grant from the Archaeological Institute of America. The AIA’s Steinmetz Endowment “supports the use of technology in archaeological research by providing grants to archaeological projects that make innovative use of technological tools and methods.” Prof.

20 April 2026 The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), Global Digital Heritage (GDH), and the American Center of Research (ACOR) signed last week a Memorandum of Understanding at the PDTRA offices in Wadi Musa, establishing a formal partnership centered on the digital documentation of Petra Archaeological Park and its environs. The ceremony was

8 April 2026 Nisreen Abu AlShaikh, Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director, and Lina Shara’an, Human Resources Manager, conducted an official visit to the Syrian Arab Republic, where they met with the Director General of the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM), Dr. Masaoud Badawi, and the Deputy Director, Dr. Lina Kutiefan. During the

7 April 2026 ACOR provided training to three employees from the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums and four from Jordan’s Department of Antiquities who specialize in museums and object cataloging. The training equipped museum and heritage professionals with practical instruction in using Axiell Collections for the documentation and management of museum collections and