News and Events

15 March 2026 The American Center of Research is honored to announce that the U.S. Embassy in Amman and the U.S. State Department’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has granted us a two-year award to undertake archaeological work at Ain az-Zara, protecting cultural heritage of the Holy Land, and sharing that heritage directly with the […]

12 March 2026 (Please note that this presentation is online only.) About the Lecture The Early Bronze Age (c. 3700-2000 BCE) in Jordan was a time of significant social and economic changes, characterized by some of the world’s earliest experiments with urbanism. As people aggregated into larger, fortified settlements they faced difficult decisions, including how

10 March 2026 We are sad to relay news of the passing of Sally de Vries (1940–2026), widow of noted archaeologist Bert de Vries (1939–2021) and mother of Jenna de Vries Morton, who serves on ACOR’s Board of Trustees. Sally was ACOR’s administrative director (1988–1991) and also, for eight seasons, administrative director of the excavations

8 March 2026 The American Center of Research held a five-day workshop titled “Introduction to Geographic Information Systems for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage” from February 8 to 12, 2026 as a collaborative project between the ACOR and Global Digital Heritage (GDH). The workshop brought together nine participants—four heritage professionals from Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and

8 March 2026 The American Center of Research is pleased to announce the creation of a new endowed fellowship that will be offered in the 2027–2028 application cycle: The Douglas R. and Carmen L. Clark Student Travel/Research Scholarship. Carmen L. and Douglas R. Clark have been connected to Jordanian archaeology for more than 50 years

26 January 2026 About the Lecture Prof. Khaled Al-Bashaireh will speak about the archaeological site of Umm el-Jimal, which has long drawn the attention of explorers and archaeologists. It attests to about 800 years of continuous occupation, which started in Nabataean times and lasted until the early Muslim period. The site is located in the

13 January 2026 The American Center of Research announces two new courses for 2026, taught by Assistant Professor Sarah Wenner: Introduction to Classical Period Ceramics of Southern Jordan and Northern Saudi Arabia: Introductory and Introduction to Classical Period Ceramics of Southern Jordan and Northern Saudi Arabia: Advanced. Although an appreciation of ancient ceramics is critical

1 January 2026 About the Lecture In his lecture, Prof. Rami Daher grants a voice to modern heritage in Amman and in the Arab World. Focusing on Amman, he will demonstrate how different levels of the understanding of place (physical, discursive, typological, and phenomenological) can inform interventions within historic settings. The lecture will present key projects of

19 November 2025 About the Lecture The archaeological site of Tell Es-Sukhnah is located in the northeastern part of Jordan, in the middle/upper area of the Wadi az-Zarqa basin. Excavations at the site have uncovered different human occupations spanning from the Middle Bronze Age to the Islamic period. In this lecture, Prof. Dr. Nabil Ali

3 November 2025; updated 16 November 2025 UPDATE, 16 November 2025: This lecture has been rescheduled for December 14, 2025. ACOR is honored to announce the inaugural Professor Thomas W. Davis Annual Lecture: Prof. Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan, director general of the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) of the Syrian Arab Republic, will present