The Petra Church

by Randolph B. Old The world recently lost Dr. Pierre Bikai, meaning that the American Center of Research (ACOR) lost one of its exceptional former directors. Pierre served as director from 1991 to 2006, some 20 years ago, and his time at ACOR needs to be remembered and applauded.  ACOR advertised the director position in… Read more The post Pierre Bikai: An Appreciation appeared first on ACOR Jordan.

by Kristen Flake The Church of Sts. Lot and Procopius sits on the acropolis of ancient Khirbet al-Mukhayyat, overlooking the Dead Sea. Its 6th-century mosaic pavement is one of the best preserved in the region, covering the nave floor with the motifs typical of late antique Jordan: hunters and shepherds, vine scrolls filled with birds… Read more The post A Psalm in Stone: A Season Among Madaba’s Mosaics appeared first on ACOR Jordan.

by Matthew L. Vincent How many times have we heard that story that starts with “When I first started, we did this, or that, or the other”? Well, this is another. Such stories get told for a reason, and it is not merely nostalgia (but, yes, it is partly nostalgia). It is that the pace… Read more The post Mapping the Past with Tools of Today: Survey Technology at Kallirhoe appeared first on ACOR Jordan.

by Mohammad Rababah 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… Read more The post Science Without Borders: Overcoming Hurdles to Protect the Identity of Jordan’s Ancient Coins appeared first on ACOR Jordan.

by Osama Samawi During my time as an undergraduate, I enrolled in a course called “Technology in Prehistoric Periods.” At 19, the word “technology” still made me think of computers, but I signed up out of curiosity. Prof. Maysoon Al-Nahar introduced us to the fascinating world of stone tool technology using Neolithic assemblages from Tell… Read more The post Stone Tools on Repeat: Exploring Prehistoric Recycling Practices appeared first on ACOR Jordan.