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Narrating Archaeological Sites and Places

ID: 3335 - View Book Page - Edit In OJS

In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Madaba Plains Project, this volume reflects on the decades of archaeological fieldwork experience at Tall Hisban, Tall al-`Umayri and Tall Jalul. In addition to lessons learned and issues addressed, the volume presents the backstories that represent the heart and soul of the MPP, focusing on those that illuminate the efforts to interpret and narrate these archaeological sites. Founding directors, co-directors, and a selection of the core staff and veterans explain the trajectory of their efforts to understand and narrate the place where they have been working by discussing their professional ties, sources of inspiration, personal aspirations and ambitions, regrets and triumphs, accumulative understandings, and remaining questions. They then offer reflective accounts of how their long-term interactions with the local communities have not only helped to build bridges of friendship and cooperation, but shape and inform their understanding of the goals and limitations of their scientific mission and future potential.

Published: Aug 1, 2025

Book Contributors


Section Chapter Authors
Introduction
Introduction Øystein S. LaBianca, Douglas R. Clark, Randall W. Younker
Chapter 1
Contextualizing the Quest for Biblical Heshbon at Tall Ḥisbān Lawrence T. Geraty
Chapter 2
The Quest for Early Christianity at Esbus Darrell J. Rohl, Elizabeth A. Osinga
Chapter 3
Contextualizing the Quest for Islamic Housban at Tall Ḥisbān Bethany Walker
Chapter 4
Al Muṣallā: Local Ideas about Tall Ḥisbān Frode Jacobsen
Chapter 5
A Node on a Global Canvas: Tall Ḥisbān in Global History Øystein S. LaBianca
Chapter 6
Contextualizing the Madaba Plains Project at Tall al-ʿUmayri: The Early Bronze Age Timothy Harrison
Chapter 7
Contextualizing the Madaba Plains Project at Tall al-ʿUmayri: The Late Bronze Age Kent V. Bramlett
Chapter 8
Contextualizing the Madaba Plains Project at Tall al-ʿUmayri: The Early Iron Age Douglas R. Clark
Chapter 9
Contextualizing the Madaba Plains Project at Tall al-ʿUmayri: Iron II and Later Periods Larry G. Herr
Chapter 10
What Happened when the Tall al-ʿUmayri Survey Met Fernand Braudel’s Temporal Hierarchy Gary L. Christopherson
Chapter 11
Introduction to Tall Jalūl Excavations Randall W. Younker
Chapter 12
MPP 50: A Summary Report on the Tall Jalūl Phase 1 Excavations (1992–2017) Jeffrey Hudon, Randall W. Younker
Chapter 13
Social Complexity in Iron Age Jordan: Water Management at the Site of Tall Jalūl on the Mādabā Plains, Jordan Robert D. Bates
Chapter 14
Site Custody Activism: Sine qua non of Community Archaeology Øystein S. LaBianca
Chapter 15
The Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum Project (MRAMP): Emerging Community Archaeology in Central Jordan Douglas R. Clark