To what extent were the goals and accomplishments of the original Heshbon Expedition shaped by the expedition’s leadership’s efforts to navigate the goals and expectations of their academic colleagues, denominational sponsors, and Jordanian hosts? This chapter will offer a brief overview of the hopes and aspirations of each of these groups of stakeholders and explain how the expedition’s leadership sought to satisfy, as far as possible, each one of them, while also advancing their own academic aspirations. To this end, biographical details from the lives and careers of each of the founding directors, Siegfried S. Horn and Lawrence T. Geraty (both, at the time, of the Theological Seminary at Andrews University), and certain of their core staff will be drawn upon to illustrate the shaping influence of personal qualities and histories of individual leaders on the expedition; of often conflicting ideas among core staff about priorities regarding the goals of the expedition and best practices for doing fieldwork; of the strains and stresses of limited finances and the hardships of camp life; and, last but not least, of visits by teams of members of the Committee on Archaeological Policy of the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR). The chapter will conclude by highlighting ways in which the original Heshbon Expedition set the stage and provided the scientific vision, the know-how, and the leadership for what eventually became the Madaba Plains Project.

To what extent was the quest for evidence of early Christianity an explicit goal of the original Heshbon Expedition? This chapter will inquire into the reasons why a partnership was formed with Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary, and members of their faculty, as part of the planning and execution of the original Heshbon Expedition. The excavations of the Acropolis Church and the North Church will be revisited and, in the process, the careers and contributions of two scholars will be highlighted: Bastiaan Van Elderen, Professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary, focusing on his role in leading the excavation of the basilica at the Ḥisbān summit; and Bert de Vries, Professor of History and Archaeology at Calvin College, whose diligent and detailed architectural drawings are indispensable records. This chapter contextualizes the important work at Ḥisbān in the light of more recent excavations of the Ḥisbān North Church and of early Christian contexts across Jordan, offering new directions for future research.

To what extent did the original Heshbon Expedition help pave the way for Islamic archaeology in Jordan and what are some highlights of recent research focused on this era at the site? The paper will reflect on the circumstances that paved a way for an archaeology of the Islamic period at Tall Ḥisbān by the original Heshbon Expedition, despite the fact that such an emphasis was not part of the original research agenda. These include the large amount of pottery and architecture found at the site by the original Heshbon Expedition; the project’s location in an Islamic country; the meticulous manner in which excavations were carried out no matter the historical context; and the participation on the project of an extraordinary ceramics expert, namely James Sauer. These and related factors will be critically examined and contextualized in light of the state of Islamic archaeology at the time of the original Heshbon Expedition. The chapter will conclude with a summary of current Islamic archaeology research at Ḥisbān and elsewhere in Jordan, and the opportunities that lie ahead. For many, the site of Tall Ḥisbān is associated with the establishment of Islamic archaeology as a field of specialization in Jordan. In the following essay I would like to offer a few observations on the impact that the original Heshbon Expedition, and the many years of fieldwork at the site since then, have had on the emergence and maturation of the field of Islamic archaeology. We close with thoughts on future trajectories of research.

In the imaginings of its present population, what sort of a place was Tall Ḥisbān before the foreign expedition arrived and how did this change with the arrival of the team? The chapter will report on interviews with local residents about this question over three field seasons by the author, a social anthropologist and ethnographer. Of special interest is the name by which the site is known locally, namely Al Muṣallā, place of prayer. The extent to which the summit of Ḥisbān was indeed a place of prayer for locals will be dealt with as part of a more general discussion of sacred aspects of Tall Ḥisbān in the conceptions of present-day local inhabitants. The chapter will conclude by offering reflections on the process of place-making by different groups: local residents, immigrants, the archaeological team, NGOs, and the government of Jordan and its tourism ministry and officials. This includes discussing how local people make sense of the past, present, and possible future of the mound and the surrounding village of Ḥisbān.

This chapter makes the case for a global history approach to framing and interpreting the long-term history of Tall Ḥisbān and its vicinity in Jordan. Drawing on theoretical underpinnings from various natural and social sciences disciplines, the chapter offers avenues for researching the role and interaction of macro- and micro-level drivers of long-term cultural production and change at Tall Ḥisbān. To this end, endemic polycentrism is introduced as a key component of a Southern Levantine cultural paradigm whose shaping influence provides the guardrails within which the path-dependent unfolding of successive cultural programs takes place. Examples of these programs include the tribal kingdom program of the Iron Age Era, the poleis of the ensuing Classical Era, and during the succeeding Islamic Era: Arabization, Islamization, and Nascent Capitalism. Out of these multi-millennial processes emerged the Modern Era in the region, including local versions of the Great Acceleration and the Anthropocene. Finally, these processes are examined in terms of their relevance as means to heighten public awareness of the contribution that archaeology can make to advancing understanding of the root causes of the climate disaster and despair we face and a way forward toward a sustainable future.

To what extent do the archaeological finds from the Early Bronze Age at Tall al-ʿUmayri fit the meta-narrative of the beginning of urbanization in the Levant? This paper will highlight results that support this narrative (such as the evidence for a regional site hierarchy, a planned settlement, and the presence of Khirbat Karak Ware and evidence of long-distance trade) and finds that diverge from this narrative (such as the absence of fortifications, and large-scale craft production). The paper will also examine whether this meta-narrative was part of the thinking of core staff on the project from the outset, or whether it was a latecomer in the effort to interpret the site. Note will also be taken of other narratives that were discussed in relation to Early Bronze Age finds at Tall al-ʿUmayri.

Late Bronze Age settlement in the Highlands of Jordan, particularly south of the Wādī Zarqā’, has traditionally been understood to be negligible and insignificant, though in recent decades studies have reevaluated the period. Settlement during this period in Jordan is a barometer of several intersecting social developments, including: the policies and strength of inter-regional empires, local responses to environmental conditions, and the economic and political opportunities available to indigenous polities.

In what ways and to what extent do the archaeological finds from the Early Iron Age at Tall al-ʿUmayri fit conventional wisdom surrounding the socio-political dynamics in the shift from tribal societies to emerging states in the Southern Levant during this period? The chapter will focus on finds that support this meta-narrative (e.g., the “four-room” house and neighboring domestic structures and remains, and the defense system) and finds that diverge from it (such as some of the elite goods represented early in this period). The chapter will also inquire into the backstories behind excavations into the Early Iron Age at both ʿUmayri and Tall Ḥisbān and the biblical/historical issues driving excavations at the beginning and how these transformed dramatically over time on the project.

How do the results from the Iron IIB–C and Persian periods indicate the role that those settlements at ʿUmayri played within the empire systems at the time? There was almost no settlement at the site during Iron IIA, but a small village was established in the Iron IIB period (Stratum 8) probably somewhere in the 8th century B.C., according to the dating of a discovered house and other fragmentary finds. But the situation was very different during the Iron IIC–early Persian periods (Strata 7–5) when an administrative center and associated domestic dwellings were built, probably to administer nearby small agricultural estates, and found with associated seals and other indications of governmental activities.

During the course of the Tall al-ʿUmayri Regional Survey, multi-temporal strands of data were recovered. Fernand Braudel’s temporal hierarchy provides a framework in which to situate temporal fragments ranging from geographic time to individual events/artifacts. This paper will revisit and evaluate the pros and cons of the multi-disciplinary approach to survey methodology utilized by the Madaba Plains Project and reflect on ways in which discoveries have impacted our understanding of Braudel’s temporal hierarchy—and how Braudel brought order to all those fragments.

Strategically positioned near the eastern fringe of the Mādabā Plains, the imposing 18-acre (74 dunams) mound of Tall Jalūl (2312.1254) rises 19 m above the surrounding tableland. Jalūl dominates the landscape in all directions and is an easily distinguishable landmark on the eastern horizon when viewed from sites to the west, such as Tall Ḥisbān and Mādabā. Notable among the small number of true tells in central Jordan, Jalūl comprises an oblong shaped (300 x 240 m) mound with a distinctive, flat acropolis on its southwestern quadrant, which currently functions as a cemetery for the Beni Sakhr tribe. Apart from a section along the mound’s eastern edge, a steep escarpment frames Jalūl’s entire perimeter, clearly indicating that strong fortifications once encircled the site. A very large (35 x 25 m), oval-shaped, 6 m deep depression in the southeastern sector, supplemented by an adjacent but smaller concavity containing a stone-lined cistern, betrays the existence of two ancient water systems. An extensive, extramural settlement spreads out along Jalūl’s southern base. The mound exhibits occupational evidence from the Early Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period, with scattered Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic-period sherds. However, Jalūl’s extramural settlement primarily dates from the Late Byzantine to the Ottoman period, with a few sporadic Iron–Persian sherds.

Tall Jalūl is one of the largest Iron Age tells in Jordan, rising approximately 36 m at its height above the Mādabā Plains. It has two known monumental features including a massive water reservoir and at least two phases of a stone approach ramp, both requiring a skilled labor force and significant commitment of resources to complete. The site appears to have been completely surrounded by a stone wall and the sloping sides made it easier to defend during the Iron Age. However, it is still unknown as to why Tall Jalūl needed such a large water supply and approach ramp or how many people would have been within its walls at its peak during the Late Iron Age II. What was the maximum carrying capacity of the city and how much water did it need to sustain its population? Was there sufficient rainfall to fill a reservoir of this size or was an outside source needed to maintain its water levels? How do these features compare with other sites on the Mādabā Plains and what social structure was needed to carry out large public works projects on this scale? This paper will conduct a controlled comparison that examines the size, scale, and carrying capacity of Tall Jalūl in order to determine the purpose of its large reservoir and approach ramp, and calculate the amount of water needed to sustain its maximum population. It will identify the distances to nearby Iron Age sites and compare Tall Jalūl with other sites on the Mādabā Plains including related archaeological features at Tall Ḥisbān and Tall al-ʿUmayri, as well as relevant Iron Age settlements in the region. It concludes with a possible explanation for the site choice and the social organization that would have been needed to manage these large public works projects.

My goal with this chapter is to share our experience at Tall Ḥisbān in Jordan with what I have chosen to call “site custody activism” or simply SCA. After introducing the notion of SCA, I briefly examine the historical role of overseas institutions with regard to the custody and care of archaeological sites. Next, I describe SCA activities initiated by Andrews University at Ḥisbān in Jordan and offer some observations on the connection between SCA and the broader field of international community development. I also critically examine the role of narrative in SCA and conclude by offering a brief coda on what is ahead for community archaeology and SCA in Jordan and beyond.

In collaboration with MRAMP co-directors Suzanne Richard (Gannon University); Andrea Polcaro (Perugia University); Marta D’Andrea (Sapienza University of Rome); and in-country coordinator Basem Mahamid (Department of Antiquities of Jordan) Excavations at Tall Ḥisbān, Tall al-ʿUmayri, and Tall Jalūl, along with a dozen other active projects in the region bounded by southern ʿAmmān and the Wādī al-Mūjib, the Dead Sea and the eastern desert, send recovered material culture to the Mādabā District office of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (DoA) for storage and research. The Madaba Museum backstory involves a 2006 meeting in the office of then Director General of the DoA, Dr. Fawwaz al-Khraysheh, during which he asked for help to upgrade the current Madaba museum, train its staff, and digitize its records. Regional dig directors pressed for the establishment of an entirely new museum near the heart of historic downtown Mādabā, an emerging consensus which gained traction and led in 2012 to approval for use of part of the Madaba Archaeological Park West for the new facility. In 2015 the international (American, Italian, and Jordanian) collaboration, Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum Project (MRAMP), was born. Not only did MRAMP provide an opportunity to protect, preserve, and present the region’s considerable cultural heritage to locals and visitors alike, it also opened the door for the practice of “community archaeology.” This relatively new sub-discipline considers archaeology as a public asset which promises public protection of the past and economic security for the present and future.