2014 Field School

Since 1997, the UC San Diego Levantine Archaeology Laboratory has worked closely with the Department of Antiquities of Jordan on a deep-time, nine thousand year long, study of the role of mining and metallurgy on cultural evolution – from the Neolithic period to Islamic times – in Jordan’s Faynan district, some 50 km south of the Dead Sea. Faynan, located near the beautiful Dana UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is home to one of the world’s best preserved ancient copper mining and metallurgy districts. The UCSD project is called the Edom Lowlands Regional Archaeology Project, or ELRAP. ELRAP is special because of its focus on developing and using a high-tech, on-site digital archaeology system. Students will gain extensive experience not only participating in archaeological survey and excavation, but also mastering an array of digital survey and recording tools. There is also a strong daily field laboratory component where students work in labs including ceramics, zooarchaeology, archaeometallurgy, lithics, digital photography, GIS and more.

The 2014 season will primarily be devoted to exploring the social and political evolution of the Iron Age (ca. 1200 – 586 B.C.E.) kingdom of Edom known from the Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern texts. The focus will be on landscape archaeology, and will include both cutting-edge noninvasive survey techniques, including ground-penetrating radar and multispectral imaging, and test soundings. Students will have the opportunity to participate in ELRAP surveys dedicated to investigating Early Bronze Age, Iron Age, Nabataean period and Islamic period settlement in Faynan. Local field trips, weekend trips and a special 3-day visit to the spectacular site of Petra – the Rose Red City - will take place. Petra was recently voted on of the new 7 wonders of the world and our team spends three days visiting the area.

Field School Cost: $2450

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