Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
oldest church - a befitting discovery for a discipline that arose largely out of Christian
curiosity.
Volunteering on a Dig
Archaeological fieldwork is a painstaking process but the re-
wards are great, particularly if you uncover something special
like a coral bead worn by an ancient, a piece of copper cast six
thousand years ago or a shard of pottery with the design intact.
It's not so much the finding of an object as the sense of con-
nection with a bygone age that makes archaeology so compel-
ling. In Jordan, there are numerous sites across the country,
from ancient pre-pottery Neolithic (PPN) sites to more con-
temporary excavations in and around the crusader castles. Ar-
chaeologists, not known for consensus on many things, are at
least agreed that there remains huge potential for major finds
despite the intensive work in the field for the past three dec-
ades.
If you fancy being part of an archaeological team, and you
have the patience and discipline to spend long hours in a dusty
hole tickling dirt off a lump of masonry, then it's not too difficult to become a volunteer
on one of these digs. Here are some guidelines:
»
»There are usually only a limited number of volunteer positions available on each site so
find out who is conducting which digs and apply early.
»
»Make contact with the project leader and be sure to emphasise any special skills (like
photography or drafting) you may have.
»
»Mention any travels in the region or Arabic-speaking skills.
»
»Emphasis your experience on group projects (archaeology is all about teamwork, des-
pite the way it's presented in films).
»
»Ask how much your volunteer placement will cost. This fee helps cover the costs of
adding your name to the team.
»
»Allow plenty of time. In order to gain access to sites, project leaders must obtain per-
mits and security clearance, which can take up to six months to complete.
»
»Don't be put off if you don't succeed with your first application; it takes persistence to
find a placement - a quality you'll need when you're on your first field trip!
Museums
»
»
National Archaeology
Museum
Citadel - copy of
Meshe Stele and examples of
the Dead Sea Scrolls
»
»
Museum of Archaeology
University of Jordan - arte-
facts from all eras
»
»
Salt Archaeological Mu-
seum
Salt - good coverage of
domestic history
»
»
Museum of Archaeology
& Anthropology
Irbid - in-
cludes numismatic displays
