Tall Dhiban Archaeological Field School 2020

Tall Dhiban Archaeological Project Archaeological Field School A Typical Weekday on the Dig The Tall Dhiban archaeological field school is a 5- Through hands-on learning, you will gain experience in excavation 4:00 Rise and shine 14:00 Break week, 6 credit program (two third-year courses: methods and field documentation. You will also be introduced to the 5:20 Arrive at the site 16:30 Pottery washing ARKY 3000 & 3300) that takes place in . Tall practical and intellectual challenges presented by field research. 9:00 Second breakfast 17:30 Laboratory work Dhiban is located in south-central Jordan, directly 9:30 Back to excavating 18:00 Evening lecture 13:00 Bus back to Madaba 19:00 Dinner east of the Dead Sea. It is 30 km south of Madaba 13:30 Lunch 21:00 Lights out where we live during the field school. Weekends are spent visiting ancient and modern University of Lethbridge students have been sites throughout Jordan. participating in archaeological field schools in the Near East for more than four decades, working alongside other students, volunteers, and researchers from around the world. This year’s field school will take place at Tall Dhiban from July 2 – August 4, 2020.

Field School Learning Outcomes By the end of the field school, you will have a solid understanding of archaeological field methods, know the value of detailed excavation records, and have experience in laboratory analysis. You will also learn how your efforts and discoveries contribute to the academic goals of the research project. You will be immersed in Middle Eastern culture, Research Objectives of the Tall Dhiban Project learn about the people that live there, their history, and the politics, and make many new friends! European explorers became interested in the site of Dhiban in the 19th century when the Mesha Interested in Participating? Inscription was discovered. While some of this monumental inscription has been broken and lost, An archaeological field school requires real, hard what has survived preserves the story of Mesha, king work in a camp-like environment. It will be hot, you of the Moabites and enemy of Israel. In the You will receive training in will get dirty, and be very tired by the end of the inscription, Mesha explains that his god, Chemosh, laboratory analysis as well day. We hope that the thrill of discovering artifacts helped him throw off the yoke of Israel, a claim that and have the opportunity to that were buried for thousands of years will parallels accounts found in the . process and catalogue the outweigh the stiff muscles and early mornings. cultural remains you find. There is no better way to learn how to do field Since the 2000s, a joint British and American team research than actually doing it! have uncovered more evidence of Mesha’s Iron Age The broader context of your kingdom. The team has also explored a Nabatean archaeological finds and the If you would like to participate in the 2020 field temple and are examining how society at the site site will be explained through school at Tall Dhiban, Jordan please contact was transformed as replaced Christianity as the lectures and tours to other Dr. Shawn Bubel, Department of Geography, dominant religion of the region. sites across Jordan. University of Lethbridge. Email: [email protected]