ASOR Seeks New BASOR Editor(s)

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ASOR SEEKS NEW BASOR EDITOR(S)

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR), a publication of the American Schools for Oriental Research (ASOR), is seeking an Editor (or Co-Editors) for a three-year term for six semi-annual issues, with the possibility of renewal for one more three-year term (ASOR editors are limited to two terms of services). Beginning in January 2020, the current editors (Eric H. Cline and Christopher A. Rollston), will work closely with the new editor(s) to facilitate the transition, with the new editor(s) assuming full responsibility by January 2021. BASOR is a peer-reviewed illustrated publication including technical articles covering the entire Near East and eastern Mediterranean world from the Paleolithic period through Islamic times. The principal subject areas of the journal include art and archaeology, history, anthropology, bioarchaeology and archaeozoology, archaeometry, geography, philology and epigraphy, and literature. BASOR is published on paper and online through the University of Chicago Press.

The duties of the position include the following: maintenance of an editorial office for the journal; solicitation and acquisition of manuscripts suitable for publication; implementation of a peer-review process for the evaluation of manuscripts; collaboration with the managing editor and the ASOR staff; actively promoting the journal online; and editing and proofreading each issue. One of the most important responsibilities of the Editor(s) is the chairing of an editorial board, which is actively engaged in the production of the journal. Duties also include timely publication of journal issues and providing annual reports to the Chair of the ASOR Publications Committee. The new Editor(s) will be required to gain familiarity with the Editorial Manager software program, which is currently used in the publication of the journal.

The Editor(s) of BASOR will have editorial control over the journal, within the parameters of the editorial mission established for BASOR by ASOR. Ideally, the Editor(s) should have knowledge of the production and distribution processes common to print and electronic journals. The Editors of BASOR currently receive a stipend and are eligible for reimbursement for travel expenses to ASOR’s Annual Meeting. These funds also could be reallocated to provide release time at the successful candidate’s home institution. ASOR will negotiate details regarding administrative support and other basic infrastructure in collaboration with the successful candidate.

The search committee requests proposals from applicants outlining a vision for the journal within the changing realities of academic publishing. Applications from a single editor, co-editors, or an editorial team will be considered and accepted until the position is filled. All applications received by October 15, 2019 are guaranteed to receive full consideration, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The candidate’s application package should consist of the aforementioned vision statement and a current CV. These materials, and any other inquiries, should be submitted via e-mail to Kevin McGeough (kmcgeough@gmail.com), Chair of the ASOR Publications Committee.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Workshop on Conservation and Archaeology

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ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

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GCI-ASOR WORKSHOP ON CONSERVATION AND ARCHAEOLOGY

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New, updated announcement

Limited spaces are available for this Getty Conservation Institute funded program – apply today!

This is a benefit of ASOR membership, with preference given to project directors.* [/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo-for-GCI-advertisement-2.jpg” image_width=”300″ image_height=”200″ crop=”false” hover=”false” align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo-for-GCI-advertisement-1.jpg” image_width=”300″ image_height=”216″ crop=”false” hover=”false” align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]What?

The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and ASOR are partnering to provide members a valuable one-day workshop on emerging realities in conservation and its integration with archaeology.

  • Update yourself on the what, why and how of conservation.
  • Understand the role of conservation as an integral part of archaeological practice.
  • Gain valuable insight and information concerning, planning, budgeting, and funding for conservation.
  • Develop your conservation network.

Why?

  • ASOR members aim to make a difference by conserving those traces of the ancient past that we work so hard to discover, interpret and share.
  • As governments make strategic decisions about which permits to grant, this workshop can help you distinguish your project.

Other benefits?   

  • An extra night’s hotel paid and meals for Sunday after the ASOR meeting, supported by The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI).
  • Binder with conservation reference materials/handouts and instructor contact details.
  • Materials to use in your collaborative planning, teaching and funding requests with conservation professionals.
  • Certificate of workshop completion from The Getty Conservation Institute

When and where?
Sunday, November 24, 2019 (after the 2019 ASOR Annual Meeting), at the conference hotel, The Westin San Diego.

How do I apply?
Click here for the online application form. October 1st is the deadline to apply for this limited space program. We will have some rolling acceptances, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Want more details?
Download the Program (Schedule, speakers, and times are subject to change)

FREE Registration for successful applicants includes:

  • Breakfast and lunch during the workshop
  • One complimentary hotel night at The Westin San Diego (made possible by support from the GCI)

Speakers include:

Angelyn Bass, Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico
Harriet ‘Rae’ Beaubien, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution; Museum Studies Program, University of New Mexico
Suzanne Davis, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan
Martha Demas, Buildings and Sites Department, Getty Conservation Institute
Lynn Swartz Dodd, Religion, Archaeology Research Center, University of Southern California
Heather Hurst, Department of Anthropology, Skidmore College
Ioanna Kakoulli, Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of California at Los Angeles
Douglas Porter, School of Engineering, University of Vermont

Other Questions?
Contact ASOR Director of Meetings and Events, Arlene Press, meetings@asor.org

* If you are a project director, but not yet an ASOR member, apply anyway.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1567019622897{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Stay at the Albright Institute’s Residence Hostel, Save 15%

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NEWS@ASOR

PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

WAYS TO DONATE TO ASOR

FY19 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR LEGACY CIRCLE MEMBERS

DONATE NOW

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STAY AT THE ALBRIGHT INSTITUTE’S RESIDENCE HOSTEL, SAVE 15%

[/vc_column_text][mk_divider margin_top=”5″ margin_bottom=”5″][vc_column_text responsive_align=”left”]If you’re traveling to Jerusalem, consider staying at the Albright Institute—one of ASOR’s affiliated research centers. A great option for academics, you’ll be in a supportive research-oriented environment with other scholars and professionals. The services and facilities will allow you to focus on your work and maximize your time. You may stay a few nights or for an entire semester. Family apartments and en suite rooms are available, in addition to traditional hostel rooms.

Book now through September 1, 2019, and you can receive a 15% discount on any stay between September 1 – December 31, 2019. (Discount may not to be combined with any other discounts). Click here for rates. Rate includes the following:

  • Half Board: a light self-service breakfast every day, and dinner Monday-Saturday (excluding apartments, which do not include meals)
  • All utilities and high-speed wireless internet
  • Coffee/tea/hot water station at all times.
  • Weekly cleaning and room refresh
  • 24-hour access to the library
  • JSTOR access
  • Parking
  • Access to printing and copying
  • Access to laundry facilities

Email albrightinstitute@aiar.org or sarah.fairman@aiar.org for more information or to book! You may also follow the Albright Institute on Instagram and Facebook to stay on top of other promotions like this one: @albright.institute[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1567019605029{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Nominations Sought for ASOR Trustees

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ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

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TRUSTEE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE SEEKS NOMINEES

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The Trustee Nominations Committee announces an open call for (self) nominations for the ASOR Board of Trustees (Class of 2022). The Chair of the Board, Richard Coffman, has noted that there are three primary responsibilities of the members of the Board of Trustees: governance (being aware of issues brought forward to the Board, or bringing issues of concern to the Board); fundraising and financial management (leading in development by thinking of new opportunities, leading in giving, and providing oversight on the audited financial statements); and strategic planning and policy development, especially in measures that accord with ASOR’s mission.

We anticipate two openings for Membership-Elected Trustees and two openings for Institutionally-Elected Trustees. Any full ASOR member may be considered for nomination as an Membership-Elected Trustee, while only institutional representatives of ASOR Member Schools may be considered for nomination as an Institutionally-Elected Trustee. If there is someone that you would like the committee to consider—including yourself—please send the person’s name and email address to Marta Ostovich in the ASOR office. If you have any questions about the responsibilities and satisfactions of being a board member, please email Jane DeRose Evans. The ASOR office or a representative from the Nominations Committee will contact all nominees to describe the responsibilities in greater detail, and to make sure that the nominee is willing to have his or her name discussed by the Trustee Nominations Committee.

After the Committee selects individuals for nomination, the election will take place by electronic ballot during October. ASOR is once again conducting online voting to ensure that more of our members are able to participate in this important process. The ASOR office will work with any person who is not able to complete an electronic ballot to ensure that everyone is included.

In order to receive full consideration by the committee, nominations must be submitted to info@asor.org by September 24, 2019.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1567019699606{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

ASOR Awardee Spotlight: Charles E. Jones

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PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

FY18 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

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AWARDEE SPOTLIGHT: CHARLES (CHUCK) E. JONES

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]At the 2018 ASOR Annual Meeting, Chuck Jones was awarded the ASOR Membership Service Award. This award recognizes individuals who have made special contributions on behalf of the ASOR membership, through committee, editorial, or office services.

Charles (Chuck) E. Jones, Tombros Librarian for Classics and Humanities, Pennsylvania State University, has been the chair of ASOR’s Publications Committee for seven years, spanning two three-year terms plus an additional year (from 2012-2014, 2015-2017, 2018). In this role, Chuck has worked diligently both to keep ASOR’s publications program on track and to move it forward in important and exciting new ways. During his tenure, Chuck has overseen the appointments and reappointments of new editors for BASOR, the Archaeological Reports Series, and the Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research. In 2011, although not yet chair of the Publications Committee, Chuck chaired the search that resulted in the appointment of the NEA editor, and then oversaw the editor’s reappointment for second and third terms. Chuck has also been instrumental in helping to regularize the status and reporting relationship of ASOR’s e-magazine, ANEToday, by bringing its editor onto the Publications Committee. In addition, in 2017-18, he led the Publications Committee in its discussions to move ASOR’s journal publications program into partnership with the University of Chicago Press. He has done all this, moreover, while continuing to champion initiatives dear to his heart—open access and online publishing—and in doing so has positioned ASOR at the forefront of these publication initiatives.

Learn more about ASOR Awards

Nominate someone for an award. The deadline for service award nominations is September 2, 2019. The deadline for book award nominations September 16, 2019.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1567019695971{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Fellowships and Grants: Your Donor Dollars in the Field

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FY19 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1487276122024{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text responsive_align=”left”]

ASOR Fellowships and Grants: Your Donor Dollars At Work

[/vc_column_text][mk_divider thickness=”1″][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Fellowship-Info.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”800″ crop=”false” hover=”false” align=”center”][mk_divider thickness=”1″][vc_column_text responsive_align=”left”]ASOR donors make a difference when it comes to fellowships and grants. ASOR fellowships help students attend their first field school, present posters and papers at the Annual Meeting, conduct fieldwork necessary for their graduate degrees, study collections, and make valuable connections at the Annual Meeting. A full list of fellowship recipients with links to their reports is available here. Every donation provides crucial support for students. In 2019, we awarded $75,200 in funding for excavation and Annual Meeting fellowships. The number of fellowships we offer continues to grow. This year we added a new fellowship-the Steinmetz Fellowship for Active/Reserve Military or Veterans.

The total amount of fellowship money awarded is now over $850,00, thanks to donors like you.

  • Sean Dever Fellowship: 4 fellowships, $4,000
  • William Dever Fellowship: 8 fellowships, $56,000
  • Friends of ASOR Fellowship: 1 fellowship, $2,000
  • Denise L. Gold Grant: 1 grant, $2,500
  • Charles Harris Grant: 39 grants, $54,010
  • Heritage Fellowship: 174 fellowships, $179,00
  • Kress Fellowship: 12 fellowships, $18,030
  • Lindstrom Foundation Scholarship: 12 fellowships, $9,000
  • P.E. MacAllister Fellowship: 27 fellowships, $40,000
  • Member-Supported Fellowship: 29 fellowships, $46,000
  • Mesopotamian Fellowship: 11 fellowships, $96,000
  • Eric and Carol Meyers Fellowship: 10 fellowships, $20,000
  • Shirlee Meyers Fellowship: 9 fellowships, $13,000
  • Platt Fellowship: 147 fellowships, $168, 700
  • Joe D. Seger Grant: 2 grants, $5,000
  • Harva L. Sheeler Fellowship: 5 fellowships, $8,000
  • Steinmetz Fellowship for Active/Reserve Military or Veterans: 1 fellowship, $2,000
  • Strange-Midkiff Families Fellowship: 7 fellowships, $14,000
  • Study of Collections Fellowship: 7 fellowships, $14,000
  • Student Travel Grant: 109 grants, $27,250
  • The Foundation for Biblical Archaeology Scholarship: 53 scholarships, $37,100
  • G. Ernest Wright Fellowship: 8 fellowships, $12,000

ASOR fellowship recipients continue to stay involved with ASOR. Read what previous fellowship recipients have to say on the “Where Are They Now?” page.

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Want to help more students and young archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Excavation Scholarships” as your gift purpose!

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Job Opening: ASOR Office Assistant

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ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

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OFFICE ASSISTANT OPENING

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]ASOR seeks candidates for a full-time position of “Office Assistant” to begin on or about October 1, 2019. This position is located at The James F. Strange Center—Headquarters of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 209 Commerce St., in historic Old Town Alexandria, VA.

Founded in 1900, the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to initiate, encourage, and support research into, and public understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world, from the earliest times. Please visit www.asor.org for more information.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Maintain high-quality customer service for our 1,900 members and 15,000 Friends.
  • Answer the general ASOR telephone and information email account.
  • Assist with ASOR’s off-site Annual Meeting by providing general administrative support including but not limited to, processing payments, answering questions, and making all attendees feel welcome. Travel to the meeting may be required (once per year).
  • Provide general office support (e.g., scanning, copying, ordering supplies, and processing mail, orders, and bills).
  • Process membership dues, donations, and event registrations in organizational database (NetForumPro).
  • Assist with membership and donation mailings.
  • Perform other office duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Skills Needed:

  • Associate Degree or equivalent work experience; Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
  • 2-3 years of office experience preferred; experience with databases, Microsoft Office, WordPress, and general office management software also preferred.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Attention to detail; ability to multitask and to prioritize.

Compensation and Benefits: Hourly pay between $15.00 and $18.00 per hour based on experience. Benefits include paid vacation and sick time; 10 paid holidays per year; employer retirement contribution (6% with employee match); and benefit dollars ($500 per month).

How To Apply: E-mail letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to Marta Ostovich at programs@asor.org. Please include your name and “ASOR Assistant” in the subject line.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. All candidates who submit required materials by August 23, 2019, will receive full consideration.

 

ASOR is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other class protected by federal or state law (EEO/AA).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1567019836733{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Fellowship Report: Maria Gajewska

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FY18 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

FY19 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS (DRAFT)

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

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SUPERVISORS DON’T DO MUCH

Maria Gajewska, 2018 Platt Fellowship Recipient[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Supervisors don’t do much. At least that’s the impression I got from the excavations I took part in so far. I was digging in the scorching sun, swinging my mattock up and down, doing the decidedly un-

Trying to keep the string steady, remember the measurements, and explain what we’re doing – no wonder posing didn’t quite work out (Salam is providing substantial help by checking the line level on the right.)

ladylike job of stripping off the topsoil for two weeks straight (the joys of excavating a hitherto-unexplored site, where everyone knows there is something under the ground but no one knows quite where, so you move to a new area every Tuesday.) I also cleaned a 16th century skeleton with painstaking care, doing my best not to crack the skull with a dental pick or crumble yet another carpal; rewarded with the sight of a silver, heart-shaped pendant peeking through its ribcage. In both cases, the supervisor presented an imposingly untouchable figure. Well, actually, not necessarily that imposing, more composed and decidedly less-sweaty or panicked or exhausted than me. Understandably, I was thrilled to be invited to supervise an excavation square at Tall Hisban in the summer of 2018. It meant I would go to Jordan for the first time in my life, with a professor whose work I follow and admire, and a team of wonderfully clever and knowledgable students, archaeologists, and historians. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to ASOR and the late Mrs Katherine Barton Platt for the generous grant that allowed me to join the Hisban project. But it also meant I would be a supervisor – an inherently knowledgable and level-headed professional (despite not even having finished my MA at the time,) capable of answering all questions and clearing all doubts while sat on some ancient wall or other. I’d wear a pristine white shirt of the type Mortimer Wheeler favoured. Perhaps, from time to time, my co-workers would bring me a cup of sweet, Arabic tea.

Fast forward to week one of the project and I am indeed drinking off a sweet cup brought to me by one of my co-workers. But the cup is filled with coffee, not tea, and I desperately need this coffee to stay awake at the tender hour of 6 AM. My Field Supervisor and Project Director (the wonderful professor with whom I was so thrilled to work) are giving me pointers on today’s work. ‘Extend this probe.’ ‘Clean that wall.’ ‘Make sure this lens of ash here is a feature.’ Is this a wall or wall tumble, I ask? They don’t know, and now it’s my job to find out.

The Field Supervisor and Director move onto the next square and I return to my team – four brilliant students, three older than me and one more academically senior too, and two local workmen, also older, only one speaking English. My Arabic could be kindly described as ‘budding,’ which is just another way of saying non-existent. They look at me with rapt (if sleepy) attention. I tell them what to do, explain why we’re doing this, and then settle to take a few quick photos of the trench while the light is still good and clear. They pull on their gloves, grab their trowels and buckets, settle to work. I sit down with my blessed pile of paper context sheets and my blessed tablet. It’s the last season of paper recording and the first season of tablet recording at Hisban, which means we – I – have to do both. But at least I get to sit down. My white shirt

Sometimes ‘making the call’ meant sending someone into a hole so deep their head barely peaked out. Here Salam captured Esther in one of her rare moments of visibility (photo credit: Salam Kassem.)

shines in the sun.

Five minutes later the white shirt is smeared with soil (it won’t come off until I soak it in bleach back in London.) We still don’t know whether the pile of stones we’re excavating is a wall or a collapse, and it’s my job to find out. I spend some time scratching it with a trowel and arranging my face into a thoughtful frown. It doesn’t budge. I still don’t know what it is, and my teammate is waiting for a response. She wants to know what to do and I’m supposed to have the answer.

‘Just … work around it gently for now,’ I say, feeling decidedly helpless. ‘I’ll call the director after lunch.’ It’s a poor piece of advice but she takes it and returns to scraping off the surrounding soil quite cheerfully. I need to dash out of the trench and add a quick note on the uncertain status of the wall/tumble on my tablet. And copy it onto the pile of papers.

This situation plays out over and over again through the day, with the wall/collapse and foundation-trench probe, and with the cooking feature too. It plays over the three weeks with just about everything. I dash around, call people, make endless notes and take photos, pull smart faces and try as hard as I can to provide a sort of conceptual grounding for our team. In the afternoons, while most work on their theses and articles or go out for ice cream, the supervisors drink endless cans of iced coffee and pore over the site documentation. I barely touch my trowel, but every day I go to bed exhausted.

I also learn a lot from this exhaustion. Not just that when a supervisor sits down with a context sheet, they’re anything but calm. I learn to interpret changes in soil colour and compaction, and to decide how to proceed with excavating these changes. I learn when to trust my own judgement and when it’s better to call for someone with more expertise. I learn that when you lead, sometimes the best thing is to shut up and listen and you might just learn something new. But sometimes you need to make the call, because nobody else will.

And then there’s that special bond that comes from doing archaeology together. When you see each other at your worst, at 5 am, in your dirtiest clothes, your faces covered

Lunch on top of a tell is quite something (photo credit: Daisy Livingston.)

in a mixture of sunscreen and dust that looks almost like a mud facial. The shared excitement over something as simple as a piece of purple glass, because purple means it is earlier than you previously thought, changing your interpretation of the whole excavated house altogether. The overwhelming joy at having to work twice as fast because it comes from discovering something unexpected and exciting. They won’t put that in a BA Archaeology prospectus. That silent understanding, the camaraderie of sitting down in the middle of an ancient tell, a slice of bread dripping with olive oil and zaatar in one hand, a cup of tea in the other, telling stories of curving house walls, ashy pits, and glazed pottery. It doesn’t sound exciting, but it is from these stories that you get Jerash, Pompeii, and ‘I, Claudius’. We know that. So we see our favourite piece of pottery or metal or glass and we smile like veritable idiots.

I could write a lot about the incredible discoveries we made (but I guess you’ll have to wait for the final publication). Of how I learned to excavate houses and floors and hearths. How useful it has been when planning my MA coursework, how useful it will in all likelihood be when writing my PhD proposal. I could also write about the joys of visiting Shawbak with someone who excavated at Shawbak. Or Qusair ‘Amra, that Mecca of every Islamic archaeologist and art historian. Or Petra, the modern Wonder of the World. It all happened, it was all undescribably wonderful, and I have ASOR to thank for that. But I expect what will stick with me is the simple truth – supervisors do a lot, but teams do everything. My team has been wonderful enough to invite me for post-excavation work to the University of Bonn, which is where I am writing this report now, fresh out of my MA, CV dripping with skills acquired in Hisban. Surrounded by friends who understand why a piece of polychrome sgraffito is enough to postpone lunch by half an hour.

 

Maria is a recent MA Archaeology graduate from University College London. Passionate about Islamic archaeology, she is currently travelling around the Middle East and North Africa, bouncing between archaeology and heritage projects and putting together a PhD proposal in the meantime.

 

Tall Hisban Archaeological Park Facebook page

Madaba Plains Project (Hisban, Jalul, Umayri)

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