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| American Center of Research | |
|---|---|
| Name | American Center of Research |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | George Bass, Barbara A. Porter |
| Location | Amman, Jordan |
| Focus | Archaeology, Historiography, Cultural Heritage |
American Center of Research.
The American Center of Research is an independent research institute and cultural resource center based in Amman, Jordan. The center serves as a hub for scholars, curators, and field archaeologists engaged with Levantine archaeology, Near Eastern studies, and the study of Byzantine Empire, Umayyad Caliphate, and Ottoman Empire period sites. It supports projects connected to institutions such as Princeton University, University of Chicago, Harvard University, Yale University, and Brown University.
The institution emerged in the late 20th century amid renewed international interest in Near East archaeology, aligning with scholarly initiatives like the Amman Citadel excavations, collaborations with the American Schools of Oriental Research, and comparative work referencing the Dead Sea Scrolls, Petra expeditions, and surveys near Jerash. Founders and early directors had ties to excavations at Tell es-Safi, Ain Ghazal, and projects connected to the Biblical Archaeology Society and Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. Over time the center expanded from hosting visiting scholars to coordinating fieldwork in regions adjacent to Wadi Rum and the Jordan River valley, interacting with missions led by figures from Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
The center's mission emphasizes facilitation of archaeological fieldwork, conservation initiatives, and scholarly exchange involving sites such as Qasr al-Mshatta, Khirbat al-Mafjar, and research themes linked to the Late Antiquity transition, the Islamic Golden Age, and the archaeology of Transjordan. It organizes seminars that attract researchers from British Museum, Louvre Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and specialists who have participated in projects at Tel Megiddo, Çatalhöyük, and Pella. Activities include logistical support for excavations, curation for artifact studies associated with collections from the Jordan Museum, and hosting conferences with delegations from Smithsonian Institution, Getty Conservation Institute, and World Monuments Fund.
Facilities include reading rooms, photographic archives, and conservation labs used by scholars with interests comparable to those at Institute for Advanced Study, Rijksmuseum, and Pergamon Museum. The center's collections and archives document field seasons, reports, and images from excavations at Ayla (city), Umm Qais, Madaba, and comparative materials related to finds from Khirbet al-Mafjar and Ma'in. Conservation work parallels methods employed by teams from ICOMOS, UNESCO, and the British Institute at Ankara.
The organization publishes monographs, technical reports, and edited volumes that circulate among libraries such as those at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Bodleian Library, and New York Public Library. Its publications address topics connected to the archaeology of the Iron Age, analyses of Roman Province of Arabia Petraea, and studies on Mamluk Sultanate architecture. Scholars affiliated with the center have contributed to journals like the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Levant, and Journal of Near Eastern Studies, and collaborated on catalogues comparable to those produced by Oxford University Press, Brill, and Cambridge University Press.
Educational programs target graduate students and professionals from institutions such as University College London, American University of Beirut, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, offering workshops in field methodology, pottery typology, and epigraphy akin to trainings at École Biblique, Oriental Institute of Chicago, and Peabody Museum. Outreach includes public lectures featuring speakers from The British Library, Royal Asiatic Society, and exhibitions coordinated with curators from Museum of Islamic Art (Doha), Jordan Archaeological Museum, and regional heritage agencies.
The center partners with universities and museums including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Duke University, Cornell University, National Museum of Denmark, and international bodies such as UNESCO and IOM on cultural heritage protection. Collaborative fieldwork has connected projects at Beidha, Aphrodisias, and Gadara, and exchanges have included specialists from Max Planck Institute, German Archaeological Institute, and French Institute of the Near East.
Governance involves an advisory board and directors drawn from academic institutions like American University, Rutgers University, and University of Michigan. Funding streams historically included grants from foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, support from governmental research councils like the National Endowment for the Humanities, and collaborations with philanthropic entities comparable to the Ford Foundation and private donors associated with museums including Metropolitan Museum of Art and Royal Ontario Museum.
Category:Research institutes in Jordan