Jordan on EARTH Magazine

Turning modern "eyes" on ancient sites

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 13:19:52 -0400

Researchers used different datasets to uncover Jerash's past, because each dataset showed something different. 1) High-resolution photography revealed a stone wall not visible in other datasets. 2) Lidar clearly revealed another wall that was poorly defined in aerial photography. 3) Clearing up distortions in this 1953 photo revealed a possible structure defined by highlight and shadow that was obscured by a modern road in 2015 and by vegetation in 1939. 4) This wall from the 1939 aerial photo was not visible in other datasets. Credit: Danish-German North-West Quarter Project.

People have inhabited Jerash, Jordan, since the Neolithic. But much of its history has been buried by subsequent occupation, including over the last two centuries. Archaeologists have excavated Jerash with trowels and screens to uncover its long history, but now, with the help of lidar and old photographs, a team of researchers is discovering more about Jerash’s past by gazing down on the city from the sky.

Travels in Geology: The King's Highway: The crossroads of ancient Jordan

Mon, 29 Feb 2016 14:35:08 -0500

The King's Highway offers travelers dramatic scenery and a chance to follow an ancient trade route used by many civilizations. Credit: Terri Cook and Lon Abbott.

The King’s Highway, a Middle Eastern thoroughfare that once stretched from Egypt to the Euphrates River, has been used by numerous civilizations over the last few thousand years. Since the Iron Age, this storied path has served as a vital trade route along the north-south spine of a narrow plateau cutting through the center of Jordan. A trip along the King’s Highway in Jordan today offers breathtaking scenery, world-class geologic features, surprisingly few tourists, and the chance to walk in the historic footsteps of people from Nabataean traders transporting frankincense to Petra, to descendants of Abraham traveling to the Promised Land, to Crusaders, Christian and Muslim pilgrims, and even Roman legions marching across the empire’s desert frontier. Each civilization has left its mark on this raw landscape, creating a cultural crossroads that offers an unforgettable journey through human and Earth history.

Getting there and getting around Jordan

Mon, 29 Feb 2016 13:35:28 -0500

For an experience like no other, spend a night or two off the grid in a Bedouin goat-hair tent in the heart of Wadi Rum. Credit: both: Terri Cook and Lon Abbott

Jordan has two international airports: Amman and Aqaba. Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport is the main gateway, offering service to most major Middle Eastern and European cities and regular nonstop flights to New York, Chicago and Montreal. The airport is located 35 kilometers south of Amman; reach the city via express bus service or taxi. Taxis also serve Madaba, which is much smaller and closer to the airport. Madaba hotels will arrange airport pickup and King’s Highway transportation for you. The most convenient and flexible exploration option is with your own vehicle. Several rental agencies operate in Madaba, with more selection at the airport. Our vehicle was delivered to our Madaba hotel, allowing us to avoid city driving in Amman. Signs are generally in both Arabic and English.