I continued to stay at the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman working intensively on my various research projects. During the first part of this period, there were no distractions, so I did not even leave the building for an extended number of days.
My main activity was to write a survey article about the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem for a book of photographs by Humberto da Silveira; I had written the captions for his book last fall.
I also spent a few days compiling Western travel accounts of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. I also spent a few days working on my Humayma excavation reports and on the Madaba Archaeological Park report.
I attended the usual round of archaeology lectures, one each at the Friends of Archaeology and Heritage, the British Institute, the German Institute and ACOR. Barbara Porter, the ACOR director, spoke about the Petra Church Project of 1992-1993, in which I had participated, and the ongoing work there.
On March 16 I took a visiting group of Albright Institute fellows from Jerusalem around sites south of Amman and around Madaba.
I also met Muhammad Ghosheh and one day went to the National Press in Amman with him to see the page layout of his spectacular Dome of the Rock book that is nearing completion. I also met Hisham Khatib and went to his home in Amman to see his large collection of paintings and books about Jerusalem and to talk about his draft of a new book about his collection.
I also bought a new laptop computer. I got a tax refund at the airport when I left for New York on the evening of March 17.
My main activity was to write a survey article about the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem for a book of photographs by Humberto da Silveira; I had written the captions for his book last fall.
I also spent a few days compiling Western travel accounts of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. I also spent a few days working on my Humayma excavation reports and on the Madaba Archaeological Park report.
I attended the usual round of archaeology lectures, one each at the Friends of Archaeology and Heritage, the British Institute, the German Institute and ACOR. Barbara Porter, the ACOR director, spoke about the Petra Church Project of 1992-1993, in which I had participated, and the ongoing work there.
From right: Barbara Porter with Fatimah Maari and Khairieh ‘Amr, two other Petra Church project participants from 1992-1993, and me.
On March 8 I attended a day of presentations at the Baptism site on the Jordan River about the proposal to have it listed as a World Cultural Heritage site and on March 14 went to the Umayyad desert palace of Qusayr Amra for a presentation about the restoration work being done there on the famous fresco paintings.
One of the conservators speaking about the frescoes at Qusayr Amra
On March 16 I took a visiting group of Albright Institute fellows from Jerusalem around sites south of Amman and around Madaba.
I also met Muhammad Ghosheh and one day went to the National Press in Amman with him to see the page layout of his spectacular Dome of the Rock book that is nearing completion. I also met Hisham Khatib and went to his home in Amman to see his large collection of paintings and books about Jerusalem and to talk about his draft of a new book about his collection.
There was a snow fall on March 1 that lasted for a couple of days before melting.
Snow at ACOR
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