Wednesday, February 04, 2004

THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT MOAB is featured in "Bright past for ancient Moab, brighter future for Jordan" in the Daily Star Lebanon. It discusses the history of Moab and the history of its modern study. Excerpt:

Scholars want to clarify issues like the nature of Moab's social structure, economy, and religious practices. Understanding these will help answer a larger question: Should we characterize Moab as a "state," akin to what is found in Mesopotamia and elsewhere? Some scholars have hesitated to apply this label, arguing that Moab remained a "tribal kingdom" consisting of groups who, other than cooperating to defend their territory, did not organize themselves into a unified political group. Counter to this argument are scholars who insist King Mesha was a driving force in establishing a politically and economically organized "state" that persisted for several centuries. They cite the large cities and the specialized economy that are often hallmarks of increasing political and social complexity. This discussion is one of many that Bruce Routledge of the University of Liverpool reviews in his upcoming book, Making Moab in the Iron Age, published by the University of Pennsylvania Press.

Discussions like these suggest a bright future for Moabite studies. Currently, the Jordanian government and scholars are working together to develop Moab's archaeological resources for domestic and foreign tourism and education. One such project is currently under way at ancient Lehun, directed by Professor Denyse Homes-Fredericq, a site spanning the Early Bronze Age (around 3000 BC) to the recent Ottoman Period. The project has been a cooperative effort between the Jordanian Department of Antiquities and the Belgium Committee of Excavations in Jordan with the sponsorship of the EU. Undertaking projects such as these, it is hoped, will invigorate the local economy, as the development of archaeological resources elsewhere in Jordan already has proven successful. Working closely with the Jordanian government as well as local communities, scholars are hoping they can help make Jordan's future as bright as the light they are shedding on Moab's past.


If you want to read the Mesha stele, there's an old English translation of it here.

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