Clark/Narrating Archaeological Sites, 3.Contextualizing the Quest for Islamic Housban at Tall Ḥisbān

To what extent did the original Heshbon Expedition help pave the way for Islamic archaeology in Jordan, and what are some highlights of recent research focused on this era at the site? The paper will reflect on the circumstances that paved a way for an archaeology of the Islamic period at Tall Ḥisbān by the original Heshbon Expedition, despite the fact that such an emphasis was not part of the original research agenda. These include the large amount of pottery and architecture found at the site by the original Heshbon Expedition, the project’s location in an Islamic country, the meticulous manner in which excavations were carried out no matter the historical context, and the participation on the project of an extraordinary ceramics expert, namely, James Sauer. These and related factors will be critically examined and contextualized in light of the state of Islamic archaeology at the time of the original Heshbon Expedition. The chapter will conclude with a summary of current Islamic archaeology research at Ḥisbān and elsewhere in Jordan, and the opportunities that lie ahead.