Clark/Narrating Archaeological Sites, 4.Al Muṣallā: Local Ideas About Tall Ḥisbān

In the imaginings of its present population, what sort of a place was Tall Ḥisbān before the foreign expedition arrived, and how did this change with the arrival of the team? The chapter will report on interviews with local residents about this question over three field seasons by the author, a social anthropologist and ethnographer. Of special interest is the name by which the site is known locally, namely, Al Muṣallā, place of prayer. The extent to which the summit of Ḥisbān was indeed a place of prayer for locals will be dealt with as part of a more general discussion of sacred aspects of Tall Ḥisbān in the conceptions of present- day local inhabitants. The chapter will conclude by offering reflections on the process of place making by different groups: local residents, immigrants, the archaeological team, NGOs, and the government of Jordan and its tourism ministry and officials. This includes discussing how local people make sense of the past, present, and possible future of the mound and the surrounding village of Ḥisbān.