Abstract
In this paper, the meaning of the cultural heritage in the citadel of Amman is investigated, by understanding the relationships through which individuals, as well as local communities, interpret the time and place of the past. It is suggested that values and meanings individuals ascribe to the past derive importance from being a reflection of individuals’ contexts. What is meaningful in one context might be meaningless in another. Throughout the process in which meanings are ascribed to archaeological sites, the archaeological remains are transformed into entities that reflect the context of the local communities. Through this process, archaeological sites are transformed from being merely material of the past into cultural heritage having relevance to local communities’ contemporary contexts and cultures.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The translation of the interviews from Arabic to English was done by the author.
- 2.
In the interest of protecting respondents, the author has replaced the respondents’ genuine names with unreal ones.
- 3.
 In reference to the Muslim Umayyad dynasty which governed the region constituting modern Jordan during AD 661 and 750.
- 4.
The word athar is an Arabic word, which means archaeological sites. Throughout the text, Arabic words are written in italic using English letters.
References
Al Rai Newspaper, 2006, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Cancels the Jerash Festival (in Arabic), July 19, p. 1.
Kanellopoulos, C., 1994, The Great Temple of Amman: the Architecture. ACOR publications, Amman.
Ministry of Planning, 1998, Partners in Development 16: 1–4, Electronic document (Newsletter of the Aid Coordination Unit), http://www.mop.gov.jo/reports/Partners/EN/PID_September_1998.pdf#search=%22spanish%20archaeological%20mission%20Citadel%20to%20Amman%22, accessed October 16, 2006.
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, 2004, Jordan National Tourism Strategy 2004–2010, http://www.tourism.jo/PDFs/NTS%20Book.pdf, accessed September 12, 2006.
Palumbo, G., Abu Dayyeh, A., Amr, Kh., Green, J., Kanan, R., Kraczkiewicz, E., Shartz, C., Shwemat, M., and Waheeb, M., 1993, Cultural Resources Management in Jordan, 1987–1992. ADAJ XXVII: 69–81.
Zayadine, F., Kehrberg, I., and Bisheh, G., 2000, Amman, the Governor’s Headquarters. The Umayyads: the Rise of Islamic Art (collected articles), pp. 59–75. International Museum with no Frontiers Cycles, Amman.
Acknowledgments
Newcastle University partially funded my PhD thesis in which part of this chapter appeared. For this fund I am thankful. The International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies at Newcastle University gave me the knowledge and skills that enabled me to conduct my research. I am deeply grateful to all the staff members and the PhD students there. I specially thank Professor Peter Stone for supervising me and giving me the inspiration, not only during my studying years in Newcastle, but also long after that.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Abu-Khafajah, S. (2011). Meaning-Making Process of Cultural Heritage in Jordan: The Local Communities, the Contexts, and the Archaeological Sites in the Citadel of Amman. In: Okamura, K., Matsuda, A. (eds) New Perspectives in Global Public Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0341-8_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0341-8_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-0340-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-0341-8
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)