Emergency Conservation and Community Training at The Temple Of The Winged Lions, Petra (original) (raw)

2022, Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan XIV: Culture in Crisis: Flows of Peoples, Artifacts, and Ideas. Amman: Department of Antiquities.

Co-authored with Franco Sciorilli. Published Dec. 2022 Published in Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan XIV, as part of a publication of papers from the "SCHEP Workshop: Sustainable Cultural Heritage Through Engagement of Local Communities Project", which took place at ICHAJ 14, Florence Italy in 2019. This workshop is published in full in SHAJ XIV, pp. 763-784 (co-edited by Nizar Al Adarbeh, Jehad Haron, and Jack Green. The Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management (TWLCRM) Initiative, implemented by ACOR, has carried out extensive efforts in excavation and documentation, site conservation, site safety and interpretation, and educational awareness from the time of its beginnings in 2009. The most recent phase of activities at the site supported by USAID SCHEP in 2017 and 2018 has enabled the Initiative to complete vital emergency conservation of the Temple Cella and the Southwest Quadrant, as well as backfill key areas to help preserve the site for years to come. The conservation work in the Cella included the provision of a mortar capping for the podium of the temple, backfilling the cella to enable improved drainage, and the bracing of leaning columns. Backfilling and mortaring in the SW Quadrant has helped to buttress and stabilize the rubble slope and temple podium, and provide improved drainage that will improve water run-off from the site. An important element of the conservation effort has been the hands-on training of local TWLCRM team members and staff of the PDTRA within the Petra Archaeological Park, among others, during the project, enabling the transfer of knowledge, skills, and best practices. This in turn provides potential for new or enhanced employment opportunities for those who have received such training. In addition, through SCHEP’s educational awareness program, TWLCRM team members have played a vital role in sharing the message of site conservation and preservation through hands on activities with almost 300 Jordanian school children as well as multiple tourist groups. Another important aspect of the project has been the preparation of site pathways and signage that makes the site safe and more accessible to visitors, as well as sharing the message of preservation. In this presentation, in addition to sharing the achievements and outcomes of the project, we intend to share our experience (and lessons learned) of training and education as a key element of any site conservation and management project, for local partners, local community members, and visitors.