Fulbright Fellow, noted Jordanian scholar brings cultural heritage advocacy to campus

05/03/2022

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Whether teaching archaeology students the importance of preserving an excavation site, or proposing mitigation strategies on the illicit artifact trade, Dr. Ziad Al-Saad’s intent is the same – to protect, treasure and promote Jordan’s magnificent ancient heritage and its foundational contributions to present-day society.

Dr. Ziad Al-Saad, Fulbright Fellow and professor of archaeology and anthropology at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan poses on campus at La Sierra University where he has pursued his Fulbright work this school year. His background includes serving as a former Director General of Jordan's Department of Antiquities. (Photo: Natan Vigna)

Al-Saad is a professor of archaeology and anthropology at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan and a former Director General of the country’s Department of Antiquities. He has longstanding professional ties to La Sierra’s archaeologists who have excavated in Jordan for years, in particular Doug Clark, director of La Sierra’s Center for Near Eastern Archaeology. It was these connections coupled with the archaeology program’s strong focus on Jordanian cultural heritage that prompted Al-Saad to choose La Sierra as the location for his grant-funded work as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar during the 2021-22 school year.

The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, provided through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, “provides grants to approximately 850 foreign scholars from over 100 countries to conduct post-doctoral research at U.S. institutions from an academic semester to a full academic year,” its website states.

“This is really a great international program [Fulbright] and I am privileged enough to get the sponsorship,” said Al-Saad. “I chose La Sierra deliberately because of a really long history of cooperation that we have with La Sierra in Jordan, … they have been very actively involved for over 50 years in excavation and conservation of Jordanian archaeological sites particularly in Madaba area. I’m here to continue and hopefully to consolidate and enhance that cooperation and give.”

He first met Clark and others in 2010 when he visited the Tall al-‘Umayri excavation outside of Amman, Jordan which Clark directed. “Ziad, as Director General of the Department of Antiquities, felt that it was important to visit excavations in the field,” recalled Clark. “Not all DGs did that, so we connected over that extensive visit.”

In November of that year at Clark’s invitation, Al-Saad spoke about cultural preservation efforts as part of the archaeology center’s Second Annual Archaeology Discovery Weekend. “We have since then met several times -- conferences in Jordan and elsewhere around Europe and the U.S. -- and developed a shared vision for preserving cultural heritage -- artifacts and sites,” Clark said.

Since his arrival to campus last fall, Al-Saad has conducted research with the archaeology center’s extensive artifacts collection and taught a graduate course on cultural heritage conservation and management. He served as keynote speaker on Feb. 15 for the archaeology center’s inaugural Winter Archaeology Lecture Series in which he discussed Jordan’s role in the history of human innovation and technology. He also gave presentations at the Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles and at the University of California, Los Angeles in April on Jordanian cultural heritage conservation, archaeology, and the fight against illicit antiquities trading. His work has also included grant proposal writing aimed at mitigating the loss of antiquities through illegal avenues and of preservation and presentation of a key archaeological site.

Al-Saad has held numerous posts at Yarmouk University and the German Jordanian University including more than 25 years in administrative roles such as acting president, vice president and dean. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of London in conservation, management and cultural heritage, the first in Jordan to earn such a degree. He holds prior degrees in chemistry and physical chemistry and has published numerous academic journal articles including five in 2021 alone. His wide-ranging achievements include establishing a cutting-edge research laboratory as well as developing the Department of Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage at Yarmouk University. He has also secured and managed nearly three dozen grants for a total of about $20 million from international agencies which have supported such projects as the development of economic sustainability through tourism, education support for refugees in Middle Eastern and North African countries, and the conservation of an important Roman aqueduct at Gadara, Jordan.

In the year prior to the Fulbright scholarship, Al-Saad received the Humboldt Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt/Stiftung Foundation which is Germany's most prestigious prize for international researchers.

He recently provided insights into his work of cultural heritage management using the people-centered approach which centers on community participation as a key for sustainable cultural heritage management and urban development. “The sustainability of heritage resources cannot be achieved without the direct involvement of the local community,” Al-Saad said. “If heritage is respected, used and managed by locals, it has better chances to be restored and protected.”

Fulbright Scholar Dr. Ziad Al-Saad poses in the archaeology laboratoray at the Center for Near Eastern Archaeology at La Sierra University. (Photo: Natan Vigna)

Q: What is the overall focus of your research and work as a Fulbright scholar at La Sierra University?

A: There are two aspects of my research. One of them is focusing on conservation and management of cultural heritage. The post excavation conservation and management is crucial to the long survival and utilization of excavated sites. The other aspect of my research is based on employment of a wide array of scientific techniques to analyze archaeological remains to further understand their function, provenance and manufacturing technology. I try to make inferences about ancient technology and technological innovations based on analysis of these materials, and try to make further interpretation with the aid of scientific analysis.

Q: What key lessons do you hope the La Sierra University graduate students took away from your class?

A: I hope that I managed to teach them not just specialized knowledge. The course primarily focused on helping students to develop concrete professional skills, critical thinking, and innovative research. As the students’ background is archaeology, my course added an additional layer of specialized knowledge to the students in the fields of cultural heritage conservation and management which will help them not just in excavating sites, but also for the sites’ long term preservation and utilization.

"... my course added an additional layer of specialized knowledge ... which will help them not just in excavating sites, but also for the sites’ long term preservation and utilization."

Q: Is cultural preservation and resource management an emerging field in archaeology?

A: Yes, it is. Cultural resource management is a process that we use to manage and make decisions about scarce cultural resources in an equitable manner. Heritage management includes cultural landscapes, archaeological sites, historical records, and spiritual places, among other things, and has become really very important in our lives because of its connection to the sustainable development of local communities.

There is like a paradigm change in our thinking about how to manage cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is so valuable, so important, that we should preserve for future generations. On the other hand, cultural heritage should be leveraged to fully achieve the sustainable development of local communities. Heritage management supports education, inclusive economic development, social cohesion, equity, community well-being and resilience. These are the aspects that I highlighted in my course. If archaeological sites are left after excavation without proper protection and proper management, then excavation will definitely synonym destruction.

Q: Which archaeological sites in Jordan serve as examples of successful cultural preservation and presentation?

A: Jordan is rich in its antiquities and archaeological sites that are spread all over the country. Over 100,000 archaeological sites have been so identified. The Department of Antiquities of Jordan is the official body that is legally responsible for the protection and management of archaeological sites. Due to many constrains including lack of funding and expertise, the number of archaeological sites that have been so far successfully developed, preserved and effectively interpreted is quite limited.

Many of the sites suffer from poor maintenance and visibility. In addition, many of these sites are located within communities that are affected by high poverty and unemployment. The restoration and preservation of these sites present a golden opportunity for local economic development and poverty alleviation.

"The restoration and preservation of these sites present a golden opportunity for local economic development and poverty alleviation."

I can mention here some successful examples of effectively developed and utilized sites such as the Amman Citadel, Petra and Jerash. However Jordan includes sites that are highly significant in terms of their archaeological value and richness but lack proper preservation, interpretation and management. Examples in this category of sites are the Neolithic site of Ain Ghazal, from where the world’s oldest known large scale statues dated to around 6750 BC were excavated, and Wadi Faynan which is considered the birthplace of copper smelting which is considered by archaeologists as the first industrial revolution in human history. Both sites lack proper preservation, interpretation and management.

Q: How much financial and other support is available to archaeologists for investment in cultural preservation and resource management at their excavation sites?

A: Despite recent advances in practice, archaeological sites face increasing challenges from development, climate change, tourism, insufficient management, looting, conflict, and inadequate governmental resources. While the need to preserve cultural heritage is widely recognized, the availability of the financial resources to do so is often deficient.

Cultural heritage preservation and management in Jordan is underfunded and is not considered a priority by the government. The economic crisis that Jordan faces has often reduced the budgetary allocations for culture in general and heritage conservation in particular.

Despite the tremendous economic and socio-cultural benefits, little attention is usually paid to cultural heritage conservation and management and to developing innovative big-picture strategies to modernize its professional field. However, there is an increasing interest for the preservation and development of cultural heritage at the international level. Direct grant support to cultural heritage preservation projects can be obtained from various international funding agencies such as the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, World Heritage Fund, and International Fund for the Promotion of Culture, just to name a few examples.

"However, there is an increasing interest for the preservation and development of cultural heritage at the international level."

For example I am busy these days writing a proposal to seek international funding to implement effective interpretation and presentation of an important site in Jordan called Umm er-Rasas. Umm ER-Rasas is a cultural heritage of exceptional value and significance which qualify the site to be on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The site contains authentic and unique archaeological features from three civilizations: Roman, Byzantine and Muslim.

Despite being a world heritage site of exceptional features, the site hasn't lived to initial expectation of attracting large numbers of visitors due mainly to lack of proper interpretation and presentation. So I'm writing the proposal to get funding to do a thematic interpretation and presentation of that site.

The site is located in the Madaba area very near to where La Sierra University is doing their archaeological excavation in Tall al ’Umayri. So there is a big potential of connecting these sites to create a tourism trail that has many different stations of very important religious and political sites.

Q: What is the impact of artifact smuggling and how does instability in countries surrounding Jordan affect efforts at cultural preservation and protection?

A: Illicit excavation and trade in antiquities represents a major and unsettled challenge for Jordan. The recent past has witnessed a phenomenal increase in the number of people involved in these illicit activities which result in the destruction of a significant part of Jordan's cultural legacy. Illegal diggers make a big mess of the sites and consequently, they destroy the archaeological record and with it thousands of years of well-preserved layers of history. Due to these illegal activities, Jordan lost irreplaceable parts of its cultural heritage, of which some are being circulated in the black market. What compounded the problem is instability and turmoil of some neighboring countries to Jordan where a lot of smuggling and Illicit trafficking activities are taking place.

Q: What can be done to mitigate the illicit artifact trade?

A: The recent past has witnessed a phenomenal increase in the number of people involved in these illicit activities which result in the destruction of a significant part of Jordan's cultural legacy.

"National legislation should be aligned with relevant international standards and be reviewed to include the illicit traffic of cultural property as a serious crime."

This is the reason why the Department of Antiquities of Jordan has recently intensified its efforts to fight clandestine excavations and illicit trafficking of cultural property. Other institutions in the country are also giving more attention to deal with this challenge. A team of experts from Yarmouk University have also conducted a number of research projects in this field in order to devise effective measures to alleviate this problem. Important proposals have resulted from these efforts which can summarized in the following points:

National legislation should be aligned with relevant international standards and be reviewed to include the illicit traffic of cultural property as a serious crime. The law should be supplemented with well-articulated and detailed operational guidelines for effective implementation of the law. A comprehensive revision of the law is also necessary for better harmonization and synchronization with the provisions and requirements of the international conventions particularly UNESCO 1970 convention.
National capacities should be strengthened. Institutionally, Jordan needs to reform and strengthen the authorities and administrative units responsible for the protection of cultural heritage particularly those responsible for combating clandestine excavations and illicit trafficking. The responsible authorities and units must have the necessary financial and human resources to pursue the agreed strategy and objectives for preventing and combating trafficking. Effective capacity building that includes supporting the responsible organizations with up-to-date qualified personnel, sufficient funds and intellectual resources must be given the highest priority.
A special unit should be established at the Department of Antiquities to be specifically tasked with preventing and combating clandestine excavations and illicit trafficking. A national contact point should be designated to collect domestic information to foster cooperation at the international level and ensuring coordinated action.
The use of the existing tools such as the INTERPOL Stolen Works of Art database, the [World Customs Organization secure network] ARCHEO platform, [International Council of Museums] ICOM Red Lists database, [United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime] UNODC's knowledge management portal SHERLOC and the UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage laws should be strengthened and further integrated;
Jordan should utilize more effectively Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention to widen the scope of bilateral cooperation to protect its cultural heritage against trafficking by signing a bilateral agreements. I am very pleased that Jordan has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. to restrict the import of Jordanian artifacts to U.S. market. This agreement has recently been activated and American authorities have returned nine looted artifacts to Jordan that were seized from a U.S. billionaire collector. Jordan should seek similar agreements with European countries which are the main market for looted antiquities from Jordan and also some neighboring countries, which act as a transit hub for smuggled artefacts.
Jordan should ratify the UNIDROIT [International Institute for the Unification of Private Law] convention, and apply especially the concept of due diligence outlined in the Article 4 when determining the provenance of objects.
National inventories of cultural property should be completed in Jordan to ensure preparedness in case of conflict or natural disaster. The system should fulfil international requirements and standards, particularly the object ID as specified by the International Council of Museums.
Jordan must work hard on raising the awareness and respect of cultural heritage among its citizens. Innovative approaches and tools should be adapted to impulse a new public mind-set regarding the protection of cultural heritage and the rejection of illicit excavation and trafficking. Modern communication technologies, social media and education system should be fully utilized in addition to other means to achieve this goal.

"I am very pleased that Jordan has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. to restrict the import of Jordanian artifacts to U.S. market."

I am personally very much involved in these efforts and currently working on a proposal that will be submitted to international concerned funding agencies to secure funding for the implementation of some of these preventive measures.

Q: You submitted in February a proposal to the U.S. State Department addressing ways to combat the illicit trade of artifacts. This proposal, which results from a 2019 memorandum, seeks $75,000 in seed money for a pilot program. What specific actions does your proposal call for?

A: Most of my recent research is really focused on how the education system can be effectively used to enhance the awareness and understanding and appreciation of the people to culture heritage.

The young generation plays a key role in sustaining heritage today and in the future, and therefore their full engagement in the fight against illicit excavations and trafficking of cultural property is of paramount importance. This can be best achieved through combining elements of formal and informal education. The curricula of schools and university programs contain brief knowledge about the archaeology of Jordan. However, the topic of illicit excavations and trafficking is still completely missing and therefore youth and children are ignorant about this serious issue and its catastrophic consequences. This why it is of utmost importance take urgently the following measures:

Incorporate into the school curricula and university programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels teaching modules on the promotion, protection and transmission of heritage in all its forms with special focus on the fight against its illicit trafficking.
Educational materials and educational kits on the protection and promotion of cultural heritage should be developed to target different age groups of students at schools and universities.
Collaboration with the World Heritage Education Program should be activated to get benefit of their rich educational resources and materials.

Q: Your original career interests centered on chemistry with plans to earn a doctorate in the United States. What led to your segue into archaeology and cultural heritage preservation and management?

A: I started as a chemist at Yarmouk University and I did my undergraduate and then masters in physical chemistry, and I was about to go for a scholarship to continue my Ph.D. in the field of physical chemistry at an American University. An accidental involvement in cultural heritage changed the course of life. I was asked by the chair of my chemistry department to provide some technical assistance to the Museum of the Jordanian Heritage at Yarmouk University which was about to be opened in 1988.

I helped the museum in using my chemistry knowledge in cleaning and conservation of a collection of important petroglyph objects created by removing part of a rock surface by incising and carving. I used my chemistry knowledge to reveal the details of these objects which were concealed by concretions. The Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology Prof. Mowaieh Ibraiem got impressed by the results and encouraged me to pursue my studies in the field of conservation of cultural heritage instead of chemistry.

This proposal was also supported by my scientific supervisor in chemistry Prof. Talal Akasheh, who was also actively involved in research projects in the conservation of stone monuments of Petra. They finally managed to convince me of this choice and instead of going to the U.S. for a Ph.D. in Chemistry I joined the University of London for a PhD. in Conservation of Cultural Heritage. That was a true turning point in my career path.

"This was a big learning opportunity for me as I closely worked with internationally renowned experts in the field at one of the world’s most important archaeological sites."

That was a big challenge to change my field of specialization at this advanced level. I worked extremely hard to cope with new challenge especially with no background in archaeology. Conservation represents the embodiment of a canon of knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience in multidisciplinary fields including archaeology, art history, engineering, and natural sciences. I managed to get my Ph.D. with distinction after three years of hard working, patience and resilience with resulted in research results which were considered by the examining committee as a breakthrough in the field.

After I finished my Ph.D. in 1992, I returned to Yarmouk University for teaching and research at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology. A defining moment in my career came at very early days of my career when I was given the opportunity in 1993 to participate in the most valuable conservation project in Jordan at that time: Petra Stone Preservation Project, a joint-Jordanian-German conservation project. This was a big learning opportunity for me as I closely worked with internationally renowned experts in the field at one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. I gained a lot of knowledge and experience from this project which helped me a lot and gave me the impetus for further projects. So this project really positively impacted the rest of my career.

Q: What are your next projects?

A: A few years ago I managed to get funding from the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation for the restoration and rehabilitation of a section of the Roman Aqueduct of Gadara in Northern Jordan. This is a rare archaeological feature and is considered the longest ancient aqueduct in the world. I hope to get more funding to continue this project and hopefully to conserve and rehabilitate another section of this rare feature.

"I am optimistic ... that a joint fruitful cooperation in this field can be established including Yarmouk University, La Sierra University and the Getty Conservation Institute."

In addition, I am keen to continue my research on the topic of illicit trafficking of artefacts through international cooperation. A new project in this field is being developed. In addition I will continue my research work on revealing the innovative aspects of ancient technologies in Jordan through analysis of archaeological materials using scientific analysis. I am optimistic after my recent visit to the Getty Conservation Institute accompanied by Prof. Douglas Clark, the Director of the Center of Near Eastern Archaeology at La Sierra University, that a joint fruitful cooperation in this field can be established including Yarmouk University, La Sierra University and the Getty Conservation Institute.

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