Abstract
The Umayyad Period in Jordan: ArcGIS as Storyteller
Track: Archaeology
Author
As GIS technology matures, our understanding of its potential to tell stories continues to grow. This is particularly important in archaeological contexts, where entire histories are built around artifacts that represent a very small part of the lives of ancient humans. This paper uses a series of spatial analyses to tell the story of the Umayyad period in the region of Tall al-Umayri, Jordan. Often characterized as a collapsing culture, the Umayyad period in Jordan is undergoing a retrospective renaissance. This study used ArcGIS to analyze settlement patterns, subsistence strategies, and social relationships during this period. Results suggest a dimorphic economy, split between field agriculture and herding, with closer ties to Byzantine subsistence strategies than many have thought. These results provide an important window on this period of transition between the Byzantine and Islamic worlds in Jordan.
Gary Christopherson
University of Arizona
Geography and Regional Development
1103 E. Second St.
Tucson, Arizona 85721
United States
Phone: 520-621-6267
E-mail: garych@casa.arizona.edu