Journal of Anthropology and Archaeology

Abandoning Shammakh: Historical Archaeology among the Villages of Southern Jordan and its Ethno-Archaeological and Modern Economic Potential
Mansour Abed al-Zeez Shqairat

Abstract
The abandoned 19th-20th century traditional villages of southern Jordan offer important insights into the processes of settlement building and abandonment. Archaeological studies undertaken over the past decades in southern Jordan have shed new light on the occupation history of this region from the Neolithic Period through the early modern era. The case of Shammakh in Jabal al-Shara of southern Jordan has shed new light on the settlement process in the region; this paper discusses settlement history, settlement process and abandonment reasons as well as the traditional crafts of the village. These crafts will be of cultural; artistic and economic value if they are promoted as part of tourism marketing for the area in which they were discovered, especially given the popularity of environmental tourism.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jaa.v6n1a1