ABSTRACT
The area of the modern Kingdom of Jordan has undergone many changes in economic level, political status, and even name. Confusion over Jordan's political geography—specifically its territorial base—was especially common in the twentieth century, not least because "Jordan" has been used since ancient times for both the famed river and its valley and as the name of the country. Vestiges of the early history of the area are sharply etched into the landscape of the western fourth of contemporary Jordan. In this settled part of the country, one is rarely out of sight of some reminder of the past—a dolmen, tell, ruined building, Roman milestone, or the excavated ruins of an entire city, such as Jarash, Umm al-Jimal, or Petra. The political-geographical, demographic, economic, and social character of the kingdom altered dramatically and permanently after the advent of Israel on May 14, 1948.
