ABSTRACT
The Beidha Project is a collaborative undertaking between the Council for British Research in the Levant and the Department of Antiquities (DoA) in Jordan. It aims to conserve and present the early Neolithic site of Beidha in Jordan with, and for, community involvement and is primarily run by a series of small grants and volunteers. Beginning in 2001, a number of low-cost and low-impact initiatives have been undertaken: an earth-beaten track was constructed to minimise damage to the site and allow visitors to see a selection of key archaeological features; temporary panels were placed around the site; multilingual leaflets with information about the archaeology were produced; and a Neolithic Heritage Trail to link Beidha with other major Neolithic sites in southern Jordan was begun. Experimental reconstructions of Neolithic houses provided a space for visitors to interact with the reconstructed buildings. Furthermore, the related ‘Rewriting the Prehistory of Jordan’ project is providing training to Department of Antiquity staff and Yarmouk University graduates to inspire trainees with an interest in Jordanian prehistory and teach them specific skills in relation to archaeological fieldwork techniques. This project has produced a book on Jordanian prehistory aimed at secondary school students.
