Umm
el-Jimal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Calvin College has been the sponsoring institution throughout. Prolonged leaves from teaching have been encouraged by both administrators and colleagues in the Department of History. Since 1977 Calvin has operated the field school through which considerable logistical and financial support has aided our field work, while direct financial help was given for several seasons. Numerous individuals at Calvin, ranging from Deans to secretaries, from colleagues to students, have made countless contributions to preparations for fieldwork, financial applications, and publication. The American Center of Oriental Research in Amman (ACOR) has played a similar role in Jordan. Its directors, Bastiaan Van Elderen, Henry Thompson, James Sauer, David McCreery, and Pierre Bikai have always been most gracious and generous with advice, facilities, equipment, and have been personally involved. ACOR has been a home away from home for the project and its staff members. Several Jordanian agencies have given significant support. For the 1977, 1981, and 1984 seasons, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor donated the Mafraq Home for Paralysed Children as the excavation camp (during its summer holidays). In 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998 the Ministry of Education has donated the Boys' School and Girls' Schools at Umm el-Jimal for use as excavation camp facilities. Finally, our gratitude goes to the Ambassador Foundation and its Jordanian director for opening its three apartments in Jubaiha, Amman, for pre- and post-season and weekend use during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. The following organizations have contributed generously to the fieldwork and research, listed in chronological order of their contributions: The American Schools of Oriental Research (Albright Fellowship, 1972-3), Calvin Foundation (1972-3, 1974), Kyle-Kelso Fund (1977, 1981, 1984), Calvin Alumni Association (1981, 1984, 1992), National Endowment for the Humanities (Summer Grant, 1984), Baker Book House (1984), Dumbarton Oaks (Senior Fellowship, 1985), Ambassador Foundation (1992, 1993). The Warner-Lambert Foundation has been an annual contributor during the 90s. A warm debt of gratitude is owed to all of these organizations and their officials for their sense of the significance of and confidence in the Umm el-Jimal Project. This web site is dedicated to all the field team members, specialists, and Umm el-Jimal villagers who have worked so hard and given so generously to make it possible. Special mention also goes to Umm el-Jimal's Sheikh Hail es-Serour and his family, who extended generous hospitality, displayed a serious interest in and contributed to the research, and always assured good relations between the project and the people of the village. In addition to the field staff, a number of people at Calvin College were involved in facets of the preparation of the manuscript. They included staff members Robert Alderink, Cindy Boender, and Jane Haney, and research assistants Anne Albers, Courtney Eagle, Catherine Hutchinson, Eric Kort, Sean Milligan, Dirk Mouw, Phil Mulder, Rhonda Selvius, Justin Smalligan, Judy Sondorp, and Matt VandeBunte. At the Journal of Roman Archaeology, the incisive editing of J. H. Humphrey and Pedar W. Foss produced a polished publication of Umm el-Jimal: A frontier town and its landscape in northern Jordan, Volume I, Fieldwork 1972-1981. I am grateful to all for their diligent and fine labors. -- excerpted and updated from Preface and Acknowledgements in Umm el-Jimal: A frontier town and its landscape in northern Jordan. Volume I. Fieldwork, 1972-1981. Journal of Roman Archaeology. Supplementary Series. No. 26. Portsmouth, RI. 1998. |
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