The Tall Madaba Archaeological Project

View of the exposed ruins at Tall Madaba

Led by Prof. Tim Harrison and Dr. Debra Foran, the Tall Madaba Archaeological Project (TMAP) is a multidisciplinary research project investigating the early development of urbanism and urban institutions in the ancient Near East. It is part of an ongoing international research effort to create a regional database that will permit comprehensive analysis of the adaptive strategies and social institutions developed by human communities in the semi-arid Highlands of central Jordan, a geographical area distinguished by its climatic variability and environmental diversity.

The site is situated within the modern city of Madaba, located 30 km southwest of Amman amidst the fertile plains of the Central Jordanian Plateau, forming a continuous urban tradition that can be traced back in time at least 5,000 years. The ancient settlement consists of a large low-lying tell and acropolis. Excavations at Tall Madaba were conducted between 1996 and 2012 exposing Early Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, and Ottoman occupational phases. The larger project also incorporates surveys conducted at Libb, Maʿin, and Khirbat al-Mukhayyat.

TMAP website