Project Objectives
The development and implementation of a bilingual Arabic-English, Web-based national geographic information system (GIS) for Jordan's Department of Antiquities (DoA) is the central focus of the Middle Eastern Geodatabase for Antiquities, Jordan (MEGA-J) project.

	Ruins of the Decapolis city of Gadara, today known as Umm Qais, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Tiberias, and the Golan Heights. Photo: Dennis Wuthrich

The GIS, once completed, will serve as the primary tool for the DoA—and subsequently for the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH)—in its ongoing work to inventory, monitor, and manage Jordan's vast number of archaeological sites. In the process, it will greatly facilitate the work of DoA staff, Jordanian scholars and their colleagues worldwide, and, ultimately, play an important role in preserving Jordan's archaeological treasures.

	The partially-restored reception hall of the Ummayad-era palace located at the Amman Citadel. Photo: David Myers

Project Overview
The MEGA-J project evolved from the ongoing Iraq Cultural Heritage Conservation Initiative, which was launched in 2004 and represents another collaboration of the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the World Monuments Fund (WMF). Unfortunately, the ongoing conflict in Iraq and related problems prevented the successful completion of one of the Initiative's primary goals—the development and implementation of a GIS to inventory the country's numerous archaeological sites and historic buildings.

Nonetheless, it was evident that Jordan has a similar need and, indeed, similar requirements for precisely such a system. Moreover, the DoA has been a strong supporting partner in the GCI-WMF Iraq Initiative. It was decided, therefore, to continue working on a new GIS, albeit implementing it initially in Jordan and developing it in such a way so as to make it adaptable and configurable for Iraq and possibly other Arabic-speaking countries.

The archaeological city of Gerasa (modern Jarash) at the beginning of the 20th century. The beginnings of the modern city of Jarash appear in the background, in the location of the residential area of the ancient city. Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-matpc-06966

The remains of the ancient city of Gerasa continue today to exhibit the key elements of the Roman-era city plan, including the Oval Plaza (foreground) and Cardo, the collonaded road leading to the north that served as the city's north-south axis. By comparison with the image of the area from approximately one century earlier, it is apparent how much the modern city of Jarash has grown over the archaeological remains of the residential area of the ancient city. A major challenge that the Jordanian Department of Antiquities currently faces is the protection of archaeological sites in the face of rapid development in many areas of Jordan. MEGA-J will serve as a tool to aid in the DoA's protection efforts. Photo: David Myers

The DoA, under the leadership of Director General Dr. Fawaaz Al-Khaysheh, the GCI, and the WMF signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2007 mandating the development of a new GIS, which is scheduled to be fully implemented and operational in 2009 and will subsequently be adapted for use in Iraq.

MEGA-J is envisioned as an electronic inventory capable of maintaining information on site location and extent, site characteristics, and site condition in an easy-to-use manner. Ultimately, it will help standardize and centralize information on archaeological sites throughout the country in a single system that will be focused primarily on the aims of heritage management and research.

The system will not initially attempt to incorporate all relevant information on any given archaeological site, although that remains the ultimate goal; it will, however, create a solid, extensible, flexible, and compatible foundation upon which to build and add almost limitless additional information in the future. The approach that has been adopted, based on thorough reviews, holds that an incremental process rather than simultaneous efforts on all fronts is a key to success.

	Below the Amman citadel, standing amidst modern buildings, is a Roman theater seating up to 6,000 spectators. Photo: David Myers

It is hoped that the new GIS will become the DoA's preeminent planning and decision-making tool, addressing its needs and demands related to the legal protection of sites, site management, infrastructure and development control, World Heritage requirements, and development of national and regional research strategies. Infrastructure and development planning are especially crucial, and the GIS will permit the DoA to assess the potential impact of development projects (e.g., construction of buildings, roadways, pipelines) on or near archaeological sites. MEGA-J is also seen as a tool for coordinating heritage site data with other ministries (e.g., Tourism and Antiquities, Planning, Agriculture) and for academic research.

The fundamental design requirements identified for the new system included the following:

• The system needed to be a map-based, Web-enabled inventory with access to data from all of DoA's regional offices.
• It had to be capable of handling data in both English and standard Arabic.
• The technical tools (i.e., software) used to build the system must be low-cost (or no-cost wherever feasible), open source, non-proprietary, and accessible both technically and financially by those who will need to support, maintain, and sustain the system for many years to come.
• The system must be easy to use and not require extensive training for the general user—i.e., users need not be GIS experts.
• It must have wide compatibility with similar systems of national and local authorities, such as the Land and Surveys Department, city governments, and the like.
• It should be readily customizable to accommodate changes in practices that the DoA may make in the future.
• It must ensure, wherever possible, consistent and valid entry of information.
• All data must be secure and appropriate back-up strategies need to be implemented.
• The system should provide various levels of user access based on user roles—i.e., some users will have full access to all data, while others may only have read-access to certain areas of the database.

Last updated: June 2008