Ambassador's Fund proposal

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002696

SIPDIS

NEA/PPD DBENZE
ECA/P/C/ Grachel Kubaitis

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SCUL KPAO XF JO
SUBJECT: Ambassador's Fund proposal



1. Proposal Summary
The American Embassy in Amman seeks a grant in the amount of
$29,628.96 to conserve and present Khirbet Salameh, an
ancient farmhouse founded initially in the 3rd century B.C.
The purpose of this project is two-fold: to preserve and
present an important cultural heritage site that is in
immediate danger of deterioration by natural elements and to
provide training in cultural heritage preservation to
Jordanian students in a field school setting. Presentation
of the site will include the installation of walking paths
and eight informational panels which will inform all
visitors, including school groups, of the cultural
significance of the site.


2. Detailed description of the project and participants,
including the time frame for completion.
The American Embassy in Amman, Jordan seeks a grant to
preserve and present Khirbet Salameh, an ancient farmhouse
founded initially in the 3rd century B.C. The purpose of
this project is to preserve and present an important
cultural heritage site that is in immediate danger of
deterioration by natural elements and to provide training in
cultural heritage preservation to Jordanian students in a
field school setting. The project will be undertaken by the
American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR).

Founded in 1968, ACOR is a private, non-profit, academic
institution with extensive experience in preserving the
cultural heritage of Jordan. ACOR, in cooperation with the
Department of Antiquities of Jordan, has been involved in
the excavation and preservation of numerous sites in the
country. The project will be supervised by Dr. Pierre Bikai,
an archaeologist with significant experience in directing
the excavation, restoration, and presentation of
archaeological sites in Jordan. Dr. Bikai holds a Ph.D. in
Near Eastern Studies (Archaeology) from U.C., Berkeley and
has been director of ACOR since 1991.

Khirbet Salameh is an ancient farmhouse that was first built
in the 3rd Century B.C. The house is a square structure,
with sides of 23.5 m each, that contains a courtyard and 14
rooms. The project will require three months to complete and
will be accomplished in three stages: cleaning, restoration,
and presentation. Each stage will require approximately one
month. After the site is cleaned of debris and weeds, the
walls will be consolidated with lime and sand. Three
collapsed arches will also be restored. During the
presentation stage, non-fragile restored artifacts will be
placed in their original locations. In addition, clearly
defined walkways will be established and informational signs
will be strategically placed throughout the site. The
project will be operated in a field school setting, and will
employee 10 local students, 5 local workers, an historical
architect, conservator, mason, and object restorer.


3. Indication of the importance of the cultural site.
Conveniently located opposite the University of Jordan and
across the street from ACOR, Khirbet Salameh is easily
accessible and would receive thousands of visitors annually
if it was properly restored and presented. The site is
unique in that it is not a large structure, which
archaeologists traditionally tend to excavate, but rather a
small farmhouse. However, the site is very impressive in
terms of its tremendous cultural, educational, historical,
and aesthetic values, and it will be the first of its kind
in Jordan.


4. Indication of the urgency of the project.
Previously excavated as a field school project in1992 and
1993, the site is rapidly deteriorating from natural
elements, such as rain and growing plants. In a couple of
years, the site will have lost much of its value. The U.S.
contribution will allow ACOR to immediately halt the
deterioration and preserve and present this important
cultural heritage site.


5. The impact of the U.S. contribution to the preservation
project.
Jordan is without natural resources in the traditional
sense. However, the country does have two very important and
valuable resources: a well educated population and its
cultural heritage. Preservation of its cultural heritage is
essential to Jordan's developing tourist industry, which is
crucial to the country's economy. Jordan recognizes the
importance of its cultural heritage sites; however, the
government lacks the funds necessary to preserve even the
most important sites. Khirbet Salameh will make a valuable
addition to the very few well-preserved sites located in
Amman.


6. Benefit to the advancement of U.S. foreign policy
objectives.
This project meets U.S. foreign policy objectives in that it
will provide American assistance to Jordan that is non-
commercial, non-political, and non-military in nature. This
project will preserve an archaeological site that is
important to the cultural heritage of Jordan, while at the
same time providing invaluable training in cultural heritage
preservation to Jordanian students. Very importantly, this
project will provide a wonderful opportunity for educational
and cultural exchange between Jordanians and Americans. It
will increase understanding and reinforce the strong and
positive relations between Americans and Jordanians.


7. Detailed budget.
This proposal requests $29,628.96 to preserve and present
Khirbet Salameh in a one-time three-month project. This
amount will be sufficient to purchase the materials, hire
the necessary employees, and administer the project. See
Detailed Budget for breakdown of expenses.


8. Other funding sources.
As part of the project, ACOR will provide a total of $13,000
in cost sharing. This amount includes 60 days of Dr. Bikai's
services ($10,200),laboratory rental ($1,200),crane rental
($1,000),and plane fare for the historical architect
($600). #GNEHM