About

Project Summary

In 2019 the Arts and Humanities Research Council funded the University of Leeds Living Museum of Umm Qais research project to introducing innovative research and digital technologies to foster a sustainable development model in Umm Qais that facilitates policies to promote sustainable tourism, create jobs and support local culture and products and
addresses UN SDG 2030 target on devising and implementing strategies to promote sustainable tourism. It will inform the sustainable preservation of the site, fostering innovative economic opportunities, and design an effective public engagement platform for local communities. Working with the local community the project is building a greater understanding of the heritage of this unique site. Our 3D laser scanning, satellite imagery and digital survey creates a virtual heritage landscape onto which young people and local community members are embedding the socio-cultural histories and living stories of their community in Umm Qais, building capacity in cultural heritage skills which can support the local economy.

Rationale

Umm Qais is a town in Northern Jordan which includes the archaeological remains of the ancient Decapolis city of Gadara. The town has a distinctive and significant archaeological and cultural heritage, important to the local community's identity and which is at risk from:

physical deterioration and insecurity (due to environmental factors and human factors such as looting),
lack of local knowledge about sustainable heritage techniques; and
limited appreciation and awareness of the site’s importance amongst the local community.

These factors have resulted in a reduction in tourism which continues to limit the site's socio-economic potential. The disengagement of the local community, in particular, has resulted in increasing vulnerability, isolation, reduced economic activity, and limited work opportunities, making the site increasingly unsustainable, unprotected and under increasing danger of further loss of its archaeological assets.

Methodology

The Living Museum of Umm Qais project is a collaboration between the local community and heritage professionals in Jordan and the UK using innovative digital approaches to record and present this unique site to the public. Our interdisciplinary research team brings pioneering scientific research and innovative methods together, using digital and virtual heritage technologies to record, preserve and disseminate the site’s archaeological features and historical significance to the local, national and international tourism community and as a catalyst for ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ (UN SDG 8).

The key research question is:

How effective is the integration of archaeological research, LiDAR scanning, and virtual technologies in synthesising novel and evidence-based findings on historical evolution and conditions of Umm Qais’ heritage and guiding a community-led sustainable development strategy that will re-engage community members, attract global tourism and shape dynamic economy around heritage and tourism enterprises?

The project has recorded, preserved, and analysed the endangered and multi-layered heritage site of Umm Qais including the Ottoman village houses, tracing their origins and materials to ancient Gadara’s plan. Through this research we are developing a coherent understanding of the distinctive layers of the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman heritage as well as more recent cultural heritage practices and products. The project examines not only the archaeological and physical fabric of Umm Qais but also ways to enhance the local community’s socio-cultural engagement with the site. Through local collaboration and community engagement the project has built capacity and cultural heritage expertise within Umm Qais and Jordan, developed digital heritage and tourism enterprise skills that are now driving greater public awareness of the site, enhancing the local tourism economy and contributing to the long term preservation of the site’s unique cultural heritage.

Successes

Since 2019 we have used 3D terrestrial laser scanning, satellite imagery, photogrammetry and digital survey techniques to produce a credible spatial layout of both ancient Gadara and the overlying later Ottoman houses, and we are combining these digital approaches to develop virtual heritage experiences and knowledge platforms for Umm Qais.

Collaborative work with young people and local community members is identifying and documenting the socio-cultural histories and stories of Umm Qais. and integrating them into the virtual heritage experience to present living histories of the site. The virtual heritage experience will include interactive visualisation, educational infographics and virtual trials of both settlements to raise the awareness of the site’s significance as a critical part of a sustainable tourism strategy. Through a series of workshops and focus groups within the local community of Umm Qais, we are developing the expertise in these digital approaches to cultural heritage within the local community and heritage professionals. Working with master’s students at several local universities we have developed resources to promote and present the heritage of Umm Qais, enhancing the cultural heritage skills of the next generation of cultural heritage professionals.

The work of the project, our local community volunteers and students was showcased within our hugely successful exhibition at the Umm Qais Archaeological Museum in August 2021 (an interactive virtual version of the exhibition can be explored on our main project website). The exhibition was repeated in November 2021 to showcase the pioneering research and community engagement of our project to HRH Prince Charles (Link: "HRH Prince of Wales visits UoL Pioneering Project and Exhibition in Jordan").

In November 2021 we were thrilled to welcome HRH Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at the Umm Qais Museum to tour of our site-based exhibition showcasing the pioneering research and community engagement of our project, and bringing global coverage to our work and that of the local community.

For more information see our main project Website: http://UmmQaisHeritage.com

This project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council Fund (Project Reference: AH/S011609/1) under the Newton-Khlaidi Fund partnership in the UK