Jerash — The Conservation and Restoration Center for Antiquities in Jerash has emerged as one of Jordan’s leading specialized and promising facilities dedicated to safeguarding and preserving the country’s cultural heritage.
The Department of Antiquities is seeking to further develop the center’s strategic role, with the aim of establishing it as a leading conservation and restoration institution in the Middle East and the wider region, while enhancing the skills of its technical and human resources and expanding its training and research programs.
From an Idea to Royal Patronage
The regional center was launched in September 2024 under the royal patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II. Its establishment followed extensive efforts and several stages of planning and implementation, from selecting the site to developing human resources and equipping specialized laboratories.
Director General of the Department of Antiquities Dr. Fawzi Abu Danah said the Conservation and Restoration Center in Jerash is one of the country’s leading specialized facilities for safeguarding Jordanian cultural heritage, relying on a precise and integrated scientific methodology to handle various types of archaeological finds and materials, archaeological sites, architectural elements, mosaic floors and wall paintings.
He said that since beginning its operations, the center has successfully carried out a range of professional conservation and restoration projects across the Kingdom, covering archaeological sites and diverse artifacts.
Nearly 100 artifacts and archaeological sites have so far undergone conservation and restoration, Abu Danah said, describing the volume of work as a significant achievement given the relatively short period, the complexity and precision of the work, and the advanced techniques employed.
The first stage involved selecting the historic Police Saraya building in Jerash as the permanent headquarters of the regional conservation and restoration center. The site was documented and a strategic plan was prepared for its establishment, including modern options and designs compatible with the building’s heritage character and intended function.
The process also included developing a new organizational structure for the institute and formally incorporating it into the Department of Antiquities, assessing its operational and administrative expenses, and coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to allocate an annual budget in preparation for comprehensive rehabilitation work.
Abu Danah said the Department of Antiquities now relies on the center as its main technical and advisory reference for conservation and restoration projects.
He praised the role of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which supervised the delivery and receipt of scientific laboratory and workshop equipment. The equipment is among the highest-quality and most advanced types used internationally in the field and was received in cooperation with a specialized committee comprising representatives of the Department of Antiquities, the Jerash Department of Antiquities, the Ministry of Finance and the Audit Bureau.
Achievements and Capacity Building
Abu Danah said the center’s operational vision has gone beyond infrastructure to include developing national human resources.
Fifteen trainees from the Department of Antiquities were selected to receive training in the conservation and preservation of pottery, metal and glass artifacts, as well as organic materials, stone and mosaic conservation and stabilization, and the restoration of wall paintings.
The center has demonstrated its capabilities through several specialized projects, including conservation and restoration work on part of the southern colonnade, conservation of the mosaic floor at the Church of the Bridge within the Jerash archaeological site, restoration of an ancient bronze lamp from Beit Ras, and restoration of an Islamic-period pottery jar from the collection of the Hashemite Royal Court.
The center’s work is not limited to Jerash Governorate. It has also handled artifacts stored in warehouses or displayed in museums, as well as artifacts received from antiquities directorates in Amman, Irbid, Ajloun, Ma’an and Aqaba.
This reflects the national scope of its activities, Abu Danah said.
The center is currently overseeing two projects. The first aims to conserve, restore and rehabilitate part of the ancient Jerash city wall, while the second seeks to establish a comprehensive national database of the mortar used in the conservation and restoration of archaeological sites across the Kingdom.
The center currently has a qualified technical team comprising specialists in archaeology, conservation and restoration, engineering and chemistry. The team supervises approved training programs.
The center has also created 14 temporary employment opportunities through its ongoing projects, with plans to provide permanent and future jobs for graduates of archaeology and restoration programs from the local community in Jerash.
Abu Danah stressed that Jordan relies entirely on highly qualified Jordanian professionals with strong scientific and technical expertise to meet field requirements, without the need for foreign experts to oversee its operations.
Around 85 employees of the Department of Antiquities have benefited from the center’s training programs, he said, emphasizing practical and field-based training using genuine archaeological artifacts.
Academic and Development Partnerships
At the academic and development level, the center is opening the door to long-term partnerships with the University of Jordan, Yarmouk University and the Hashemite University, as well as several international institutions and organizations.
These include the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the French Institute, ARCS Arci Culture and Development, Italy’s Roma Tre University and France’s University of Lyon.
Work is also underway to establish a specialized website for the center, allowing the public and researchers worldwide to access reports, studies and completed projects, further strengthening Jordan’s position as a regional hub for the preservation of human heritage.
Integrated Scientific Environment and Modern Treatment Techniques
The center houses advanced scientific laboratories, including a documentation laboratory equipped with the latest digital technologies and a science laboratory containing precision equipment for examination and analysis, as well as for preparing the chemicals and solutions required for conservation work.
Abu Danah said every archaeological artifact entering the center undergoes a carefully controlled process.
The process begins in the documentation laboratory, where descriptive and technical records are prepared and high-resolution professional photographs are taken. Three-dimensional (3D) documentation techniques are also used.
The artifact is then transferred to the conservation and restoration laboratory, where a treatment strategy is developed in consultation with the science laboratory.
Modern techniques may then be applied, including laser cleaning, sandblasting, steam humidification and sterilization using nitrogen gas.
The artifact is subsequently returned to the documentation laboratory, where a final digital record is prepared documenting all stages before and after treatment.
Challenges and Future Plans
Regarding challenges and future ambitions, Abu Danah said the center faces several operational needs that the Department of Antiquities is working to address.
These include the need for additional staff, upgrading examination and analysis equipment to cover a wider range of complex tests, and overcoming difficulties related to importing and securing certain foreign chemicals and consumables required for restoration work.
He noted that the center’s budget is financed through direct annual allocations to the Department of Antiquities based on the needs of approved projects and programs.
Source: Al-Ghad
