Digitizing Heritage as an Integrated, Sustainable Tool for Interpretation of the Past: The Case of Umm Qais, Jordan

Umm Qais is an urban community in northern Jordan with a distinctive archaeological and architectural heritage developed over 2,400 years of settlement extending back to the ancient Hellenic/Roman/Byzantine city of Gadara. This article interrogates the role of digital tools in documenting and preser...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Traditional dwellings and settlements review 2021-04, Vol.32 (2), p.7-21
Main Authors: SELIM, GEHAN, JAMHAWI, MONTHER, HOLLAND, ANDREW, MA’BDEH, SHOUIB
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Umm Qais is an urban community in northern Jordan with a distinctive archaeological and architectural heritage developed over 2,400 years of settlement extending back to the ancient Hellenic/Roman/Byzantine city of Gadara. This article interrogates the role of digital tools in documenting and preserving everyday living memories associated with its architectural and socio-cultural heritage. Such a strategy may help reestablish a link between local residents and the multiple, complex layers of urban and architectural tradition which influence their identity. Toward this end, we have employed a qualitative methodology to build a digital record of the relationships between the archaeological and the socio-cultural aspects of Umm Qais and its many interconnected layers of heritage. In the context of contemporary digital heritage production, there is considerable debate over how the public can best engage with digital practices of remembering. Nevertheless, cultural heritage institutions are moving progressively forward with efforts to employ digital platforms to help connect individuals with their history.
ISSN:1050-2092