The Department of Antiquities (Arabic: دائرة الآثار العامة, romanized: Dāʼirat al-Āthār al-ʻĀmmah) is a government department in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with responsibility for archaeological research and cultural heritage management.[1] It is part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.[2]
The Department was established in 1923 in what was then the Emirate of Transjordan, a protectorate of the British Empire. Its responsibilities are legislated for in laws no. 24 of 1934, no. 21 of 1988 and no. 22 of 2004.[3]
The Department has organised an international conference on the history and archaeology of Jordan every three years since 1980.[4]
Directors general
The department is headed by a director general.
- Ridha Tawfiq, 1923–1928[7]
- Tawfiq Abu al-Huda, 1929[7]
- Ala Edein Toqan, 1931[7]
- Adeeb al-Kayed, 1933[7]
- Hisham Kair, 1933–1939[7]
- Gerald Lankester Harding, 1939–1956. Harding's book "The Antiquities of Jordan" is still considered a reference to this day.[7]
- Abd el–Kareem Gharaybeh, 1956[7]
- Saeed al-Durrah, 1956–1959[7]
- Awni al-Dajani, 1959–1968. Al-Dajani is the first Jordanian holder of a Ph.D. in Archaeology.[7]
- Michael Jmaiaan, 1968[7]
- Yaacoub Ouais, 1968–1971 and 1972–1977[7]
- Mansour al-Bataineh, 1971–1972[7]
- Adnan al-Hadidi 1977–1989[7]
- Ghazi Bishah, 1989–1991 and 1994–1999[7]
- Safwan al-Tall, 1991–1994[7]
- Fawwaz al-Khraysheh, 1999–2010[7]
- Ziad al-Saad, 2010–2011[7]
- Faris al-Hmoud, 2011–2013[7]
- Monther Jamhawi, 2013–2018[7]
- Yazeed Alian, 2018-2021
- Ahmed Shami, (acting) Feb 2021-July 2021
- Hisham al-Abadi, since July 2021
