2025-2026 Faculty Research Grants

Stacie Hatfield (Social & Behavioral Sciences). 

Navigating Collaborations: Adventist Archaeology in Jordan.

Andrews University established archaeological excavations in Jordan in the 1960’s with the goal of supporting biblical histories with archaeological evidence. Shifts in archaeological theory and practice since the 1980’s include a move toward a greater attentiveness to the goals of local communities and to the ways in which Western archaeological interests impact those communities. Biblical narratives have political implications in geopolitical contexts where archaeology is and has been a means of establishing territorial, political, economic, and military claims. Jordan is a predominantly Muslim country geographically close to recent conflicts in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon. Biblical archaeology in Jordan therefore poses political and ideological challenges for the nation of Jordan and for many Jordanians. Archaeology with a biblical focus is a treasured part of the Andrews University legacy and archaeological programs and research at Andrews and at other Adventist universities continue to make valuable contributions to archaeological understandings of the Near East. The future of biblical and of Adventist archaeology may rest in our ability to successfully navigate conflicting religious, academic and local national realities. The goal of this project is to qualitatively trace areas of discontinuity and aligning interests among Adventist and Jordanian archaeological communities to explore possibilities for mutual collaboration. This research contributes to understandings of the role of archaeology in biblical research, to understandings of the work and goals of the Adventist archaeology, and to community archaeology and heritage conservation as reflexive turns in the relevance of Adventist archaeology not only for Jordan and Jordanians but also for Adventists and for Adventist archaeology.