2026-2027 Faculty Research Grants

Terry Robertson and Zorislav Plantak (James White Library). 

Digitizing the Raw Field Records of the Early Hesban Excavations: A New Phase of the Hisban Interactive Archive Project.

This project represents a new phase of the Hisban Interactive Archive Project (HIAP): the systematic digitization and online publication of raw field records from the first five excavation seasons at Tall Hesban, Jordan. These materials—fieldnotes, pottery reads, locus lists, and inventory sheets—constitute the foundational documentation of the early Hesban excavations. The handwritten fieldnotes provide detailed, locus-by-locus documentation of excavation progress, stratigraphy, dimensions, elevations, associated pottery and objects, and preliminary interpretations of inter-locus relationships. To make these primary records accessible to scholars worldwide, the documents must undergo a rigorous multi-stage process. Handwritten materials, composed in multiple cursive hands, are first deciphered and transcribed. Transcriptions are then formatted for digital publication, while original records are scanned, organized, and grouped. Finally, scanned images and verified transcripts are uploaded together as integrated digital publications within the HIAP platform. By transforming fragile, analog excavation records into searchable, openly accessible digital resources, this project strengthens archaeological transparency, enhances scholarly collaboration, and preserves an irreplaceable body of primary data for future generations of research.