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Dispatch from Amman (July 9, 2005)

Filed under GSLIS Administrative
Posted by GSLIS, July 10, 2005
View all posts for July 2005

July 9, 2005: Dispatch from Amman — from Michele Cloonan Dean, Simmons GSLIS

Saturday, morning, 8am, while waiting for Cynthia and Harvey.

Greetings. Harvey and I are heartened that you are reading our blogs; knowing that you are reading us makes this really fun.

One of you asked me to describe ACOR in more detail. ACOR stands for The American Center for Oriental Research. To quote from the “Welcome to ACOR” booklet it is “a private, non-profit academic institution dedicated to promoting research and publication in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, art and architecture, history, languages,” and other fields. It was founded in 1968, and over 180 archaeological and anthropological field projects have been affiliated with ACOR. Ancient artifacts are placed throughout the Center. The American office is housed at Boston University. Here in Amman, the ACOR building is “the only purpose-built research center of its kind in the Near East.”

ACOR is built into a steep hill. (Like Rome and Worcester, Amman is a city of hills.) Dorms, apartments, and lounges fill two floors. There is also a two-story library, a conference room, and a conservation lab (!!!). Private studies are on the bottom floor of the Library, next to the computer “bull-pen.” On the lobby level there is a lounge, living room, dining room, and an all-important smoking terrace. It is on this floor that everyone mingles—especially right before lunch! Right know there are about 25 of us and 10 or so archaeologists from all over the world.

The ACOR building is light and airy, and the walls are covered with colorful tribal rugs as well as paintings. Each dorm room has an oriental rug. The Director or ACOR is Dr. Pierre Bikai a warm and social man who recently re-designed the Center.

And now I have a confession to make: I actually love dormitory living. Over the years I have stayed at a few of them on my research trips. I love meeting new people every day, and I even enjoy the constant buzz. As I fell asleep last night at 2am, I enjoyed hearing laughter from the smoking terrace below. I even like complaining about the poor American food that they serve for lunch!

The lounge areas are great venues for socializing with the Iraqi librarians and their friends and families.

Before I forget, although Harvey and I are the current bloggers, the Other instructors and translators are: John Dean (Cornell), Basima Bezirgan (Chicago), Cynthia Correia (Simmons & KnowledgeInform), David Hirsch (UCLA), Ian Johnson (Robert Gordon University), Shayee Khanaka (Berkeley), and our own Pat Oyler. Cynthia arrived last night and the the rest of the team will be arriving soon.

Coming attractions: shopping with the Iraqi women, and Vaclev Havel.

Michele

To read additional dispatches from Amman, please see http://my.simmons.edu/gslis/resources/publications/index.shtml.