Khirbat al-Baluʿa
June 18 - July 30, 2026
other
Exploring Moabite Jordan
Khirbat al-Baluʿa is a multi-period site in central Jordan, north of Karak, stretching over approximately 16 hectares. Baluʿa is located next to the Wadi Baluʿa, which is a secondary tributary to the Wadi Mujib. In this location, Baluʿa was able to control a major north-south route and guard access from the north to the Karak Plateau over the millennia.
The Baluʿa Regional Archaeological Project (BRAP) has renewed excavations at this important site, identifying three main areas of excavation in a pilot season in 2017. GPS survey and test excavations in 2010 and 2012 had established a preliminary map of the visible remains at the site. The most extensive period of occupation at Baluʿa dates to the Iron Age II period (1000–550 B.C.E.) when the city expanded to include a large, walled lower settlement. The Iron II settlement is impressive, with building walls preserved to over 6 feet in height and doorways with stone lintels still intact. The site is located in what is traditionally known as the Moabite region of Jordan in the Iron Age. Three areas of excavation in 2026 will focus on the Iron II settlement.
The site was reoccupied in Hellenistic and Nabataean periods, with reuse of some of the Iron Age architecture. A village was then constructed in the Middle Islamic Period to the southwest of the Iron Age remains. One area of excavation in 2026 will focus on the Middle Islamic khan, or road inn, that is at the southwest corner of the site.
Details
Geographic Location
Karak, North-Central Jordan
Dates of the Dig
June 18 - July 30, 2026
Minimum Stay
June 18 - July 11, 2026
Application Due
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Academic Credit/Cost per Credit/Institution
4-8 credits / $1083 per credit/ La Sierra University
Accommodations
Karak, Jordan in double or triple-occupancy hotel rooms with full room and board.
Cost
Directors
Kent Bramlett: La Sierra University
Friedbert Ninow: La Sierra University
Monique Roddy: Walla Walla University
Contact
Dr. Monique Roddy
To learn how you can get involved, visit their website and check them out on Facebook and Instagram.
In the free eBook, A Digger’s Life: A Guide to the Archaeology Dig Experience, step into an archaeological excavation and find out what it takes to find, prepare for, and work on a dig.
